Chapter 23

Lexi, her eyes widening as Con walked into the dining room with their father, glanced down at her dirty shirt sleeve and tried not to feel angry, she listened to everyone chattering and laughing and found the noise deafening, it seemed to race up her spine right into the back of her head with a shattering continuous thud. Watching her Grandfather put food she had no idea what it was on her plate, she tried not to cringe as the dragon Mar chortled loudly seeing the green ribbon in Con's hair saying it looked like Trink had another convert. Con sat down next to his father, his own eyes going wide seeing all the food on the table, he soon had a full plate and was happily tasting everything, Lexi took small bites wondering what it was that she was eating, she looked up and frowned at Con "you don't need to shovel it in like a pig, you know" she told him, Con looked up in surprise "at least I'm eating and not playing with my food" he said. Lexi still frowning squinted her eyes "I'm not playing, I'm trying to figure out what it is" Con frowned back "who the hell cares what it is as long as it taste's good" Lexi gasped and stood up her hands on her hips, "damnit, you know you're not supposed to swear in fancy clothes" Con stood up and leaned across the table glowering at her "I'm not in fancy clothes and who said that?" Lexi leaned across the table her face inches from his "yes you are and Nedra told Mother that." Mal his little eyes as wide as saucers was grinning in glee watching Lexi and Con, his head snapping back and forth between the two. Connor said quietly "why don't you two sit down and finish your dinner" Virlane laughing silently looked at Rav who was grinning "he won't get far with that tone of voice" Rav said to his father. Not even hearing his father Con reached out and flicked one of Lexi's braids "talk about being a pig, which I might add you have no idea what that is, your braids are in your food" Lexi gasped looking down at her hair trailing through her food, grabbing her braids she flipped them over her shoulders making sure the food on them flew in Con's direction, growling Con reached down, scooped up a handful of mashed potatoes and mushed them in her face. Tabby ohhhhhh'd her eyes as wide as Mal's who was now clapping his hands in glee until he saw the look on his papa's face and quickly stopped. Lexi reached down and grabbed a handful of potatoes covered in gravy about to throw them at Con when Cook came out of the kitchen carrying a large tray, Cook stopped with a frown "there won't be any dessert for anyone who has food on their faces or who has been doing the tossin." Both Lexi and Con looked at the tray filled with ice cream, chocolate cake, strawberries in cream sitting on little cakes then at each other, Con quickly reached down and grabbed his napkin and started wiping off Lexi's face "no food on any faces here, no sireeeeeeee not a drop, can't imagine where an idea like that would of come from" Virlane chuckled silently to Connor "considering how tired, scared and stressed those two are, not a punch has flown Al must of been working very hard to teach them restraint" Connor grinned "considering that she is prone to throwing a few herself." Lexi grabbed the napkin from him with a glower and wiped the potatoes and gravy off her hand. They both sat back down glowering at each other, Lexi slowly and methodically started cleaning up the mess around her plate ignoring Con, she winced as everyone started talking again, quietly she asked her Grandfather if they had a bathing room, Alex nodded telling her where it was "are you all right? Lexi" he said just as quietly. Swallowing the lump in her throat she nodded, then stood up and excused herself tiredly walking out of the room. Con watched Lexi leave the room with a frown, he started to stand up just as Cook put the tray of dessert right in front of him, he glanced at the door then back at the tray, Mal suddenly sitting on Con's shoulder pointed to the chocolate cake "that one" Con put a slice on his plate then cut off a piece and handed it to Mal "shouldn't we sample all of it?" Con asked with a grin, Mal grinned back "yuppers." Laurel put some of the strawberries on a plate, added a small piece of the cake and got up "I'll go take these to Lexi, I think she went to take a bath" she told Connor who was about to go after his daughter and find out what was wrong. Lexi sank down into the hot water and slowly undid her braids, she spread her long hair out in the water and lay back with her eyes closed. Tears slipped from under her closed eyelids as her head continued to pound, "can I help you with that headache?" Laurel said softly as she sat down on the side of the pool, Lexi sat up with a startled splash "I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you, I just came in quietly because I thought you had had enough loud noises for one day." Lexi nodded "how do you manage to listen to everyone talking at once, it's so confusing" she said as she swam over to the side of the pool, Laurel smiled "you will get used to it in no time, you just need to learn how to concentrate on one conversation at a time while keeping your ears open to what else is being said, now that sounded confusing" Lexi smiled slightly, Laurel brushed her hand over Lexi's forehead and wet hair soothing and easing the headache away "tomorrow things will be some what calmer, you've had a very long hard day, what you need is a good night's sleep" Laurel washed Lexi's long hair "your Aunt Zara has long hair like this" with a smile Laurel realized Lexi was half asleep, rinsing the last of the soap out, she gently touched her shoulder "I brought you some dessert but it will save till tomorrow, I think you need bed more then you need some sweets" when she got out of the pool Laurel wrapped her in a large warm towel and stroked her hair drying it quickly, once it was all dry she put her in a warm nightie and dressing gown "there you go, I'll show you to your bedroom" Lexi touched her dry hair in surprise, as she started to braid it, following her Grandmother she commented that it usually took hours and hours for her hair to dry, Laurel chuckled "being a dragoness does have it's advantages" Lexi didn't say anything as she went into the bedroom her Grandmother showed her too. Lexi quietly walked down the hall to her Mother's room, dragging her blanket behind her, she checked on her Mother, tucked the covers over her and kissed her on the cheek "night night Mama" she whispered wrapping the blanket around herself Lexi curled up in the chair next to the bed. Allora woke up and smiled picking up the corner of the blanket "come on sweetie" Lexi slipped into the bed and snuggled against her Mother, Allora gently stroked her hair "sleep now my little kiddo, everything is going to work out" she whispered softly. Several hours later Connor opened the bedroom door and stood looking at his son sound asleep in a chair by the bed, his daughter asleep, her head on her mothers chest, her small hand tucked in her mothers, he turned and left the room wondering if there was a place for him with them, turning he went back into the room, he put Con in a bed that appeared by the big bed, got himself a blanket and sat down in the chair "I'll make myself a place if you'll let me Al" he said silently to himself.

Lexi woke up and slipped out of her Mothers bed, she pulled on her bathrobe as quietly as possible and slipped from the room Billy at her heels. Going into the kitchen she looked around, Cook came out of the pantry with a smile "lookin for some breakfast? it will be on the table in about an hour, would ya care for some hot chocolate and a hot roll while ya wait?" not sure what either was Lexi nodded and sat down at the kitchen table. Carrying her roll and hot chocolate into the front parlor Lexi sat down on one of the sofa's looking out the windows, she took a cautious sip of her hot cocoa and smiled widely, then took a nibble of the hot roll, her eyes ohhh'd, it's just like bread she thought but in a different shape. Lexi jumped spilling the hot cocoa all down the front of her as a small wood looking dragon suddenly appeared right by her face perched on the back of the couch. "cripes, you're clumsy ain't yea, are you one of Al's brats? haven't seen you around before, did you get that roll from Cook?" Lexi jumped again as a tall woman with a little boy holding her hand appeared "twit, you scared the girl, haven't you learned any manners yet? Strut" said Raimi twapping Strut on the head. Strut snorted "I did not, she's just clumsy" Lexi blinked as a huge gigantic dog came trotting in carrying Billy by the scruff of her neck, Strut snorted again "that dogs getting senile, he can't tell the ermine from the cat any more, well have you seen Al yet? is she as messed up as everyone says? is she croaking?" Raimi smacked Strut off the back of the couch "go find someplace else to do your snorting, you're getting annoying." Lexi stood up as the small dragon started to hiss loudly much to the delight of the little boy, who was now playing on the floor with Billy and the dog, looking down at her ruined nightdress and bathrobe Lexi excused herself and left the room, she walked out the front door and just kept on walking.