Away too long

[Lovely]

January 26, 2009
3am
Veinna Estate - Lily's room

Marcus was finally back from the assignment Scarlatto had sent him on, he'd been gone for weeks and now he was finally able to make his way up to Lily's room. He missed his girl and was feeling playful.

It was late or very early depending on how you looked at it, Lily was laying in her bed awake but resting, as she did more and more lately. She was happy to see Marcus come into the room. She smiled and started to sit up. "You're back?" She asked softly, surprised and delighted.

"Yes... gimme... I'm kinda hungry.." He teased as he came closer.

"Oh... that sounds a little scary." She was still smiling.

He grinned back at her. "You know me.."

"hmm do I? ..maybe.. you seem awfully familiar.."

"I'd better." He brushed a lock of her hair aside. "Miss me?"

"Very much." She smiled softly, looking up to his eyes.

He grinned a little more and sat back. "I didn't mean to be gone that long. Seems what Daddy wants, Daddy still gets. He's still not very happy with me, but it's getting better. And you?" His palm ran over her belly.

She tried to curl away from his hand, shyly, as he ran it over her belly. She was begining to swell - a small hard rounding had protruded from her tiny waist. "Don't.." She whispered blushing and not wanting him to notice how 'fat' she was getting.

He chuckled. "I already did, remember? That's a lovely shade on you," he whispered, resting his hand in place and leaning to kiss her cheek. "And I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"Mmmm" She pouted, blushing even more as she turned her face to the pillow. "I'm fat!" Her legs curled up and her belly pushed up into his hand as she squirmed under his teasing affectionate comments.

Sliding his arm around her, he chased after the cheek that dodged away and the lips that darted with it. "Don't," he parroted and chuckled, trying to catch her sweetly.

He managed to get her to giggle as she squirmed and she turned to tell him to stop teasing her so. Her lips ran right into his which chased after hers, her sigh was as soft as the kiss she melted into. Her arm found it's way around his shoulders and she held on firmly.

He paused only to smile against her lips and whisper, "I missed you too. Hungry?" His next kiss was as sweet but deeply enrapt in his longing.

[Lovely]

She wrapped around him, curling up to his strong form and nodding her head. "Missed you.. hungry.. missed you so much." Her hand cupped his cheek gently as she pulled back to gaze at him, the longing set deeply in her sea green eyes.

"What's wrong then?" He was curious why she held back. He could smell the eagerness, but something... His eyes watched hers and his hand covered hers on his cheek. He turned to kiss it and rolled back to her side. "I've been away too long."

She nodded again, burrying herself to his shoulder and snuggling as close as she could. "I don't know.. I just missed you so much.. it's.. I feel.. overwhelmed I guess.. scared a little."

"Scared? Why? I've never hurt you," he scowled quietly. "Why, did somebody say something while I was gone? Daddy still trying to poison everyone against me, is that it?"

"No.. no.. not like that." She murmured, leaning up to face him, to shush him, reassure him with a feathery kiss. "Scared.. that you'd feel different.. You've been gone a long while.. I was afraid maybe you wouldn't want me anymore." Her hand slid down over the small mound that stuck out from where her tummy had once been so flat.

"Oh, but I do, Lily. Don't you see? I'm here, you're here, our own little hideaway. At least until they bring us breakfast. If I didn't, you should know, I wouldn't be here."

"I was scared you wouldn't come.." She admitted in a soft whisper, blushing lightly again for having been so scared. "..or that you'd see me like this and not want to stay." She felt foolish and embarrassed now, but the fear had been so genuine while he'd been away.

He took a deep breath, partly in a sigh, partly to take in her altered scent. He smiled, turning to face her more and curl his knuckles under his cheek where he rested. "Don't... don't be scared of me. I don't smell scared on you, so I hope it's passed. I do smell something much sweeter and I can say that I am definitely staying."

"I'm sorry.. for being so.." She shrugged, her eyes searching his and her smile coming out in reflection of his. "I'm happy you're home.. even happier that you're staying." Her finger snuck up to brush lightly over his lower lip. "It was awfully lonely here without you."

"Well it's not lonely now. So cheer up, please. The road out there is dark and dreary enough. I came back for this... among other things," he kissed her finger. "Lilian, it won't be long. I don't know how it will affect you... and I can't stay without going away again soon. What Daddy wants... but I'll do what I can to make the best and make sure you don't feel so alone. Starting... with a little of this..." His fingers followed up her wrist and arm to rest at her shoulder and tug pleadingly at the coverings that kept her from his eyes.

"I don't want you to go away again.. so soon." Her lips formed a perfect little pout that came to meet his mouth in a tender kiss as she shifted up to her knees. Giving him a shy smile now, her fingers deftly worked the buttons of the shirt she'd gone to bed in, the hem ending mid thigh and slowly parting to reveal her smooth skin for him. Her fingers trailed up over her belly and chest to her shoulders to push the material off and down, tugging it to the side and letting it float to the floor beside the bed. The babe had done her good in some ways, filling in her often too skinny frame, adding fuller curves to catch the shadows and light. She was still a petite girl, but now with more to appreciate and fill out the skimpy outfits she'd been known to wear, her tummy hard and swelling out enough to be felt and noticed. Her complextion seemed to glow and her hair was longer and softer than it had ever been. Even the scar that curved down low -the mark he'd given her seemed to 'shine' a little more.

[Lovely]

"Better," he grinned, sitting up to move his own shirt off his shoulders. The trip had not been uneventful from the healing marks that had been treated when he'd returned. The marks were small, but many. He didn't really notice, the one major scar still adorning his shoulder where he'd lost against Mitch and kept the reminder. He lay back down, offering his outstretched arm. "How's my girl?"

"Better." She smiled more for him, curling down into his embrace. Her eyes cast over the new marks on him and her lips began whispering sweet 'get better' over him. "Very.. happy.. you.. are.. here.." She murmured between kisses, dipping lower then coming up to snuggle against him.

Marcus had to chuckle at the tender pecks and whispers and the light sensations each carried. The marks weren't large but were still tender and sang under each well-wish she passed by them, waking his nerves more. "I have missed that," he insisted softly, curling his arm around her.

"We can have a late breakfast, hmmm? Just stay here for awhile like this?" Lily smiled softly, brushing her fingers lightly over his skin. Looking over him and the marks from his trip, her eyes were warm and loving. "Let me kiss you all better?"

"You already are and I already am. Thank you. It's funny, really," he mused, running his own fingers lightly over her arm. "Years... years and I've never felt satisfied until now. What ever you have done, keep doing it, please."

Her eyes lit up and she giggled softly, snuggling to rest her head on his chest, kissing him as softly as she'd giggled. "I don't know what I'm doing.. I just know you make me amazingly happy.. and I love being with you.. love you." Her shoulder shifted in a slight shrug and she sighed, content just being close to him.

"That must be it," he sighed. For once in his life he felt comfortable and for once in his life he didn't feel the need to be harsh or crude. He didn't have to be. What he did have to be was worried. Feral blood in a tender vessel, there was no telling how the baby would affect her or how quickly it would arrive to the world. He hoped to be true to his word and not be gone. For the first time, he'd learned the meaning of worry for someone beyond his own skin, though she felt as much a part of that too. He sighed again and held her closer, quietly.

"Are you alright?" She asked him softly, not sure if he wanted to voice what was on his mind, but letting him know she was there to listen if he did. Her arm curled over him and her eyes closed, one thing she'd been lately was very tired. The pregnancy was going very quickly, she was a late bloomer they said, her feral side only now coming out and with the baby in her, who was from a feral father, she was due to give birth in less than a month. She didn't know what or if they had told him anything they had found out since he'd come back. Lily was a little scared, a little worried, but something about the child inside her helped to comfort her and now with Marcus here beside her, he made feel safe.. protected.

"Fine," he grinned, kissing her hair. "A late breakfast. That's a long way away. Can I have this?" He lifted her hand to nibble her fingers.

She smiled, softly but brightly, her green eyes sparkling with happiness. "mmm maybe.." She teased, gently wiggling her fingers and catching his lip tenderly.

"Why is this so simple, hm?" He pouted and puckered under her fingertip. "So many things make no sense to me least of all this. Maybe you can tell me why your uncle was giving me strange looks beyond minding these. What isn't he telling me?"

[Lovely]

"Why.. he didn't tell you anything?" Her head lifted, long silk blonde locks trailing over his chest and shoulder. Her eyes searched his as she bit her lip and her fingers brushed his cheek. "He didn't say anything.. about the baby or me?"

"Not a word about you or the baby. I was actually terrified ... well, you're fine, so no sense bringing up what I thought, but he didn't say anything to me. Your dad's in on it, I can tell that much and your sister can be quite cruelly tight-lipped when she wants, damn her. So that leaves you, doesn't it? How many heads will it have?"

"Heads?" She shook hers, giving him a crinkled nose look. "My sister has her own worries.. she's having more than one. I'm sure she's cranky.. due in a couple month and all.. " She started, kind of rambling a little, feeling nervous and wondering what he would think of it all.

"So I'll take that as meaning you're not having more than one. Alright. Go on." He was curious, catching a whiff of her hesitation.

"It's probably better that I'm only having one. I don't know how I'll manage one, let alone if there were more right now." She cast him a shy glance and gave a smile. "Only one, yes.. but.. well.. my tummy.. you saw, and.. it's coming very quickly. Ours will be coming, before
Jaime has hers.. it seems I'm a late bloomer, with my enhancements and you being feral.. it appears we can have children rather quickly."

"Then we have a problem," he muttered. "That explains it. It must be a test, something your dad finds funny, no doubt. I'm supposed to go again next week. I need to be sure that if he really needs me to go, that you're looked after and so is that one. If he's testing me, to see if I'll stay... "

Her eyes got wide and her head shook a little. "No.. you cant.. I need you here.. when.. I can't do this by myself.." Her voice was hardly more than a scared worried whisper, her eyes misting a little. She started to pull away from him, to curl herself into a ball, if her father made him go away again, why would he do that to her? Why was he being so horribly mean.. didn't he understand, she needed Marcus?

"What daddy...," he shook his head as he whispered it again, running his palm over his mouth to catch the curse he uttered beneath it. "I know Lily. I know, but this isn't a normal life. Do me... do -us- a favor. Talk to him. Tell him your side. Okay? This shit's making me paranoid, I guess, that maybe he's trying to just get rid of me and find you someone he really approves of."

"I don't want anyone else!" She muttered with a clenched jaw, her hands balled into tight fists. "I won't stay here if this is what he's doing.. I don't care.. I won't!"

"Shh... he's not doing this to you. I promise. I'll do what I have to, but it may strain things... hell it may make him tapdance on the dinner table. I don't know. I just know what orders I got when I got back. Whether that was before or after he knew... Damnit. I can't talk to him. You have to. Find out what... why."

She nodded, sniffing and feeling somewhat sick to her stomach with the thought that her father would purposely be this nasty. She knew he wasn't happy about everything, but she hadn't thought he'd treat her like this. "He is doing this to me.. anything he does to you.. he does to me. It affects me, I need you here, I need you with me.. I'm scared, I'm lonely.. I don't know what I'm doing or how.. when the baby comes. I know you're probably not an expert or anything, but at least we could figure it out together. I don't want to do this all alone, you should be a part of everything.. that's if you want to, of course."

"What? Of course I want to. Wow, I really mean that, I really want to," he said, amazing even himself for a moment. "I can be a first rate shit, Lily, but not about this. I mean it. I want to be here, but I'm also sworn to... be a first rate shit if your dad wants it that way."

[Lovely]

"Then I don't want to be here. If he's going to be that way.. I don't want to be here." She lifted her head to gaze at Marcus, slowly bringing her hand to find his and lace tightly into it. "I don't care where.. just a place for us and I won't have to ever see him.. I mean it.. if he's going to be like this, keep you away when we need you and you want to be with us." She shook her head, she knew of course that they couldn't run away, but that didn't mean she had to stay in this house. Someplace outside, away from here.. and she wouldn't come here, not to visit.. her eyes closed again, why couldn't her father just let them be?

"Don't rush it. Maybe he doesn't or didn't think of it at the time. I can't think he'd want to do this to you either. After breakfast, okay? We'll talk to him and if he can't be reasonable... no more nailed windows, Lily. We'll go. If I leave, though, that's it. I'm done."

"Okay." She agreed softly, peeking one eye open to look at him. "After breakfast.. but.. the being done.. " She looked to his face, worried. "Is that even possible?"

"Let's hope he's reasonable," he murmured, burrowing deeper into the pillow with the back of his head. "It would be a first... yet another one."

"I hate this.." She murmured, letting her head rest on her arms again. "Why can't he just understand.. accept it.. cause the way I feel about you isn't changing. All he is doing is pushing me further and further away from him."

"Shh... after breakfast. Tell me what else your uncle said." His curled around her again, making sure she was feeling drawn in and safe.

She let herself fall gently against him and snuggled into his arms, making herself small and 'lost' in his embrace. Her eyes remained closed and she sighed softly. "He said the baby appears to be very healthy and strong, even though things are going quickly, everything is developing as it should. He thinks it's a boy, but he's not positive.. it's very active. I can feel it.. not right this second, but I think you will be able to.. soon. It's been shortly after I wake up.. tumbling and rolling.. makes breakfast a little hard sometimes."

[Lovely]

****************************************************


"mmmm sweet little lily.." He chuckled quietly. ".. sweet tart..." He ducked expecting some kind of playful retaliation for his teasing.

She smiled and laughed very softly but still tossed a pillow at him.

He caught the pillow she tossed. He was quite awake and not sure he'd slept though hours had passed without him really noticing. He tucked the pillow down behind her. "Be careful. Remember, I do bite," he teased, mumbling his warning against her shoulder in a kiss.

"But I like it when you do that.." She giggled quietly, her arm wrapping around to keep him close as she nipped lightly at his neck, mostly catching air. She shifted and adjusted against the pillow and smiled, still feeling content with him beside her.

"I can't stand waiting, Lily. We have to talk to him.. you have to. We won't have any answers staying here. He let me stay.. I'm not sure what that means yet," he muttered, considering what options her father and uncles had in store.

The smile faded with the reminder of what had to be done, of those things beyond the door of her room. Lily sighed and looked over at him, her lips pulled down in a pout. "Now?" She asked softly, reaching for his hand in reassurance and feeling the 'pup' stir in her tummy. Her teeth caught her lip and she pulled his hand to rest over the movement.

The skin beneath their hands felt alien to him as the figure beneath stirred and kicked. Marcas stared in wonder, jumping a little at first. The life within her was very active. "He doesn't want to get up either - or he wants to kick daddy's ass with me."

She laughed softly, closing her eyes as the babe came to life under the warmth of his father's hand. He tumbled and kicked, stretched and rolled, while his mother lay still. "Mmm I think he wants you around.. so I guess he wants to kick daddy's butt, too."

"Just like his mum," he grinned, stretching as well and reaching for a kiss. "Time to get up sleepyhead. I need coffee and a plan."

She leaned up to bring him the kiss, softly lingering and coming to sit upright. If he coaxed her out of bed like this she'd have no problem getting up.

He hovered around her like he might lick her up out of the blankets or leap into her lap and hold her down as he inched away for her to rise up before him. "Definitely need a plan to not go even though I have orders. Mitch's honeymoon is over. They can send him."

She followed him up, trying to catch another kiss from him as he gently eluded her. "Clothes might help." She teased him softly. "We're doing this together..?"

[Lovely]

"Together. You talking to your father and me pacing in the hall outside the door and listening. To be fair, I don't believe Daddy's going to answer to me no matter how persuasive I am. He still owns the guns in the family, and the blades."

"Alright.. but you'll be right there if I need you?" She gave him a sweet little smile, running her hands over his arms as she did her best to find a calm expression and feeling to face daddy with.

"Unless your brothers or the pups have been given any reason to remove me now, I will be there. I have no intention of leaving. That is of course what this is all about." His arms tensed and rippled with strength that wanted to run freely and take her with him. The growl of frustration wasn't intended to be audible or directed at her.

The growl was heard even if it wasn't meant to be, she somehow knew not to take it personally. "Love you." She whispered as she leaned to try and soothe him somewhat with a gentle kiss.

Those words still shocked him to hear, but more to feel as the honest and real intent from her heart. His head tilted in strange stance of curiosity a moment before he took the kiss briefly and slipped away to gather their clothes. "Does he believe you? Daddy? Have you told him really how you feel?"

"I don't know what he believes.. I guess I'll try again to tell him.. and we'll find out." She sighed softly, reaching to take her clothes from him as he gathered them. She didn't want him to think he'd done something wrong so she tried to hide the tears that wet her lashes.

"More reason for me to stay out of the room," he ground out through a clenched jaw, smelling her anguish in her breath. "Don't. Go in like that and he won't hear a word you say," he warned, holding her lace twined around the fingers of his opened hand.

"I'm pregnant.. I'm having some issues with rollercoaster emotions.." She 'spat' at him weakly, ignoring the lace for a moment and seeking to lean against the dresser instead. "SOmetimes I don't think he hears what I say no matter the state I am in when I speak to him."

"Make him listen, make him understand, but don't try to make him feel. I can't explain it, but you can't use emotion on him no matter how upset you are." He set her things down on the dresser and sat back down to fasten his boots.

"Okay.. I just need a moment.. to get myself together." She sighed, scooping her things off the dresser and heading to the bathroom to wash her face. She stopped to kiss his cheek on her way, giving him a tiny hopeful smile. "See.. I need you around to keep me together.."