Deserved

[Lovely]

January 9, Year 2
Night time
follows: Take her off my hands


Ciara woke up at the Carlisle home after Alex had come to 'rescue' her from her Pa's wrath. She didn't know where she was or what all had happened to get her there.

Alex was there tending her bared back, squeezing blood from a dampened rag, alone in the room with her... no brothers.

Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled, even with the pain, because she saw him there.

He worried that he might scare her a little... she hadn't seen him with the fire of pure anger in his eyes before.

Ciara saw that anger and thought it was directed at her, she was the only one in the room with him... she'd made her father mad enough recently. She didn't have much strength but used what she had to try to push herself up to leave.

She hadn't really heard him raise his voice either.. he put up a 'fight' to get her to stay put and convince her it's not her he's mad at.. and how scared he is that she's so badly hurt again...

There wasn't much of a fight with her hurt like she was, she listened to him try to convince her and shook her head. "I deserved it."

Of course, she baited him to want to knock that out of her skull... "I... but... um... you... stop that!" He kissed her passionately. "... there, lass THAT you deserve."

Shakes her head, but smiles at him. "No I don't."

"You're absolutely right... you deserve so very much more, but not until you're healthy and able to keep up, now back down there on the cushion or I won't kiss you again." He smirked and raised an eyebrow...teases.. and pointed to where she was.

She looks down at her front which is only covered by the towel and her arm wrapped over it, as the top of her dress and her corset were removed so her back could be tended. bites her lip and nods to his request. "I wasn't going to get very far like this anyhow."

He gently reaches for the towel. "I'll be needin' this to pat your back dry when I'm done... no one'll be interuptin'... I'd say it's an adventure, but it's hardly that. Purely medicinal and necessary." If she looked around, she'd realize it was his own room she was in and had the bright feel of his warmth in every corner.

She watches his eyes as he reaches for the towel, keeping the cloth held to her for a moment longer. Her eyes slowly move around, taking in the room and it's unfamiliar decor. "Alex...' Her voice a whisper as her eyes came back to his, she didn't remember him coming to the house or the trip here. "Where.. is this.. your room? How.. when.. ?" Her unfinished questions trailed off as she looked around again. She swayed and took and unsteady step forward, her arm reaching out in front of her as she sought the cushion again before she collapsed. "What am I doing here?" She murmured softly as she not so gracefully eased down, letting the towel be pulled away to the side and Alex take it now.

[Lovely]

He slipped the cloth from her, not with the indecent intention, but to help sooth the still raw marks on her backside and shoulders that seeped again now with her movement. The other cloth was a deep and sticky pink, not able to be wrung further from the dabbing and cleaning around the sores. "Lay still, lass or you'll burst open again," he said gently, soaking the cloth and wringing it to damp to press on the marks and slow the bleeding. "Sam will be back to tend to you further. He's gone to his shop to gather a few things."

She nodded again, not speaking further for the time being. It was not only her back, but nearly all of her back side, her upper thighs and even on her lower legs as the strap had been swung wildly in anger and even when she'd fallen to the floor it had continued to lash at her for what seemed like an endless time. She could hardly remember anything since and was not aware that a week had passed since she'd last seen Alex. A tear found it's way down her cheek as he pressed the damp cloth to her raw torn skin and her fingers curled in response to the sting.

He winced on her behalf, feeling her tense up beneath the cloth. "So sorry, Ciara. It's nearly sealed up again. The air may be best on it, but you'll have to stay still. And yes, this is my room. You weren't in a position for politeness of offering you the choice. I hope you don't mind that I chose for you to stay in here and not with one of the girls."

She waited for the sharpness of the pain to subside before she dared to try speak. "Thank you." Was all she offered in answer to his remarks. She did her best to remain still, shifting her hand and fingers just a little to try to wipe her cheek, but feared moving too much and ended up just letting her hand rest back on the pillow. "You have a very nice room." She offered in a quiet voice.

"It's much nicer than had you stayed home," he said, no small amount of anger tinting the soft lilt. "Far more welcome here in any state you're in."

"I deserved it Alexander." Her anger at herself for riling her daddy so much, coming out in her firm but soft statement.

"No," he said gently, shaking his head. "None of God's creatures ever deserve this, lass. Especially not you. Though he may have thought he was just, he wasn't and you shouldn't believe so, either, not a word of it. He might have killed you, Ciara."

Her eyes closed and she started to shake her head, to tell him he was wrong, but simply turned her face partly into the pillow and cried quietly. "I've never seen him so angry.." She whispered. "I am so sorry."

"Silver linin's, lass... appears, if you wish to think on brighter things, that I won't be needin' his allowance to keep y'with me always as I wish... he's given me custody of your care... if you'll keep me to care for you, that is."

His words confused her at first and then they began to make some sense but at the same time, making none at all. "What.. he did what exactly?" Her head shifted on the pillow as she tried to look at him, she sniffed back her tears.

[Lovely]

"The silver linin', lass. Your father's given you away to my care. Truly, to anyone's, but I was first to volunteer and would be first to shoot down any other who'd try," he grinned faintly, kneeling down beside her to wipe a tear from her eye.

"My father.. he gave me to you?" She was shocked, yet not completely surprised knowing how angry he'd been, he had already kicked most of the boys out before he even started on her and the rest were cast out as he set upon her. "So what are you going to do with the mess you've been given?"

"Hopefully bless you with a fair sight of better luck than you've had this past year, to be certain," he teased lightly. "Kiss you well and kiss you forever after," he added softly, reaching to kiss her cheek lightly before standing to tend her marks.

Her eyes closed briefly as he kissed her cheek and she managed a small sweet smile, though it faded quickly. "I have been my own bad luck this past year.. aren't you worried that I'll rub off on you?"

"I'm too quick for it to stick long," he chittered. "And don't you believe I haven't had my share on m'own... perhaps you forget... tall, blond and ornery... named Westgate? Your brothers might not be holding a gun to my head much now, but he's got twice the bone to pick now that Patrick's got his sister. Seems to make me even more the target," he sighed.

"Maybe I'll have to find someway to convince you to stay home more often.. so you can avoid being such a target." Her tears had all but subsided now, though it was evident that her heart was still heavy. "I'm sorry Cody is giving you so much trouble."

He grinned at the first and chuckled at the second. "Never said the lad gave me trouble, just said he was m'bad luck is all. Except when I'm playing cards, then all his luck is mine, too. As for stayin' home, I've been stayin' where I'm needed most and that's here and helping you with your shop when I'm not in our own. Patrick's been doing a great deal more lately, trying to earn some extra any way he can. No, you're not dreaming, and yes, I'm sure he's a changeling. I just haven't found the charm to undo that spell.. nor am I sure I want to really. I've rather welcomed the change."

((changeling = a child that's spirited away and replaced by an imposter/goblin))

"The shop.." her voice a bare whisper, she had no idea what would become of it now. Her father's anger had been great and she had not been in to tend things for days? Would it sink now.. would her father even consider letting her return? There were too many questions and not many answers and more questions were forming, though her head felt slightly cloudy. "What are we going to do?" She asked Alex softly, meaning their situation and about her in general.

"You... are going to do nothing but heal yourself and rest quietly. There's nothing the folks around here need so badly they can't wait a day or two and if he turned y'out, then he can manage it all himself and realize his error soon enough," he nodded, trying to reassure. "M'brothers have been by to check that there's not been any lootin' at least and I believe Bertie's been spared the brunt of the misfortunes, or he hides it well. He's been by to mind it what he can, but he's not as knowing as y'are, Ciara. That's -your- store, make no mistake and it'll be a sore sight to have y'lose it ... should that come to pass," he added quickly, more than aware of the same fear.

She took a deep but trembling breath and nodded slowly. "I suppose there is nothing I can do about that for now.." Another tear slipped down her cheek and she turned her face into the pillow. "And me?" She inquired as she moved far enough to speak without being muffled. "What are we going to do.. about all this.. everything?"

[Lovely]

"All this? All this is all -us-, Ciara... me being able t'look after y'as I promised I would. Not as ideal as I'd have liked it t'be white lace and linen, not ... ," he motioned to the rag in his hand that blotted a spot that dribbled as she shifted. He sighed. "Surely that one will need a stitching... it won't behave a lick."

"Must take after me.." She murmured quietly, settling her head to face him, resing her cheek on the pillow. "Us? You mean for me to stay here.. with you.. for longer than.. now?"

His attention flicked from the wound he pressed on lightly to her gaze as she moved again. "Please lay still," he reminded softly and nodded. "Always intended y'to stay... was just a little obstacle was all... well... six or so."

Ciara's fingers curled into the sheet under her hand as he pressed on the wound, even though he did so lightly, her wounds were still raw and had been mostly untended until now.

"Sorry, lass," he whispered, looking to the door, hoping to see it open and Samuel come in to help patch her more. "Even Joshua seems to have stood down for a while, letting me take care of you. Now, if only I can get you to let me as well..." He dapped the corner of the towel in the warm water again and wrnng it. These marks of broken skin were likely to scar.

"I am letting you.." She protested gently, trying to remain still. "Josh knows I'm here and he is.. alright with it? Is there anything else I can't remember?"

Sam held a small bowl with a salve in it the would help soothe and heal the wounds on Ciara's backside. He also held his bag in the other hand, he'd seen enough to know she would probably need some stitching. Using a bent knuckle, he rapped on the door. "Alexander.. it's Sam."

A look of relief washed over his features and he stood swiftly. Checking that she was covered enough for her modesty he opened the door for Sam and stood away to let his brother work, though close to the head of the bed to speak with her or hold a hand should she need or desire it.

He set his things on the small table which held the rags and water Alex had been using to tend Ciara, Sam then went to work. He first examined her more closely now that Alex had cleansed her wounds, he whispered a soft apology for any pain he might cause her and began to apply the salve to the cuts closest to those he would need to stitch, the others would wait until he was done stitching.

"Alex." She gasped at Sam's touch on her raw back, her eyes shifting to Alex, fingers curling but she kept herself from jerking -barely. She was biting her lip as Sam began stitching the worst of the open cuts on her back.

"Gently Sam," he whispered, though he knew his brother was doing his best to be so. Alexander knelt on the far side from where Sam worked and reached his arm across the pillow for her to grasp or bite even. "Here Ciara... right here and not leaving."