Thanks for the reviews, and welcome to all the new readers! I look forward to seeing how you are all enjoying this story as it continues. Each and every new favorite, follow and review makes me so giddy! *air kisses*
AWanderersHaven: I debated on how much of that to put in, so I'm glad you liked it! It took me a couple hours to get to the name meaning hehe but it seems to work!
Guest: Thanks! Here's some more for you!
Nance: Thank you so much. I understand what you mean about the abruptness from others. I always wanted this one to be an easy transition. So glad it worked! (Also, thank you for all the commas in your editing! I swear...someday...I will figure them out, but until then I couldn't do this without you.)
The blinking, black cursor stood in solitude on the white background. The bright screen reflected in Gwaine's eyes, as he stared at it in contemplation. He had never before imagined the day when he would write such a letter. He was so absorbed in his mental meandering, he failed to notice his sister peeking her head around the door.
Laney wished she could write the letter for him. She remembered forging notes from Boyd back in school, to excuse some of Gwaine's absences when he found himself in need of a break. Even after she had run away, Laney had always felt the need to take care of her baby brother. They were both so stubborn, and although Gwaine and Boyd had a good relationship, the siblings rarely asked for help with anything, from anyone. Their mother had been the same way, especially after their dad had died.
While the thought had crossed her mind of having Gwaine ask his friends for help, it would have felt like failure in some way for the two of them. Merlin's job offer gave them both the opportunity they needed, and the means to not feel like a burden. She smirked, realizing just how well the old wizard knew them. Of course, it made sense in a way...he was related to them, too.
Her heart fluttered from nerves from all the coming changes. Toby was accepting of the move. He hadn't been able to really get into the swing of things at his new school, and was ready to experience life in a place where nobody knew him. The younger boys on the other hand, especially Greg, weren't as open to the idea. Greg had fit right in there in Colorado, with his scouts and new friends. Randy was worried about their dad not being able to find them if they moved.
It would take time, but she knew they would get through it. Sitting next to her brother's elbow on the desk, was the paperwork from Merlin's attorney. It appeared that Merlin had already set him up to look into the matter, and was just waiting for the right time. Laney wasn't sure if she was grateful that it would be so easy, or pissed that Merlin had taken the initiative without asking. Sighing heavily, she let it go. If everything hadn't come about the way it had, she never would have known about it, and the papers would have been filed away in some drawer halfway around the world. The pages had been signed, notarized, and faxed back to the office in New York. The hard copies were to be picked up the next day, and then all she needed to do was wait for the judge to sign off on them. Her ex had a few months to respond, but she highly doubted he would be found in time.
Heading down the stairs and into the kitchen, she looked at the clock on the stove and noticed that it was past feeding time for the animals. Nearly a foot of snow had fallen since the time Martha and the three men had left to go assist her brother, and when Leon and Gwaine had arrived back. Arthur had wanted to spend time, understandably, with Gwen and Aurie, after all that the guys had gone through. Percival was staying with him for the time being, since Leon had given him a way to work the teleport beam himself.
Shrugging into her coat, she pulled on her snow boots and grabbed a pair of gloves. Glancing around the kitchen, she wondered where Leon had run off to. Laney was grateful that he wasn't in sight. She still didn't know how to deal with the situation. Trudging out to the barn, she closed the door behind her and thought through her chores list. When she approached the first stall, she was surprised to see the old roan mare happily munching on oats and hay. "...The hell?" She asked out loud, noticing that the other two horses were also fed.
In fact, it seemed like all the necessary chores had been handled already. A grunting sound alerted her to another's presence, coming from the stall where some extra hay for Boyd's cattle was stored. Her breath caught in her throat, as she peeked around the corner into the stall.
It may have only been thirty degrees outside the barn, and maybe fifty inside, but she couldn't tell by looking at the sheen of sweat across Leon's bare arms, as he restacked the hay. His long, brown coat hung off to the side of the door. Laney covered her mouth with her hand, unable to tear her eyes away from scene. The way the thin fabric of his shirt clung to each muscle and moved like a second skin...it was like a train wreck waiting to happen...especially with the sleeves rolled up. Mentally and emotionally, she knew she wasn't in a position to deal with it. Gwaine had warned her, and she chided herself for not having broken it off with Leon after her brother had caught them. She thought she could handle it.
The pain in his eyes, and the longing for comfort, after Leon had explained the space battle; part of her had wanted to give in to him, but there was still a wall of fear and self-protection around her heart. She had consoled herself by using her kids as an excuse. They still had their dad, as absent as he was. Although, she still wasn't sure if it really surprised her to hear he'd run off to a foreign country with a new woman. Her own life had been mostly without a father. Although, it was under completely different circumstances.
She swallowed down the lump in her throat, thinking about her oldest son's words. She didn't want to admit that Toby might have had a point, but she wasn't ready for anything more...especially now, with plans to uproot her family again...this time being even further away from the life they knew. Taking a step back, she prepared to retreat before Leon found out she was there. Unfortunately, she didn't see the bucket sitting next to the wall right behind her...until she tripped over it.
"Fracking son of a bitch!" She cursed, as her butt hit the concrete floor and her elbow knocked into the wall.
Leon was there in an instant. "Are you okay?" He asked, holding out his hand to help her up.
Refusing to meet his eyes, she shook her head. "Yeah...No...Frack."
Leon's throaty chuckle of amusement caused her to cringe. "Can't make up your mind?" He asked, pulling her to her feet.
She reached out to steady herself, and her hand touched the flesh of his bicep. It was slick with moisture from his physical exertion. His smell was amazing. The scent of the alfalfa clung to his shirt and mingled with the musky sweat. Her hand trembled and her breath was uneven. She attempted to push away, but he caught her and pulled her closer to him.
"Laney...I want to apologize for the other day...I..."
"S'okay!" She said, cutting off his words. "You'd been through some shit and needed more than I was able to give you."
He huffed slightly. "Yeah. It won't happen again."
She finally looked up into his eyes. The dim light of the barn made them appear even darker than normal. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. Laney moaned against his mouth. Her body cried out for a need that only he could fill. His words told her it was a one time thing, but Laney knew better. Once the emotion was out in the open, there was no way it could go back to being simply sex. She'd been on that ride before.
Leon's tongue plied against her lips, asking them to part for him. Part of her wanted to shove him away, and run for the safety of the house. 'Gwaine was there...so are the kids.' Her mind screamed. With them so close, she wouldn't be tempted to do anything with Leon.
Almost against her will, she gasped and opened her mouth and accepted him. Toby was right, she hadn't smiled...or felt so good about herself...until Leon had come along. It was more than just the great sex, too. He had come out to do the chores without being asked, or asking if she needed assistance. He simply had done it to help ease her burden. Rearranging the hay was an added bonus. When he looked at her, he gave her goose bumps, and except for that one day, he had never asked or pressured her for more. She had fun bantering and joking with him...he seemed to like her cooking.
Laney didn't want to open up. She wasn't ready...and yet, she offered no protest when he lead her into the stall with hay scattered on the ground like a blanket, and began removing her clothes.
"Stop..." She moaned.
He growled deep in his throat, knowing what she was going to say next. "Will you just trust me?" He demanded, capturing her mouth again with his own, while he began to press against her. "I won't get you with child." He pulled back and stared into her chocolate brown eyes. On more than one occasion, he had tried to explain the more advanced measures that he had taken in order to protect not only himself, but whoever he was with as well. "Please...just trust me."
For a moment, he felt certain she was going to protest, but then she nodded softly. The kiss he gave her could have melted a glacier. It felt like a victory that Laney was finally able to let down her walls, even if just for this one moment of hot passion. Admitting to him that on some level, she was finally willing to trust him, meant more than he ever could have imagined...*
Breathing heavily, he collapsed on top of her. His forehead pressed into the loose hay above her shoulder. "Beautiful...so...beautiful..." He whispered against her ear. At first, he thought she was laughing, but he soon realized that there was a sadder tone to it. He felt the tears from her eyes, as she pressed her face into the hollow of his neck.
Rolling off of her, and onto his side, he pulled her close and held her. He didn't know what had brought on her crying, but a part of him took guilty pleasure in the idea that she trusted him, not only with the the more advanced method of protection, but also now with her emotions. Cradling her against his chest, he reached out and found her coat, pulling it over her back to keep her warm.
After a few moments, she sniffled loudly and wiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry...Leon...I'm sorry."
He felt the cold air hit him, almost knocking the wind from his lungs, when she sat up and started to reach for her clothing. "Elaine, what's wrong?"
Laney refused to meet his eyes, as she gathered her stuff and began to dress, brushing the hay off her body. "I can't do this, Leon. I just...I can't."
"Can't do what?" He felt his heart sink in confusion as her body disappeared under the clothing.
Stuffing her feet into her boots, she grabbed her coat and ran out of the barn, leaving him sitting naked in the hay; wondering what the hell had just happened.
Arthur and Percival's forms materialized outside of the house. Gwaine had requested that if there was any question of the boys being home, they try to make their entrance as inconspicuous as possible. Arthur's eyes widened in surprise at how cold his feet suddenly were. He looked down and saw the snow piled around his shoes. Percival seemed equally shocked.
Arthur turned to his friend to comment, when out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure in the darkness, rushing away from the barn. His lip curled in confusion, and he was about to hail a greeting, when the door to the barn opened and Elaine came out. Arthur glanced at Percival. He noticed that the large knight also saw her.
Raising his hand and smiling, Percival was about to call out to her, when Arthur stopped him.
He took note of the way she had paused and wrapped her arms around herself protectively. Her feet quickly carried her toward the house. She didn't even notice the two men standing in the shadows, outside of the porch light. The glass door slid shut behind her, before either of them spoke.
"Do you think she's alright?" Percival asked, a deep crease forming above his nose.
"I saw someone going the other way from the barn. My guess is, it was either Leon or Gwaine. We should just leave them be and pretend we didn't see anything. I doubt Elaine would appreciate us prying."
Percival snorted softly. Gwaine's sister was a rock of sarcasm and wit. She would smile and laugh along with the rest of them, but anything deeper, she kept buried far below the surface. "Shall we go in the front door, then?"
Gwaine was startled as the back door slid open. He had figured his sister was out doing chores, but he wasn't prepared for the state she was in, when she entered the house.
Tear tracks cut into dust on her face, and bits of hay were still stuck in her hair. His mind went to worst case scenario.
"Where's Leon? If he did anything to you..." He let the threat hang in the air.
Laney shook her head and wiped her nose on the sleeve of her coat. "No...no, he didn't. I just...I'm going to go take a shower before the boys see me." She tried to push her way past him.
Gwaine caught her by the shoulders. "Are you sure? I'll kill him if he did something to you, you know that."
She nodded, "I know." Inhaling deeply, she forced herself to smile, "He didn't do anything I didn't want, but I'm sure you don't want the details."
"So, what's with the crying?"
She barked out a harsh laugh. "The emotional shit storm you were predicting."
Gwaine rolled his eyes and let go of his sister. She rushed to her room, unmindful of the wet tracks her boots left along the floor. Grumbling under his breath, Gwaine grabbed a dish towel, intent on cleaning the mess. The ringing of the front doorbell had him cursing and wondering if it was Arthur finally arriving.
"I'll get it!" He heard one of the boys shout. At the same time, the back door slid open again and Leon came into the house.
Gwaine looked up and openly glared at his friend. Neither spoke a word, as Leon removed his boots and set them to the side. He moved to the table and sank down in a chair.
"What the frack did you do?" Gwaine finally asked, still staring at Leon.
Sitting forward, Leon placed his elbows on the table, and opened his mouth to explain that he didn't have a clue.
"We have returned!" Arthur said in a jovial voice, as he entered the kitchen. Percival came in, a step behind the former king.
Leon shook his head and rubbed his hands over his face. Gwaine turned his sour look onto the others for a moment, before focusing again on Leon. He threw the towel on the table angrily, and pointed his finger at the knight. "We'll discuss this later." He promised.
Gwaine spun on his heel and stalked over to the refrigerator. He grabbed a beer and popped it open. He then hopped up onto the countertop to sit down. His eyes narrowed, watching Leon over the bottle, as he tipped it back. Without removing his gaze, he asked Arthur. "Did Martha find what you wanted?"
Arthur forced a smile, and nodded. He was happy to have a direction of conversation away from the tension between his two knights. "She did. She has taken it to Torchwood to examine it, and see if there is something different between that staff and the Priors' staves. She still isn't happy about leaving Merlin alone with Mickey, but I suspect she understands the reasoning a bit better, thanks to you."
"Good." Gwaine took another drink.
Percival reached for the refrigerator handle, once he realized Gwaine wasn't going to offer any drinks to the rest of them. He pulled out three bottles and silently asked Gwaine if they could have them.
Gwaine gave him a tight nod, and finally looked away from Leon. "How are Gwen and the kid?"
"They're well. It was good to see them. They are actually going back to London to stay with Martha's mother, so she doesn't have to stay in the house alone." He chuckled softly and took one of the drinks from Percival. "It was Guinevere who actually uncovered Merlin's hiding place; in the floorboards under his bed."
Leon laughed, accepting the bottle Percival held out to him. "Ah. So many centuries gone by, and he is still a creature of habit."
Arthur gave the knight a questioning look.
"After Camlann, when we found out about his magic, he reluctantly admitted one night to Guinevere and myself...half-drunk, mind you...that for years he had hidden his spellbook and other things there."
The blank look on Arthur's face spoke volumes. "Under his bed? Do you have any idea how many times that room was searched?" He could have kicked himself for missing something so obvious and simple. "That idiot."
"Which one?" Gwaine asked jokingly.
Ignoring the jibe, Arthur opened his bottle and sat down at the table. "I suppose we should begin discussing our battle plans for tomorrow."
"Battle plans? Can I listen?" Toby asked eagerly, as he came into the kitchen and grabbed a soda.
Gwaine rolled his eyes. "No. Go play your games or something...or, don't you have homework?"
"No..." He said shifting on his feet. He met his uncle's eyes and knew he was busted. "Shit."
"HEY! I don't want to hear language like that from you!"
"Mom lets me curse in front her!"
"The frack she does!"
"She does now!" He looked around quickly. "Where is Mom?"
Gwaine bit his bottom lip, dropping the argument with Toby and unconsciously casting another glare at Leon. "She ain't feeling well...Went to go lie down."
"So...I can stay, then? She told me all about the whole knights thing. I think that is awesome! I mean, I've read stuff about all you guys...Well, except you, Mr. Leon. I don't remember reading about a knight with your name."
Leon's mouth fell open. He blinked, "I really do not know how to respond to that."
Percival coughed to cover a laugh, while Gwaine smirked triumphantly.
"Come and sit." Arthur offered the chair next to him. "I was younger than you, when my father first brought me into war council meetings."
Gwaine sighed. He was a bit uneasy about bringing the kid in on everything. "Toby, you realize anything...and I do mean anything you hear, can't leave this room. You gotta swear to me. You won't tell your brothers or anyone. If I catch even a whiff of something, you are going to be in deep shit."
Toby nodded quickly and made a show of zipping his lips together.
"Alright then." Gwaine said, giving in. On a normal day, he might have put his foot down, but he wasn't in the mood to argue about stuff that Toby would probably find out about soon enough, anyway. "I've got a meeting with General Landry first thing in the morning. I'm...wow...I'm going to be handing him my resignation. I think he's sort of expecting it, but you never know." He shrugged his shoulders and dangled the bottle between his knees. "After that, as far as I know, we'll all be in a meeting with him and SG-1, plus a few others, to discuss what happened out there."
Gwaine finished off the bottle and set it off to the side. He looked pointedly at Leon. "He's gonna want to know about you, your ship, how we know you...I'm sure Colonel Carter is going to be questioning your longevity, and Dr. Jackson will probably be bringing up the same thing Toby here did. You aren't mentioned in any of the history books."
"Not once?" The disappointment in Leon's voice was almost comical.
"Nope. Maybe Merlin had something to do with it...or one of your alien buddies...who knows?"
"Lancelot." Leon concluded with a chuckle.
"Yeah, probably. Anyway...there's going to be a hell of a lot of questions for all of us...especially about Merlin. Carolyn was able to cover us at the hospital, but I'm not sure if she was as successful with her father, and I don't want to see her get in any trouble on a professional level."
They all nodded in understanding.
Toby raised his hand timidly.
"If you have a question, go ahead and ask." Arthur smiled encouragingly.
"Um...I thought you guys worked on some top secret, time travel project. But, now you're saying Sir Lancelot is an alien? I'm confused."
Percival patted Toby on the back and leaned in closer to him. "Welcome to my world, Toby. Just do what I do...nod and go with it."
The house had become quiet. After Toby's question, Gwaine had excused himself to go put the little kids to bed. Soon after, Arthur had commandeered Gwaine's room. The former king was still not used to not having the status he once did, and he hadn't even thought twice about requesting it. Gwaine really didn't mind though, as part of him was still accustomed to the lifestyle he'd spent years immersed in.
Toby finally went to do his homework, while Leon and Percival had gone back to the ship.
Just before they left, Leon had cast a longing glance in the direction of Laney's room. She hadn't shown herself at all, since she had run out of the barn. He took a step down the hall, when he had felt Gwaine's hand on his shoulder stopping him.
"Leave her for tonight." The younger man said.
"I would like to make sure she's alright, Gwaine."
Holding his hands up in front of him, Gwaine shook his head. His temper from earlier had finally cooled. "Seriously. I know my sister. I don't know what the hell happened between you two out there, but when she gets like this...you just need to give her some time."
Reluctantly, Leon nodded and followed Percival out of the house. His heart ached, and he wanted nothing more than to fix whatever seemed to have broken in the beautiful woman, whom he had begun to care for.
Gwaine watched him go and steadied himself. Soon afterwards, he found himself in front of his sister's door. Despite his words to Leon, he was worried about her, too. Rapping lightly, he waited for a few seconds, before trying the door knob. Thankfully, it was unlocked, and he quietly pushed it open. "Hey, Laney?" He called softly and poked his head in.
She was curled up on the bed, facing away from the door. At first he thought she was asleep, until he noticed the way her shoulders were trembling. "Hey..." He said with a concerned smile, as he moved around in front of her. He dropped himself down on the floor and reached out for her face. Using his thumb, he caressed her cheek. "You okay?"
Her eyes opened, puffy and rimmed with red from crying. She shook her head, not trusting her own voice. Laney's hand was curled around an old photograph, and clutched tightly to her breast.
He pointed at it; a question in his eyes. "May I see?"
Nodding, Laney held it out for him. On the picture was his family: his dad, his mom holding a baby who he figured was him, and a little girl with pigtails and a pirate smile. Boyd was standing off to one side, and on the other, was a woman Gwaine assumed was his grandma.
"Do you remember Dad at all?" Laney finally asked in a choked voice.
Gwaine had to shake his head. "A little...but, not really."
"That was the first and last time I'd met Boyd, before we went to live with him. He and dad stopped talking again after that. I don't want my boys to grow up not knowing their dad, Gwaine. But, I don't know how to fix this for them."
"Ah, I see. He's a bastard, 'Lane. I don't know what else to tell ya? Making yourself miserable isn't going to make it right. I do remember how sad Mom was, though. Sometimes, I wonder...if she had just met someone, maybe she would have been happier...maybe we all could have been, ya know?" He shook his head and stood up. "Scoot over and make some room. I don't want to sleep on the couch tonight."
Laney forced herself to smile, and wiggled back on the bed to give her brother some space.
He stretched out next to her, and pulled her into his arms. She curled up tightly against him.
"Leon's a great guy, even if I don't know him as well as I used to." Gwaine finally said, after a long silence. "I know you don't want to get hurt, but you're hurting yourself...and the kids don't want to see you miserable, anymore than we liked seeing Mom like that."
"She gave up everything for us, Gwaine."
"Yeah, and look where that got her...and us. We were pretty messed up; gotta admit that."
"Maybe." She finally conceded. "It's just that...you guys could have all died out there! What if that happened, huh? What if..."
"Hey, we didn't die! Seriously, though, even if something did happen, wouldn't you have want to have at least been happy for a while, beforehand?"
Laney snorted, "Toby told me he liked Mr. Leon...that his Dad had never made me smile like Leon does."
Smiling, Gwaine hugged his sister tightly. "See? That should give you your answer right there."
"...But, Greg and Randy..."
"...Are only seeing how much you're pushing to have them try to love a deadbeat asshole."
She buried her face in Gwaine's shoulder. "He probably hates me now." She groaned.
Gwaine laughed, "I had to stop him from coming to check up on you. That isn't something a guy who hates you would want to do. I was worried about him getting emotional, but I think you both kind of broke your 'just sex' agreement."
She shrugged and offered her brother the first hint of a true smile. "The terms of that contract sucked anyway."
"After what I had walked in on...I don't think sucking was part of the problem..." He quickly found himself unbalanced and landing with a thud and a yelp on the floor, when his sister shoved him off the edge of the bed.
*full Leon/Laney scene is posted over at HoC. (not as wild as some, but still a steamy roll in the hay hehe...I swear those two cannot keep their hands, or other things, to themselves)
Don't forget to review, please! Thanks!