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.

Con lay on the small bed for a moment with a sense of confusion, he thought he had gone to sleep in the chair last night, with a mental shrug he got up and pulled on his clothes, glancing at his father sleeping in the chair, he went over and checked on his Mother then quietly left the room his boots in his hand. Hearing voices he went into the parlor and started to laugh seeing a little boy climbing all over a big dog who had one paw resting on Billy who was hissing through the ermine in her mouth. Raimi smiled saying hello and introduced herself, pointing to the child she told him that was her son Crispin and the small dragon pouting in the corner was Strut. Con smiled back "I'm Con, why is he pouting?" Raimi grinned "Cook tossed him out of her kitchen" Con looked at Strut "why did she throw you out?" Strut snorted his hands on his hips "all I wanted was one of those roll's" Raimi glowered at him "you're supposed to ask first, not grab and start stuffing them into your face, twit." Con laughed saying he would be right back, he returned a few minutes later with a plate of hot rolls and a mug of hot chocolate, he tossed one of the rolls to Strut with a grin, Strut caught the roll in mid air and grinned back, Crispin ran over with a grin on his face, Con laughed and handed the boy a roll and gave him a drink of hot chocolate from his mug, Crispin was soon sitting on Con's lap eating his rolls and drinking his hot chocolate while Con held the mug for him.

Allora lay watching Connor sleep, it seemed as if she had been gone forever but he hadn't changed at all, he looked just as he had when she'd last seen him, all these years she thought lost, she knew she had changed and not for the better, she knew what she looked like and wanted to cry, her dark brown hair was widely streaked with gray, her face scarred, her body bent and crippled, old and hurting. The children are home that's all that matters she thought, she knew they would be loved and well cared for here at Zinmer, eventually if they wanted they could return to Montcliff and rebuild it, Allora closed her eyes and went back to sleep sinking deeper into her world of pain and depression. Connor stood up and stretched with a small groan, rubbing the back of his neck, he noticed that both of the children were gone and smiled figuring they were in the kitchen, he remembered being that age and consuming everything in sight. He brushed the back of his fingers over Allora's cheek "you tossed me quite a surprise Al with Con and Lexi" he said softly, Allora opened her eyes "it wasn't intentional, Breeton, if you don't want them I'm sure your parents or Kat would take them" she said tiredly. "Whooo Al, I didn't say I didn't want them just that it was a surprise to suddenly see two teenagers and hear them calling me Father, that thought had never crossed my mind in the three years you were gone" Allora frowned "three years? is that all it was here? three years?" she felt a sense panic well up inside her, three years, no wonder no one had changed except her, she had been lost almost 18 years, how did one condense that down to three years, Connor was still young and she was old, so very old and tired. "Would you like me to help you get dressed and take you downstairs for breakfast?" Allora shook her head, horrified at the thought of Connor seeing just how terrible she really looked, let alone dressing her like a small child, "no thank you, you go ahead and get your breakfast, I would appreciate it though if you could keep your eye on Lexi, she was very frightened and confused last night, Con will be ok, he is more easy going and accepting of change then she is." Connor nodded not sure of the emotions he saw on her face "I'll bring you some breakfast and we can talk then, there's a lot that needs to be said especially on my part" Allora nodded, breathing a silent sigh, she watched Connor leave the room, with a groan she threw back the covers and pulled herself to the end of the bed, taking ahold of the bed post she tried to stand up, there was no way she was going to wet the bed like some doddering old woman, she growled, with a small cry she fell to the floor. Allora crawled across the floor, it had been bad enough that she had had to let her own children help take care of her, she had to just to stay alive until they got out of the void, now was she going to have to become dependant on her friends? no she told herself I can't deal with that. With much swearing Allora managed to take care of her needs and get back to the bed, she pulled herself up using the bed post and crawled onto the bed, exhausted to the point of tears she lay there thinking how futile it all was. "Oh, I'm sorry Miss Allora, I got way laid in the kitchen talking to Cook and Liz, I brought you some new clothes Miss Bitsy left for you last night" Beth said in a rush as she came in the room. Allora shook her head "I don't need to dress, Beth but thank you anyway" Beth smiled "sure you do, everyone is waiting to visit with you, we've all missed you something terrible Miss Allora, Riley is beside himself with excitement to have you back, you know he refused to leave his post, as he called it, until you came back and relieved him of his duty, it was only two weeks ago that Master Collin finally talked him into going to The Keep." Before she had a chance to argue Beth was whipping off her nightdress and putting delicate satin undergarments on her and a pretty loose flowing dress like a caftan. "My goodness your hair has gotten long, shall we leave it or would you like me to trim it so you can wear it like you used too? Why don't we just do a quick little trim" before Allora could say yes, no or maybe Beth was cutting her hair. "Riley is waiting outside to take you downstairs for a bite to eat, Master Connor was going to bring it up for you but he is off looking for Miss Lexi" Allora's head snapped around "what do you mean LOOKING for Lexi?" Beth tut, tutted "no need to get all upset Miss Allora, she probably just went to take a look see around Zinmer and forgot the time, missing her breakfast."