Happily Ever After

[Lovely]

December 20, 2008
after dinner
continues from: Family Business
Veinna Estate - Florica's room


Time to talk about cabbages and kings, Biff thought, watching the tow-headed little wolf lead the way. Sure, Chip would be okay with the news. It was Flo he was worried about. The two of them together, he worried more. On again, off again, always best friends and each others' worst critic when they were to stubborn to be their own. Biff shook his head. God's idea of a sick joke, but one he couldn't be happier about, he admitted to himself as he followed up the stairs. "C'mon... step it up... I'll race ya," he teased, knowing he'd let the boy win. He just wanted to get this show going and see where it was going to take them all.

Chip was happy as he walked up with Biff, he'd found that he'd instantly liked the man and bonded with him. He was different from the other grown ups and felt connected to him like he did with his mom.. he didn't understand it, he'd not felt that way with his own father -hardly batting a lash as he was tossed out of dinner. The little boy smiled at Biff now and gave a little growl as the race to his mother's room began. His short legs scampering up the stairs.

"Aw man, you beat me?! How can that be... ooooooh," he groaned and teased, playing winded and broken for the boy's amusement. "Alright, alright, now stand up straight and don't you dare tell your mom I lost," he winked and knocked before slipping the door open. "Hey, Flo... Florica?"

Chip giggled and agreed, following Biff into the room and calling out as well. "Mommy!.. Mommy.. mommy where are you?" He pointed to the bathroom door which was partially open and the sound of running water. His little nose crinkling up as he sniffed the air, testing to find his mother's scent. "She's hurt.." He whispered softly, his head turning up as if to ask Biff, if he was right. Though he was familiar with such a scent, too familiar in fact. "Was it... my father?" He asked quietly, hesitating as if he wanted to go to her but was afraid to.

The smiles and teases stopped for the moment as he caught the scent, defining it more deeply and being drawn instinctively to check on her and protect her. "Dunno. Hey, find your favorite pj's and put 'em on for me, okay? We're gonna try to have a kinda little slumber party here in a bit. I'll be right back."

"Thanks.." Florica spoke softly as he came to the door, her back was to Biff, she was leaning over the sink with a damp cloth working on cleaning a gash in her side. Her head tilted in a nod toward the room and the boy behind him, thanking him for handling him so well. "I kinda thought it would take longer for you guys to get up here.. thought I'd be done in here before you got up here." Her teeth caught her lower lip as she pulled the cloth away to run it under the water and rinse some of the blood out of it.

"Kinda thought you'd tell me if there was a problem like that for me to take care of sooner... wait... I forgot... that was your... ex... husband's job. Let me take a look at that, babe... c'mon," he said... enough to ensure her it was over and to try to help ease whatever he could.

"Silly man it was my.. ex husband's? .. job to bust me up.. not fix me up.. and I couldn't tell you earlier.. I was getting busted up.. then I had to see Aberto." Her voice broke enough that he would notice and the cloth slipped from her fingers. "Ex.. really? that quickly?" She sounded almost afraid to believe it.

[Lovely]

"Really... and that really looks for shit, Flo. This ain't gonna happen again, not on my watch," he said as easily as if he'd only put the cat out for the night. He grimaced at the extent of the wound. "Should get some of Grandma Mitchell's cure-all from Mitch for that if Aberto couldn't do better. You gonna hold up okay? You've got one hyper boy in a pair of underoos waiting to hear all sorts of amazing stories. Can think of one pretty amazing one right off. How are you doing with the happily ever after part?"

She chuckled softly thinking of her son, he was a ball of restless energy. "I'm used to handling him.. looks like I might have a hand with that tonight, though. You sticking around for those happily ever after stories?" She glanced at his reflection in the mirror, wincing as she moved. "You think you can get it without telling him what it's for?"

"The salve? Sure... it's just for a hangnail, right? Think you can manage for a few minutes without that busting open?" He offered and started to head off, stopping at the door. "Guess that kinda depends on you, Flo. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. I can't keep you here if you don't want to stay... but I'm hoping you'll stay this time. Back in a minute."

She looked up again to watch him in the mirror as he headed away, she didn't answer him, just stared into her reflection after he was gone. "Can you?" She asked herself, wondering how she would manage this all. She'd have to deal with Chip, how all this would affect him.. Biff being around.. as much as she liked that idea, sometimes they fought as well as they got on. Then there was the family, she was aware of rules, codes. Would they make her jump from one marriage right into another? Most likely, wanting to keep everything neatly sewn up and tight. Her eyes closed and she leaned a little more heavily on the sink. "We're staying.." She whispered softly, then repeated it to confirm the promise to herself. "We're staying."

He was gone all of two minutes and had also called down for cocoa to be brought up to the room, with a little something 'extra' splashed in his own and Flo's. The tray would be up soon, but there was a short gap before the interruption would come. "Hey Chopper... your mission is to guard that door and make sure you ask at least ten questions before letting anyone in... they might be a spyyyy," he said, making sure Chip had something to occupy him while he tended Flo. He slipped through quickly to find her still leaning. "Okay, so I'm hoping this is a good sign. How's the head? Dizzy? Sick?"

She lifted her head and slowly turned to face him, her shoulders squaring a little defiantly, she was not weak and didn't want him feeling sorry for her. As she came around to somewhat sit on the counter, her hair shifted to reveal another less serious mark across her cheek, angry and bruised around it with her eyes shining darkly just above. "Yeah.. but it's all this happily ever after talk doing it.. not really sure I know the first thing about how that goes... I may need a few pointers."

"First..," he said, breaking open the seal on the salve and making a face at the wretched odor. "We erase the crap you've dealt with for five years. That's the hard part. Starting with this... and a clean bandage. The rest, I guess is one day at a time... if you're ready." He'd meant ready for the salve more than anything else, though it still fit to say about whatever she'd decided.

One hand lifted to his shoulder to brace herself and be out of his way, the other found a relaxed grip at his waist. She nodded that she was ready, her head tilted and she smiled a bit, speaking low as they were so close. "You got an eraser that big?"

"No, but I can be damn stubborn and insist that you get over it and him and focus on that boy in the other room and a stellar future... maybe one with me in it," he added, smearing down the mark with the paste that would tingle sharply then numb.

She hissed and then growled softly as the salve tingled into the wound, her fingers gripping into him and pulling him closer, her eyes bright and clear as she gazed at him. "Thanks." She whispered as the numbing sensation began, bringing relief and a soft gasp with it.