[Underneath this farce] There beats the heart of man...
True to her word, Valkyrie was at Jack's house in ten minutes exactly...her mother had located a route that was clear, but Valkyrie knew about it a good five minutes before she did, as was her way. She always got the jump when someone was looking for something...
The road back, however, wasn't nearly as kind. Valkyrie could only assume that Julius was either in trouble with Billie, or he was falling hard. His power was emotionally tied, and she saw the way he was looking at that scrawny little toothpick of a girl that was, somehow, still prettier than she herself would ever be.
Two hours later, she was finally pulling her car into the driveway and ducking out, shivering in the rapidly falling snow that was now knee-deep. Leading Jack through the treacherous path up to her stoop, she let them both inside and stomped the snow off her boots, shedding her jacket, scarf, hat, and gloves quickly to let in the heat that surrounded them.
"Bugger the fucking snow." she huffed, rather than cursing her brother. After all, Jack didn't know yet...
Once Jack had laid his own things aside, she led him down the hallway to the guest room. Cracking the door open, she saw Billie in bed, bundled under the covers with Cain's massive form looming over her and Julius seated by her bed, rhythmically stroking her forehead. Catching his eye, the pair signaled to each other for a moment before Valkyrie shut the door and turned to Jack.
"You saw her, she's safe, but it looks like she's only just nodded off." Valkyrie explained. "She's hurting at the moment, so we'd best not wake her yet. Cain's looking her over, once he knows how she's doing we'll send you in. Meantime, living room. That fireplace you saw coming in is real, and I'm bloody freezing."
The road back, however, wasn't nearly as kind. Valkyrie could only assume that Julius was either in trouble with Billie, or he was falling hard. His power was emotionally tied, and she saw the way he was looking at that scrawny little toothpick of a girl that was, somehow, still prettier than she herself would ever be.
Two hours later, she was finally pulling her car into the driveway and ducking out, shivering in the rapidly falling snow that was now knee-deep. Leading Jack through the treacherous path up to her stoop, she let them both inside and stomped the snow off her boots, shedding her jacket, scarf, hat, and gloves quickly to let in the heat that surrounded them.
"Bugger the fucking snow." she huffed, rather than cursing her brother. After all, Jack didn't know yet...
Once Jack had laid his own things aside, she led him down the hallway to the guest room. Cracking the door open, she saw Billie in bed, bundled under the covers with Cain's massive form looming over her and Julius seated by her bed, rhythmically stroking her forehead. Catching his eye, the pair signaled to each other for a moment before Valkyrie shut the door and turned to Jack.
"You saw her, she's safe, but it looks like she's only just nodded off." Valkyrie explained. "She's hurting at the moment, so we'd best not wake her yet. Cain's looking her over, once he knows how she's doing we'll send you in. Meantime, living room. That fireplace you saw coming in is real, and I'm bloody freezing."