Life Refreshed
Title: Life Refreshed
Author: Terion
Disclaimer: Not. Mine.
Rating: Caution for sappiness.
Book or TV verse: Book verse...sequel to Soul Repair, Loss of Faith, Faerie Fire, Life Anew, Secrets, and My Defending Angel.
Summary: The world turns and the circle repeats. Things are repaired that were broken. Such as with Harry's life and his family.
Its been a year now since my world was nearly torn apart. And it its still not entirely repaired.
Things are better though.
My daughter, now fourteen, can look at me now without crying. I no longer see fear in her eyes either. But the bond we used to have…its still broken.
We keep working on it. Pieces of it keep coming back.
But it’s still not all there.
And that’s okay.
I know we’ll get it back someday.
Maybe right now, while we sit in the Beetle sweltering, we can fix it a little.
Elizabeth sighed, leaning back against her seat, and asked, “Couldn’t we have stayed at home?”
“I sat our here while you were being born,” I replied, my eyes closed as I reclined my head back. “Figured I should give the next one the same courtesy.”
“Why can’t we go wait inside? I want to see Mom later.”
I opened one eye to look at her at that.
“I took out a lamp the last time. If I went in now I’d definitely take out the first floor.”
“Nervous?”
“For grown up reasons,” I explained. “Wondering if we have the money to support all of us. How we’ll give you both a room. Trying to figure out how not to mess up again.”
My daughter sat up and looked at me then with her dark eyes. Eyes as dark as mine. As she seemed to be gathering words, I studied her.
She was already starting to develop into the woman she would be. With my coloring over her mother’s build alongside the addition of long, coltish legs, she would likely have boys running after her in not too long a time. Ah, I would have a fun time threatening them.
My hawkish nose was the only thing I regretted her inheriting but, eh, them’s genetics.
“Dad…you didn’t mess up.”
“No, I did,” I said, closing my eye again. “If your sibling is gifted, I won’t wait out of fear to teach them about the Sight. I won’t make that mistake again.”
Elizabeth nodded then smiled briefly, saying, “Just remember to show him Mom first.”
“Of course. And ‘him’?”
“I’ve always sort of wanted a little brother.”
I chuckled at that and said, “Maybe you’ll get your wish.”
“Maybe,” she echoed. Though her smile faded a little then and I just so happened to open my eyes to see it.
“What’s bothering you?”
She blinked then blushed, looking down at the floorboard.
“Nothing.”
“Lizzy…what’s wrong? C’mon, baby, talk to me.”
She bit her lip as she flicked a bug off of one of her skinny knees. Then she sighed and said, “I guess I’m being stingy. But…I just don’t want to stop being the baby.”
I sighed at that and said, “Come here, girl,” reached out an arm to her. She leaned forward and I pulled her close, hugging her tightly before ruffling her short shorn hair. Ah, what happened to my little girl with her hair in a braid who swore she’d always have one?
She giggled and shifted so she leaned against me with my arm wrapped comfortably around her.
“You’ll always be my baby girl,” I assured her, ducking my head to rest my chin on top of hers. “Don’t worry about that ever changing. Because even when you’re my age you’ll still be that…though you might find it embarrassing for me to call you that by then.””
Elizabeth tilted her head back to smile at me, saying, “Never, Daddy.”
Now that I didn’t believe but her words warmed my heart…and I felt a shattered piece of it repair itself, the cracks smoothing away. Piece by piece, our bond was coming back together.
Stars and stones, what a blessing to have my girl.
We sat there in comfortable silence for a moment then were interrupted when my brother threw himself onto the hood of the car. He waved goofily at Elizabeth, who giggled at her uncle, then grinned at me.
“Hiya, little brother.”
“Hi,” I said, frowning at him. “Now spill. You’ve been inside all this time. Heard anything about Murph?”
“Safe and sound with your little baby boy in her arms,” replied Thomas. “Congrats, Harry. You have another rascal.”
“Thanks. I think.”
“Can I go see Mom?” asked Elizabeth, her eyes bright. When there was a spark from her pocket and she reached in to pull out her old-model cell phone, she sighed. “Nevermind. Dad…I fried the phone again.”
“Hence why I said cells were a bad idea all-over,” I said. Then I climbed out of the car and stretched before looking at my brother. “You mind climbing off my car?”
“Sure,” replied Thomas, sliding off of the front compartment. “Though, y’know, it won’t hurt it. With how much you put this car through, I expect it to be immortal by now.”
I grinned at that and said, “Shh. That’s our secret weapon.”
Elizabeth, who had opened her own door and was standing in it leaning on the hood, laughed at us. Then she cocked her head at me and asked, “Dad, when can we get Mom? And what’re we going to call my little brother?”
I shrugged and replied, “Probably tomorrow is when we can pick your mom up. That’s how it was when you were born. As to your brother, we actually discussed that beforehand instead of waiting until after like we did with you.”
“Sooooo?”
“Its Nicolas. Nicolas Eric.”
She frowned for a moment then smiled and nodded. “I like it.”
I chuckled at that, saying, “Glad we have your approval, munchkin. Now get in the car. Thomas, you get to ride in the back.”
“Yay, I get to ride where the dog rides. Thanks, Harry. You’re a wonderful brother.”
Elizabeth chortled whilst I glared at my brother in the rearview mirror before backing out of the parking lot. As we drove off I growled, “Smart aleck.”
He just grinned back at me before launching into a conversation with his niece. I listened to them as I drove, flicking a glance every few moments at my grinning daughter.
The light that had been missing in her for a year was back.
Hells bells, how I’d missed it.
Upon our arrival back at the apartment, I set Elizabeth to cleaning the place up a bit and glowered my brother into helping her. Whilst they did that, I went into the bedroom and dug into the back of the closet for the old baby things I’d put into storage back there. The bed was easy enough to put back together and I hauled it back to its place at the end of the bed. As I was straightening it up and brushing the dust off of it, Elizabeth wandered in. She stood in a door watching me until I realized that she was there.
When I noticed the small, serene smile on her face, I blinked.
“What’s up?”
“Nothing,” she replied, shaking her head. Then she abruptly moved to hug me. “Just wanted to say I love you.”
“Love you too, munchkin,” I returned warmly, hugging her back.
“You’re a great dad. You know that, right?”
“Well…I was doubting it there for a while but if the most beautiful little girl in the world tells me so then it must be true.”
She laughed at that then said, “Seriously, Dad. You are.”
I smiled at that. “I know.”
Then she jabbed in the ribs with a finger and snipped, “But I’m not a little girl anymore.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah really.”
A wicked grin spread across my face and she realized what I was about to do. She tried to pull back but I grabbed her under the arms and flung her onto the bed…where I proceeded to tickle my daughter to death. The screaming and laughter brought my brother to the door and he stood there laughing at us.
After a while we finally managed to complete the cleaning and Thomas left, promising to be by tomorrow in the afternoon. We waved to him from the steps then went out walking Mouse together, Elizabeth taking the big dogs leash and racing him along the sidewalk in front of me. I got a good laugh out of the pair of them and wished the next day would come sooner.
I wanted my wife and son home.
The night ambled on without any problems and then the next day I got in the Beetle and headed to the hospital to pick up Murphy. This time the nurses didn’t dare try to offer her a wheelchair on the way out, which made me wonder again what she had done to those poor people. But the thought faded when she met me with a smile and our baby boy in her arms.
“We have to stop having accidents like this,” she said though there was no bite in her voice.
I chuckled and slid my arms around her shoulders, saying, “Aw…but I like how these accidents come about.” Then I reached over and touched Nicolas’ cheek gently, saying, “They’re beautiful accidents, Murph.”
“Our beautiful accidents,” she confirmed. I looked down at her and again found her more lovely in this rumpled state that any time else.
As I steered her towards the Beetle, I kissed the top of her head and murmured, “Love you.”
“Love you too, you big lug. Now take me home.”
I grinned and slid away from her, affecting a hunch and a limp as I opened the car door. “Yesss, mistress. Whatever mistress wishes I shall get.”
She laughed at me and I climbed into the car, feeling better than ever. And that feeling only increased when we got back to our home and Elizabeth ran up, immediately cooing over her little brother.
They stood there in the middle of the room, the light from the fire playing across their back, and I watched them from the door.
My wife, blonde hair rumpled and tired but still as beautiful as ever.
My daughter, precious beyond belief to me and one of the best things I had ever had in my life besides Murph.
My son, new to this world and already close to my heart.
I wanted a camera to capture this moment, to have a picture of them to hold close to my heart. But I had none.
Instead I opened my Sight for a brief moment to view them and nearly wept.
My battle-scarred angel stood there, her sword sheathed as she held our son, who had not lived long enough to have a definition under the Sight other than himself. And beside her was another angel, dark of hair with no sword at her side, touched briefly with the dark from her brush with Three Eye but unmarred beyond that.
What had I done to deserve such a woman?
And what I done to receive such a daughter? Such a son?
I let the Sight fade away and met Murph’s eyes, seeing the answer to my question in that blue gaze I loved.
I had done nothing to deserve it.
It had been given to me without regret.
Stepping forward, I bent my head to kiss my wife and ruffled my daughter’s dark hair. Then I looked down at our son and smiled.
Everything was right again.
Author: Terion
Disclaimer: Not. Mine.
Rating: Caution for sappiness.
Book or TV verse: Book verse...sequel to Soul Repair, Loss of Faith, Faerie Fire, Life Anew, Secrets, and My Defending Angel.
Summary: The world turns and the circle repeats. Things are repaired that were broken. Such as with Harry's life and his family.
Its been a year now since my world was nearly torn apart. And it its still not entirely repaired.
Things are better though.
My daughter, now fourteen, can look at me now without crying. I no longer see fear in her eyes either. But the bond we used to have…its still broken.
We keep working on it. Pieces of it keep coming back.
But it’s still not all there.
And that’s okay.
I know we’ll get it back someday.
Maybe right now, while we sit in the Beetle sweltering, we can fix it a little.
Elizabeth sighed, leaning back against her seat, and asked, “Couldn’t we have stayed at home?”
“I sat our here while you were being born,” I replied, my eyes closed as I reclined my head back. “Figured I should give the next one the same courtesy.”
“Why can’t we go wait inside? I want to see Mom later.”
I opened one eye to look at her at that.
“I took out a lamp the last time. If I went in now I’d definitely take out the first floor.”
“Nervous?”
“For grown up reasons,” I explained. “Wondering if we have the money to support all of us. How we’ll give you both a room. Trying to figure out how not to mess up again.”
My daughter sat up and looked at me then with her dark eyes. Eyes as dark as mine. As she seemed to be gathering words, I studied her.
She was already starting to develop into the woman she would be. With my coloring over her mother’s build alongside the addition of long, coltish legs, she would likely have boys running after her in not too long a time. Ah, I would have a fun time threatening them.
My hawkish nose was the only thing I regretted her inheriting but, eh, them’s genetics.
“Dad…you didn’t mess up.”
“No, I did,” I said, closing my eye again. “If your sibling is gifted, I won’t wait out of fear to teach them about the Sight. I won’t make that mistake again.”
Elizabeth nodded then smiled briefly, saying, “Just remember to show him Mom first.”
“Of course. And ‘him’?”
“I’ve always sort of wanted a little brother.”
I chuckled at that and said, “Maybe you’ll get your wish.”
“Maybe,” she echoed. Though her smile faded a little then and I just so happened to open my eyes to see it.
“What’s bothering you?”
She blinked then blushed, looking down at the floorboard.
“Nothing.”
“Lizzy…what’s wrong? C’mon, baby, talk to me.”
She bit her lip as she flicked a bug off of one of her skinny knees. Then she sighed and said, “I guess I’m being stingy. But…I just don’t want to stop being the baby.”
I sighed at that and said, “Come here, girl,” reached out an arm to her. She leaned forward and I pulled her close, hugging her tightly before ruffling her short shorn hair. Ah, what happened to my little girl with her hair in a braid who swore she’d always have one?
She giggled and shifted so she leaned against me with my arm wrapped comfortably around her.
“You’ll always be my baby girl,” I assured her, ducking my head to rest my chin on top of hers. “Don’t worry about that ever changing. Because even when you’re my age you’ll still be that…though you might find it embarrassing for me to call you that by then.””
Elizabeth tilted her head back to smile at me, saying, “Never, Daddy.”
Now that I didn’t believe but her words warmed my heart…and I felt a shattered piece of it repair itself, the cracks smoothing away. Piece by piece, our bond was coming back together.
Stars and stones, what a blessing to have my girl.
We sat there in comfortable silence for a moment then were interrupted when my brother threw himself onto the hood of the car. He waved goofily at Elizabeth, who giggled at her uncle, then grinned at me.
“Hiya, little brother.”
“Hi,” I said, frowning at him. “Now spill. You’ve been inside all this time. Heard anything about Murph?”
“Safe and sound with your little baby boy in her arms,” replied Thomas. “Congrats, Harry. You have another rascal.”
“Thanks. I think.”
“Can I go see Mom?” asked Elizabeth, her eyes bright. When there was a spark from her pocket and she reached in to pull out her old-model cell phone, she sighed. “Nevermind. Dad…I fried the phone again.”
“Hence why I said cells were a bad idea all-over,” I said. Then I climbed out of the car and stretched before looking at my brother. “You mind climbing off my car?”
“Sure,” replied Thomas, sliding off of the front compartment. “Though, y’know, it won’t hurt it. With how much you put this car through, I expect it to be immortal by now.”
I grinned at that and said, “Shh. That’s our secret weapon.”
Elizabeth, who had opened her own door and was standing in it leaning on the hood, laughed at us. Then she cocked her head at me and asked, “Dad, when can we get Mom? And what’re we going to call my little brother?”
I shrugged and replied, “Probably tomorrow is when we can pick your mom up. That’s how it was when you were born. As to your brother, we actually discussed that beforehand instead of waiting until after like we did with you.”
“Sooooo?”
“Its Nicolas. Nicolas Eric.”
She frowned for a moment then smiled and nodded. “I like it.”
I chuckled at that, saying, “Glad we have your approval, munchkin. Now get in the car. Thomas, you get to ride in the back.”
“Yay, I get to ride where the dog rides. Thanks, Harry. You’re a wonderful brother.”
Elizabeth chortled whilst I glared at my brother in the rearview mirror before backing out of the parking lot. As we drove off I growled, “Smart aleck.”
He just grinned back at me before launching into a conversation with his niece. I listened to them as I drove, flicking a glance every few moments at my grinning daughter.
The light that had been missing in her for a year was back.
Hells bells, how I’d missed it.
Upon our arrival back at the apartment, I set Elizabeth to cleaning the place up a bit and glowered my brother into helping her. Whilst they did that, I went into the bedroom and dug into the back of the closet for the old baby things I’d put into storage back there. The bed was easy enough to put back together and I hauled it back to its place at the end of the bed. As I was straightening it up and brushing the dust off of it, Elizabeth wandered in. She stood in a door watching me until I realized that she was there.
When I noticed the small, serene smile on her face, I blinked.
“What’s up?”
“Nothing,” she replied, shaking her head. Then she abruptly moved to hug me. “Just wanted to say I love you.”
“Love you too, munchkin,” I returned warmly, hugging her back.
“You’re a great dad. You know that, right?”
“Well…I was doubting it there for a while but if the most beautiful little girl in the world tells me so then it must be true.”
She laughed at that then said, “Seriously, Dad. You are.”
I smiled at that. “I know.”
Then she jabbed in the ribs with a finger and snipped, “But I’m not a little girl anymore.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah really.”
A wicked grin spread across my face and she realized what I was about to do. She tried to pull back but I grabbed her under the arms and flung her onto the bed…where I proceeded to tickle my daughter to death. The screaming and laughter brought my brother to the door and he stood there laughing at us.
After a while we finally managed to complete the cleaning and Thomas left, promising to be by tomorrow in the afternoon. We waved to him from the steps then went out walking Mouse together, Elizabeth taking the big dogs leash and racing him along the sidewalk in front of me. I got a good laugh out of the pair of them and wished the next day would come sooner.
I wanted my wife and son home.
The night ambled on without any problems and then the next day I got in the Beetle and headed to the hospital to pick up Murphy. This time the nurses didn’t dare try to offer her a wheelchair on the way out, which made me wonder again what she had done to those poor people. But the thought faded when she met me with a smile and our baby boy in her arms.
“We have to stop having accidents like this,” she said though there was no bite in her voice.
I chuckled and slid my arms around her shoulders, saying, “Aw…but I like how these accidents come about.” Then I reached over and touched Nicolas’ cheek gently, saying, “They’re beautiful accidents, Murph.”
“Our beautiful accidents,” she confirmed. I looked down at her and again found her more lovely in this rumpled state that any time else.
As I steered her towards the Beetle, I kissed the top of her head and murmured, “Love you.”
“Love you too, you big lug. Now take me home.”
I grinned and slid away from her, affecting a hunch and a limp as I opened the car door. “Yesss, mistress. Whatever mistress wishes I shall get.”
She laughed at me and I climbed into the car, feeling better than ever. And that feeling only increased when we got back to our home and Elizabeth ran up, immediately cooing over her little brother.
They stood there in the middle of the room, the light from the fire playing across their back, and I watched them from the door.
My wife, blonde hair rumpled and tired but still as beautiful as ever.
My daughter, precious beyond belief to me and one of the best things I had ever had in my life besides Murph.
My son, new to this world and already close to my heart.
I wanted a camera to capture this moment, to have a picture of them to hold close to my heart. But I had none.
Instead I opened my Sight for a brief moment to view them and nearly wept.
My battle-scarred angel stood there, her sword sheathed as she held our son, who had not lived long enough to have a definition under the Sight other than himself. And beside her was another angel, dark of hair with no sword at her side, touched briefly with the dark from her brush with Three Eye but unmarred beyond that.
What had I done to deserve such a woman?
And what I done to receive such a daughter? Such a son?
I let the Sight fade away and met Murph’s eyes, seeing the answer to my question in that blue gaze I loved.
I had done nothing to deserve it.
It had been given to me without regret.
Stepping forward, I bent my head to kiss my wife and ruffled my daughter’s dark hair. Then I looked down at our son and smiled.
Everything was right again.