Cloe and Ved's room: Morning

[_cloe_]

Cloe had slept peacefully in Ved's arms, happy that he hadn't been too upset about the night before. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times, trying to focus her eyes. She rolled over slowly and loved at Ved, Tracing his chest as he slept soundly. She kissed him gently. "Good morning

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[ved]

Her reassurance did little to actually reassure him, a dark look had passed across her eyes, she was lying to him, or maybe hiding something, but what? Was she secretly mad at him for asking the way he had? "Ahh come on Clo, I didn't mean it in a bad way, I'm just cranky is all," he was trying to cover up for what he'd done, he was trying to make it right. She looked so sad, even with her eyes closed, how could he not worry about it?

He had little time to think about it, to consider his options of what to say now, how to fix this mess he was quickly stirring into more mess, as a little Brady came flying across the room like some kind of animal in an old cartoon. She practically landed between them with a thud and burrowed her way in between them, forcing Ved to move away. He recoiled as if a rattlesnake had jumped into the bed with them, a horrified look on his face as she began to explain that morning was "cuddles" time. Wait, no she was not asking him for permission to cuddle him, he didn't even know what that meant. "Uhh," he told her, looking to Cloe with that obvious virt repulsion in his eyes.

[_cloe_]

Cloe just shrugged. "I know, I know you didn't mean it in a bad way. I just....it's nothing." She looked away for a second and then back to him, giving him a warm smile.

As Brady came bounding into the room, she could not contain the giant smile on her face as she jumped across the bed and snuggled down between her and Ved. Well, it was a good thing they both were dressed! She smiled as she explained that it was time for cuddles. She looked briefly to Ved and couldn't help but playfully roll her eyes as he looked like he was about to gag. She nodded. "Yes Brady, you can cuddle with us." She tickled her a bit and smiled. "Did you sleep well?"

[_brady_]

Brady just looked at Ved with her best big, blue, sweet innocent eyes, adding in a tiny little smile. Cloe gave her permission though and Brady cheered, "YAAAAAAY!" Rolling over onto her side, she faced Cloe and wrapped her little arms across Cloe's middle, hugging up to her tightly. She simply nodded in response to Cloe's question, she had slept just fine, "Daisy isn't in my bed," she told her quietly. It was true, yesterday the kitten had been in her bed after her nap, but not this morning, she hadn't seen her at all. "Is she in here?" Brady sat up a little to crane her neck and look around the bed, "Kiiitty!! Kitty!" she called, looking but quickly giving up. "I like your kitty Cloe, she's mine now too," she informed her, snuggling back up to her. "I'm gonna miss her, I can't have her at the Eco's cause she'll get hurt," she explained a bit wistfully.

[ved]

Cloe let the mite stay and Ved shifted uncomfortably in the bed, he was only in his boxers, and this made him quite uncomfortable. Making sure there was a barrier between them with the extra sag in the blankets, Ved kept a bit of distance from Brady, but he didn't turn a cold shoulder. As long as she didn't...wet the bed, or anything else gross, Ved would be fine. He was ok with the older kids, not that he wanted to hang out with them, but they were better than babies in nappys, ugh.

She started blathering on about that damn kitten, looking for her, and Ved just kept his mouth shut, watching her interact with Cloe. She really looked like she cared about Cloe, and vice versa, it was...it was like him with Jay a long time ago, only they were boys and boys did things differently. At least, well at least Ved still had Jay. There had been a time, when Ram had sent him away and they had been apart, that Ved wasn't sure he'd ever see his brother again. At least the Mall Rats were good for something. Brady caught his attention though when she spoke of missing the kitten cause she couldn't take her to the Eco's. "When're you goin to the Eco's Brady?" That was new news, wasn't it? Or had he missed something?

[_cloe_]

Cloe couldn't help but contain the smile that seemed to flow from deep within her. She loved Brady, so much. She looked around while she looked for Daisy. "Well, she's probably curled up somewhere nice and warm. She'll come out later." She gave her nose a little poke. She looked over to Ved, who seemed rather uncomforatble and she realized he was in his boxers. Brady wouldn't mind. They'd just be shorts to her. The extra sag in the covers made her look at Ved for a moment with a look that said 'she's not that bad'.

She couldn't help but feel a sense of coldness when she mentioned leaving for the Ecos. She was leaving? Was she joking? Was she just saying that to be funny. "What...? YOu're going to the Eco's?" Cloe wanted to hold Brady so tightly and never let her go. She had helped raised her and here she was, at the young age of four, walzting right out of her life. "Who's going with you, sweetie?" She couldn't just go.

[_brady_]

Brady simply shrugged, "When Mommy and Hawk take me. We's goin soon cause Hawk needs to go home cause he is the leader of his Tribe. Cloe," Brady looked up at her with big eyes, watching her face intently. "Do this make Hawk my Daddy now? Cause I want a Daddy, and I don't know who Martin is, but Patsy said he's my Daddy, but I don't know him. Can Hawk be my Daddy instead?" It was true, and now that Brady could remember the guys name, she'd ask Mommy later who Martin was, because she wanted to know so she could see if he would make a good daddy. She wanted to know why he wasn't living in the Mall with her, didn't her real Daddy love her? "Do my real Daddy love me Cloe? Cause he don't live in the Mall, and how can he be my daddy if he don't love me and I hate him cause he don't live here," she frowned, she didn't understand anymore what she was saying, all she knew was it hurt in her chest a little and the words came spilling out.

[ved]

Ved's mouth tilted into a sorry at Cloe as he listened to Brady. Wow. Wasn't her Dad that crazy Zoot guy? That's what he thought he knew, and wasn't that crazy Zoot guy dead now? Like, he'd been dead for years and years? Poor Trudy, Ved actually felt himself feeling sorry for her for a change, he'd never want to have to explain this to his kid, if like, Cloe went crazy and then died and stuff. It'd be so hard, hell he didn't even want to explain it to this kid, and she wasn't even his.

A hard realization dawned on him in that moment, he'd just thought about having kids, with Cloe, and the true thing that freaked him out, more than just having a kid of his own, and diaper changes, was Cloe dying. He just didn't think he could handle it all on his own, and he wasn't ready to lose Cloe just to keep the dream alive, just to bring kids into the world. Ved knew good and well how dangerous it was to have babies in this world, lots of virt girls had died because of it already, the last thing Ved wanted was for Cloe to succumb to the same thing. He was just a little shocked that he was ok with actually having kids, if it were possible to do so and not risk Cloe's life.

His eyes met hers again, giving her a genuine soft smile, love pouring from his heart, and his arm moved across Brady and around Cloe, hugging them a little in his arms. Even if he didn't like the Mall Brat that much, he did kind of...not mind this either. She was cute and, well he knew Cloe loved her. He'd survive.

[_cloe_]

Cloe felt her heart break as Brady simply stated that she was leaving with Hawk and Trudy. She couldn't. Brady was a part of this tribe and so was Trudy. After everything they had been through, they were just going to leave? Cloe thought back to the first few days after Brady was born. Trudy had gotten so sick and Salene had taken care of Brady. And it seemed like just yesterday she was still drinking from a bottle.

As Brady began to ask about Hawk being her Daddy instead of Martin, she wasn't sure what to tell her. "Well sweetie. Martin...your Daddy, he does love you. I know he does. And so does Hawk. Infact, Hawk is just like your Daddy. He's taken care of you and your Mommy, hasn't he? And that's what Daddy's do. And I know Hawk loves your Mommy very much." Cloe smiled and looked at Ved with complete love in her eyes as he wrapped his arm around them both. "You shouldn't hate people. You can be upset he doesn't live here. BUt remember, he is always your Daddy, but that doesn't mean that you can't love Hawk just as much." Cloe Moved in more and looked over to Ved, "Right Ved?"

[_brady_]

Brady listened intently to everything Cloe said, her face looked so sad though, and Brady couldn't help but to reach out and touch it with her little hand. It was a gesture of comfort, even if she wasn't so good at it, her hand just laying there on Cloe's cheek. "Ok Cloe, cause you say so," Brady didn't really understand, but if Cloe said it was true then Brady trusted her. So she had two Daddies then, and it was ok to have two, cause Cloe said so, and that made her feel better. Turning a bit to look at Ved, her eyes searched his face, "Right Ved?" she repeated, waiting for him to acknowledge what Cloe had just said.

[ved]

"What?" Ved looked down at the little girl, then back at Cloe. He hadn't been paying attention much to the end of that, Cloe had looked at him and he'd been lost in his thoughts, obsessing about things that, well that Ved never obsessed about. It was weird. "Oh, yeah yeah, whatever Cloe says is true, always," ok so maybe that wasn't true, but heck, he knew it'd get him brownie points anyway.

"Listen Brady, aren't you hungry for breakfast? I bet your Mommy is worried about you, does she know you came in here?" He had the same voice on that he heard other people use when they wanted her to go away. "Why don't you run and find your daddy Hawk and your Mommy and see if they'll get you some breakfast, yeah?"