Chapter 24

Riley carried Allora down to the dining room "has anyone found Lexi yet?" she asked Alex and Laurel, Alex smiled "she and Connor should be home anytime now" Riley set Allora in a chair, she tried not to frown as he put a napkin in her lap, poured her a cup of coffee, filled a plate for her without asking what she wanted to eat and set it in front of her, she glanced over her shoulder "are you going to stand there the whole time I eat? Riley" Riley smiled "it will be my pleasure Miss Allora to stand here and provide any help you might need." Allora sighed, taking a sip of her coffee she picked up her fork and set it down again "where is Con?" Raimi laughed as she walked in "he is out playing with Crispin, Hellhound, Billy and Strut" Alex almost choked "Strut is playing?" Raimi sat down with another laugh "if you can call snorting and trying to dodge a rolling ball while hissing playing." Con came in carrying Crispin on his hip, Billy and Hellhound right behind him, Strut perched on his shoulder "this little guy is pretty neat Mother, you should have more kiddo's so I can play with them" Allora's coffee cup rattled in the saucer as she put it down "I'm sure that playing with Crispin will do just fine, you also have Mal and Tabby to play with, I think Ailysh and Toledoes children are just a little younger then you are." Riley poured Allora more coffee, picked up her fork and handed it to her "your breakfast is getting cold Miss Allora, might I suggest that you eat it while it's still warm" Strut snorted "hey Riley, you probably need to feed her, she looks in pretty bad shape." Con handed Crispin to Raimi, turning his head very slowly he looked at Strut "you're going to be eating mush in a minute because I'm going to shove those little fangs of yours down your throat, DON'T EVER say anything rude or mean about my Mother" he said in a deadly snarl. Strut hissed putting his hands on his hips "look kid I like your mother, she came over and painted Ailysh a whole forest on Morpaw's wall, but she DOES look in bad shape get angry all you want but it's true." Allora shoved her plate at Riley "here you eat it for me! CON let go of Strut's neck, he's right and we both know it, I'm sure he just said out loud what everyone else has been thinking." Connor took a second to take in the situation, walking over he loosened Con's fingers from around Strut's neck "Strut look's rather odd with that mottled red brown it doesn't do him justice, he would probably look better black and blue" Strut snorted and hissed loudly "I'm outta here" flying out the window with a last angry hiss. Connor took the plate from a confused looking Riley and set it on the side board, he grinned at Raimi and petted Hellhound, ruffled Crispin's hair with a chuckle at the way it was suddenly standing straight up crackling with static "he's been around Tabby to much" Raimi laughed. Allora saw Lexi standing in the doorway "where have you been?" Lexi came into the dining room "I went for a walk" Con still angry at Strut watched Lexi do the one thing their Mother hated, she started fussing and hovering over her. Raimi saw the apathy in Allora's eyes slowly turning to anger, with a wave of her hand she called Hellhound and left saying it was time for Crispin's nap. Alex said silently to Laurel "I don't know what's going on but I think it would be a good idea to go do book work or something well out of the line of fire" Laurel stood up and took Con by the hand "you haven't seen the stables yet, dear" Con glancing over his shoulder in confusion at Lexi and his Mother as he was almost pulled out of the dining room, Alex got up also "the stables are a good idea, I'll see all of you later, Riley you have dirt on your boots" Riley quickly looked down at his immaculate boots "indeed you're quite right Master Alex, I shall repair the damage right away" he said following Alex out of the room. Allora threw her napkin on the table for the third time, Lexi jumped up from her chair "can I get you a small blanket? Mother, you haven't eaten anything yet do you want something else? I can go ask the cook if she can fix it for you" she poured her Mother a glass of water and buttered her a piece of cold toast, setting them in front of Allora. "Lexi, come sit down and eat your own breakfast, I'm sure if your Mother wants something she can ask for it" Connor said, Lexi sat back down and took a few bites of her breakfast, hopping up again she put her hand on her mother's forehead "you look pale Mother, are you feeling ill? can I get you something" Allora trying to control her temper that was about to explode said in a calm tight voice "I am just fine, sit down young lady and eat your breakfast, Cook is having fits because it is almost lunch time and breakfast is still on the table" Connor at that point was wishing he had gone to the stables with his father said "you really need to eat something Al" Lexi almost laughed out loud as her father dodged a flying water glass "I'll eat when I'm damn well ready to eat, got that Breeton" Connor frowned "it was just a suggestion, no need to get your sails flapping." Lexi sat down and started eating her breakfast again with a sweet innocent look on her face "you shouldn't throw things at Father, he is just concerned about you Mother, do you want some nice hot scrambled eggs? I can go ask Cook to fix some up." Allora squinted her eyes and gave Lexi a long look "just what are you up too? Alexi Montcliff, that look doesn't fool me one bit" Lexi glanced down at the gold heart, be brave it said "I think you're being ridiculous Mother, you're acting worse then that little baby Crispin, pouting because you need people to help you, are you going to lay down and die just because you have to be carried around? are you going to give up now just because we're out of the library and you think there are other's that can take over your job of raising Con and I? that's your job not theirs you started it are you too scared to finish it?" Allora could only stare at Lexi "is that what you think, that I'm too scared to raise you and your brother?" she asked in a whisper. Lexi took a deep breath "you've given up, I saw it on your face yesterday when that dragon carried you out of the hole, have you given up on all of us? Con and Me? what about Father? he's been waiting a long time for you to come back, aren't you going to give him a chance? he must of been important to you once or you wouldn't of had Con and I, isn't he still important or are you just going to curl up and die and leave him to figure out what to do with the two of us?" Connor shoved back his chair "Lexi, I think that's more then enough, your Mother isn't giving up on anything, what's between your mother and I is our business to deal with. I'm sure your mother realizes it doesn't matter one bit to me or anyone else if she has to be carried, we're just thankful that we have her back" Lexi stood up "your wrong, look at her face, I'm right and she knows it. I'm sorry Mother but I don't want to be all alone in this world without you, I want to finish growing up here with you to help me, not strangers, I want to hear you laughing again not crying in pain while your sleeping." Lexi threw down her napkin and ran out of the room, Connor stood staring at Allora "is she right? have you given up? Al" Cook came storming out of the kitchen "well what's it going to be still breakfast or can I actually think about lunch?" Connor strode around the table, picking up Allora he snapped over his shoulder "lunch" and carried her out of the room and up the stairs.

Connor set Allora on her bed "is Lexi right? Al" Allora rubbed her forehead "I'm tired Breeton, tired of trying to stay alive, I'm tired of being in pain all the time, yes, she's right, I have given up, I had no idea she realized it. Lexi was right about so many things" Connor sat down on the bed a worried look of concern on his face "what things? Al, have you given up on me also?" Allora cried "look at me Breeton, I'm old, I'm tired, I'm crippled, bent and ugly. Life finally beat me Breeton, before all this happened I was trying so hard to be pretty for you, I was trying so hard to be a woman you could want and you did maybe it was just once but I've lived all these years telling myself that you for a moment wanted and loved me. No, please let me finish. Suddenly I was back in my own world, I couldn't stand the idea of you seeing me like this, just the idea of being dressed like a small child, having to be helped with every need, it was to much Breeton, all I wanted to do was curl up and die. I knew you and your family would take care of Lexi and Con, I don't want to be a burden the rest of my life to my children or to anyone else." Connor gently pulled Allora into his arms, holding her as she tried to push him away "listen to me Al, I fought my attraction to a raggedy scruffy Al, when you suddenly, almost over night seemed to change into a delicate alluring woman, I still tried to fight it, tossing out barbs for each one you tossed at me. When I saw that bastard Harden sniffing around your skirts I was furious, the night you appeared at father's ball you were like something that had floated out of my dreams. When you moved to Montcliff I kept telling myself to head out to sea just to escape my attraction to you because you couldn't seem to stand the sight of me, the night I went to your bedroom the staff was just an excuse and I knew it. I've never forgiven myself for losing control and hurting you Al, after all that do you honestly think I'm so shallow that I would turn my back on you just because your not the same physically as when you left? I know deep inside you're still the scruffy Al I fell in love with. Love, you've fought to raise two children all alone in a place few can imagine and did a damn good job of it, even when you wanted to die you didn't because of those children, please don't give up now. Give yourself time Al, to rest, to be loved and cared for, give me a chance Al to take care of you and love you, don't leave me with two teenagers that scare the pants off me and confuse the hell out of me." Connor almost chuckled to find one of his father's handkerchiefs in his pocket, he wiped the tears off of her face. "I never thought you were shallow, Breeton, just too handsome to be interested in scruffy Al, I've never let anyone take care of me except the children when I had no choice, it's a terrible feeling being helpless and totally dependant on others." Connor wiggled an arched eyebrow "think I'm handsome do you, Al, we can work on that dependant part, ever hear of a wheelchair, we can put ramps at Montcliff and build the bedroom on the lower floor, you used to scramble all over a ships rigging, we can set some rigging up so you can even get yourself in and out of bed and other places, give us a chance, please Al." Allora put her hand on his cheek "much too handsome for the safety of a poor scruffy Al's heart, I will try Breeton but you need to learn to move quicker, I almost got you with that water glass" Connor grinned "you haven't taught the kids to throw things have you?" he saw the look on her face and groaned, "they needed a way to let off steam and let out their frustrations without beating each other's head into the ground." Allora saw the look and asked what, Connor debated whether Al had had enough for one day then figured he might was well say it "Con's also a dragon, Al" Allora nodded "he's been changing for weeks, I could feel it in him, he tried so hard to hide it but it's rather hard to hide a sudden mouthful of fangs when he smiled once or a hand that was suddenly a paw. I haven't seen any changes in Lexi, perhaps she won't turn dragon." Connor didn't mention the talk he'd had with Lexi, he didn't think that Al was up to that yet, "there's a dragoness in Lexi, I can feel her, but she isn't ready to come out, she may never be ready, we'll just have to wait and see." Allora hearing the knock on the door turned wrong and had to grab Connor's arm to keep from crying out in pain, Connor looked at her face and frowned he could feel the pain radiating from her, Beth poked her head in the door, Connor shook his head and Beth slipped back out. "You have to tell me where and when it hurts love, so I can help take the pain away" Allora hissed through gritted teeth "my back, my lower back" Connor carefully laid Allora half on her stomach and half on her side and started to slowly slide his hand down her spine, he watched her fingers that had a death grip on the pillow slowly start to relax, as he eased the pain he worked on the knotted muscles in her back and shoulders, once he felt her fully relax he sent her into a deep, soothing, pain free sleep, thinking it was probably the first good sleep she had had in a very long time.