Confessions
Not too long after Loki’s ( @bifrostedflake) encounter with Scarlett, they have a particularly unpleasant run-in with the Queen of Nightmares ( @warriorqueenandenchantress) and one of her lackeys. The trickster god returns home only to find Atros having a discussion with another of her lackeys (who had formerly been one of his.) In a show of humility and trust, Atros reveals a secret he’d hoped to keep buried.
(Also some trigger warnings apply. They’re in the tags below)
F: -It's been an awful night, full of reminders and nightmares she just didn't need right now. Outside of Atros's house she's on the sidewalk, holding a bag of items she went to collect from the old penthouse, looking visibly shaken. She's been there for several minutes now, pacing back and forth and taking some deep breaths. She promised herself she is not going to walk through the front door and let him think anything is wrong. She's not going to go inside and cling to him weakly either. A few minutes more and finally she's feeling confident enough to make an entrance. With her head held high, Loki strides up to the front door, feigns a smile and enters.-
-The house is quiet when she enters. Most of the lights are off, but there are a few on in the hallway and over the stairs. The door to Atros' study is open just a crack, casting a sliver of light across the darkened hallway. Hushed voices argue from inside the study.-
A: "-- I don't care what it is you want. You aren't welcome here and I want you gone." -His voice is low and stern.-
N: "You're not listening to me!" -The nightmare hisses through thinly veiled fear.- "Something's wrong. That thing you put in her head, it's broken."
A: "I'm well aware." -He snaps.-
N: -He lets out a quiet whine.- "Noooo, it's really broken! The spell! She's remembering in her dreams and it's hurting her. You have to fix it!"
A: -He's quiet for a moment, the only sound to be heard are his shoes pacing across the floor.- "Why are you telling me this? I thought you served the Queen now." -The way he speaks of the QoN is almost as if the word itself is poison.-
F: -The atmosphere immediately put her back on edge. The penthouse was quiet like this too, but the shadows felt more alive there than they do here, still, something is off. There's a presence here, similar in the way it feels to the QoN but it's not the same. Quietly she closes the door and sets her bag down, reminding herself to breathe. With cautious footsteps she made her way down the hall, stopping just outside the study, listening. Pressing her back against the wall, her breath quickened, mind racing with possibilities and questions. "Put what in who's head?" "Are they talking about someone else, or me?" "What's broken" She held her breath at mention of the Queen. He could have meant anyone with a title like that, but after what happened she surmised this must be related. She runs a hand over her belly, hating that she can still feel QoN's claws prickling over it. It's hard to reign herself in from the desire to rush into the room and demand answers. Loki chooses to wait a little longer, listen, and organize her thoughts better before her assumptions get the best of her.-
N: "Not because I like it. It's like working for you." -He grumbles.- "I came for her. She's always been so nice to me. She doesn't deserve to hurt like this."
A: -Normally he might have noticed Loki's presence there with him, but Nox's presence is overwhelming. The nightmare's anxiety is affecting his own in a way that is rather disconcerting.- "Oh she deserves it." -He says tersely. There's another pause before he starts drumming his fingers on the desk.- "But I agree, I do need to strengthen the spell. If Scarlett remembers, I get a sneaking suspicion that won't bode well for me." -Heaving a sigh, he flops into his chair.- "The trouble is getting her to leave the protection of the wards Maggie placed around her home...."
N: "Just don't hurt her." -He whimpers, rubbing his hands anxiously.-
A: "I make no promises. Now get out."
F: -It's been easy to not care who Atros is and what Atros is for the past few months. Whatever this thing is he's speaking to once worked for him and now works for the QoN. Listening to the drumming of his fingers on the desk it seemed louder than it really is and her anxiety is threatening to overwhelm her. This feels like just the tip of the ice burg and she's looking at the floor wishing the mixture of emotions she was beginning to feel would recede. The door to his study is pushed open gently, right as he finishes telling Nox to get out. Looking between both of them, taking it all in, there were a lot of things she wanted to say. She's holding her belly, glaring wickedly at Nox and then less so at Atros. Her lips parted, but all she breathed out in that moment is; "What have you done?"
N: -Letting out a yelp, he moves to dive into the shadows for a hasty escape, but quick as whip, Atros lashes out a phantasmal hand and grabs him by the collar. Struggling against the projection, he whimpers and whines like a small rodent caught in the talons of a bird of prey.-
A: -For a split second, he gave Loki a wide-eyed look of disbelief, but before he could say anything he quickly captures Nox. He might yet serve as a buffer between him and Loki. Talking his way out of this one wasn't going to be easy.- "You're not going anywhere." -He growls at Nox, summoning him closer. His look softens when he finally addresses Loki.- "How much did you hear?"
F: -This awful feeling, knowing, she's in no position to do anything more than talk while her anxiety is soaring through the roof. The question prompted her to take a step back. Fidgeting where she stands, it feels like something is squeezing her wrist, her mind playing tricks, lingering on what happened earlier.- "What's the price for what I've heard?"
N: -Shrinking in on himself, his eyes dart back and forth between the two of them as he cowers.-
A: -His brows knit together in confusion.- “Price? What price?” -No sooner have the words left his mouth before he feels a chill wash over him.- “Loki, I’m— if there’s a price to be paid, I’m the one to pay it.”
F: "You're familiar with the Queen." -It sounds like she's no more fond of her than Atros is. Tilting her head downward she's narrowing her eyes to sharpen the look she's giving as she turns her gaze to Nox.- "Why is a servant of the Queen here to talk to you about Scarlett?" -Shifts her eyes back to Atros.- "Think carefully on your answer."
N: “Because she’s my friend and—!” -He interrupts eagerly, but quickly silences himself when he sees the glare that Atros gives him.-
A: -Breaking his pointed look at the nightmare, he looks back to Loki, his thoughts in turmoil. The whole truth might not look so good on him right now, but he isn’t sure he can come up with something else that will be convincing enough. He hadn’t anticipated anyone ever finding out about this. Of course it would come at Nox’s bungling...- “Nox used to be under my employ first. It seems some old business I thought finished has surfaced once again.”
F: -Friend. Nox's words struck her. Loki isn't really sure where they stand with Scarlett, and though she'd gotten defensive with her, she didn't loathe her to the point of wanting to hurt her. Still pointedly looking at Atros, her arms move from her belly and she crosses them.- "Whatever this old business is, I find it alarming you think Scarlett deserves to suffer."
A: -He's able to maintain his gaze for a moment, but the expression on her face is too much. Rising from his seat, hands planted firmly on the desktop, he bows his head. Most of his reasons for his hatred of the witch had grown from petty things, but there was one driving cause that always hurt.- "She took my daughter from me." -He says quietly with just a small taste of anger in his words.-
F: -That's fair, she thinks, the wind somewhat knocked out of her sails. She can't forget that Maggie hates him, but who's fault is that really? His, or Scars? Given that Maggie doesn't hate Scar, the answer should be simple, but that doesn't mean it is. She leaves the doorway and approaches the desk, her eyes on Nox for a moment. Loki would still like to speak to that creature, but her immediate concern is Atros. She rests a hand on the desk and reaches for one of his to rest hers on top of it.- "Then, I understand." -Her tone has softened considerably and should he look up, so has her expression.- "Maybe--" -Part of her tries to object to this line of thinking, but she dismisses the thought quickly.- "--I can help you fix this."
A: -Weighing his options, he keeps his head bowed. While he would appreciate the help, he can think of several reasons why it would be a terrible idea. After what happened after Loki's last encounter with Scar... Shaking his head, he finally looks to her with a bittersweet smile.- "I can't ask you to do that. This was my mistake, and I would never forgive myself if something happened to you or the baby."
N: "Perhapsss, I could help?" -He pipes up hesitantly.- "It would be just this once."
F: "And I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to you." -Shoots Nox a soft glare for interrupting. After the night she's had, cooperating with a nightmare did not sound appealing, but she'll hear him out.- "Would this be against your Queen's wishes, because if it is, I'm all ears."
N: -Nodding, he bares his sharp teeth in a cautious smile.- "She doesn't know that I'm here. I-if that's what you mean." -His slit pupils can't stop darting between the two of them as he wrings his hands, desperate for some form of approval.-
A: -He scoffs, rolling his eyes.- "Nox, I think you've been help enough."
F: -Places a gentle hand on Atros's chest.- "One moment love." -A little wicked smirk just barely curves her lips.- "I have a friend with a particular appetite for beings like yourself. It would be most unfortunate if you were lying to us." -Her smile blooms with promise.- "That said, tell me!" -She sounds almost jovial now.- "What sort of help could you possibly offer?"
N: -As she speaks, his form starts to lose its shape from his feet on upward and he begins to melt into a puddle of inky, black shadow. He stops wringing his hands, but his nervous smile lingers. Looking up at her, he swallows thickly.- "I er--" -He laughs weakly.- "I can get you in past the wards but... there's another problem. Marvel's back and living with her again."
A: "That buffoon? I thought he died. Again." -He snorts.-
F: -Raises her brows in disbelief. All that joking around about Marvel being dead she'd assumed was just that, a joke. The wards were certainly a problem, but she's not sure she wants to put her faith in Nox for assistance and turns to Atros, looking like her mind is made up.- "Nox may leave." -Presses a finger to the sorcerer's chest.- "You and I will discuss this further."
N: -His smile disintegrates entirely, leaving behind a concerned look etched deeply into his features.- “Just don’t hurt her.” -Echoing his plea from earlier, he whimpers as Atros finally let’s him go. With that said, he disappears into the shadows, leaving the couple alone.-
A: -Though Loki seems willing to help, he can’t quite shake his anxiety over this whole debacle. So far, she hasn’t asked many questions, but that may not remain the case for long. Running a hand through his hair, he deflates, glad to be rid of their intruder.- “Christ... what a mess.”
F: Now that they're alone, she grabs him by the collar and hoists him across the desk till they're nose to nose. "Tell me what's broken in her head. She said she cut herself off from her memories, but she's cut off from more than she knows. What are you hiding?"
A: -Staring wide-eyed back at her, he feels the knot in his stomach pull tighter. He’s going to kill that sniveling, ginger wretch the next time he so much catches a glimpse of him.- “I’m not hiding anything.” -He lies, keeping his voice level.- “Not from you that is. I didn’t tell you because it didn’t seem important at the time but, I cast a memory loss spell on Scarlett nearly a decade ago. I guess whatever happened to jog her memory those few weeks back must have tampered with my spell.”
F: -Gives him an incredulous “oh no u didnt’ tilt of her head and narrows her eyes till they're chillingly cold.- "Would you like to hear about my evening?" -She growls- "The Queen and a demon who pledged himself to her threatened me and our child." -Gripping his collar tight with one hand she steps back from the desk, lifting him up like he were a sack of feathers.- "Now I come home to this?" -Shakes him once, firmly.- "If lies were cats you'd be a litter. You either tell me what I want to know and I help you, or I assume the worst and walk."(edited)
A: -When she tells him of being threatened, all the air is knocked from his lungs. He does nothing to fight or struggle against her as he stares off into space in abject horror. The Queen had toyed with him before, making a casual remark here and there about delving into his fears but this... This was too close. His eyes slowly move to meet hers, barely registering her demands.- "Loki..." -His voice comes out strangled.- "What did she say?" -This time it's more firm as a quiet rage begins to bubble beneath the surface.- "What demon?"
F: -Her grip loosens somewhat, fear widening her eyes for a few brief seconds, a slight tremble to her lips.- "She said, food is food and it's nothing personal." -She swallows, feeling frozen to the bone and not wanting the demon's name to even touch her lips much less roll off of her tongue.- "Tell me what I want to know." -She adds hoarsely, lowering him to her somewhat.-
A: “What does it matter?” -he nearly snaps, barely hanging onto the last thread of his composure.- “I made a mistake making Scarlett my apprentice then and I don’t want to keep paying for it. I especially don’t want to be worrying over that if that bitch intends on hurting you and our child!”
F: "It matters to me! We-she and I- we were...are.." -Truth be told, Loki doesn't know what she and Scarlett are now, but she was probably least pleased of all about her relationship with Atros. Calmly she sets his feet to the floor and then lets him go. She looks like she isn't sure what to do with her hands for a minute, crossing them, uncrossing them, picking at them, until she finally ends up cradling her belly for comfort.- "I will help you, but right now, I need to leave." -She says quietly, then heads for the hallway.-
A: -The anger boiling inside him turns to agony. He had seen a brief glimpse of what Loki and Scarlett once were, but he didn't think that it was a relationship that would drive a wedge between the two of them; much less hold any sort of weight anymore. Though, he'd been there too once. He follows after Loki, reaching out for her.- "Please don't!" -He can't bear the thought of her running into more trouble out there. He's already sick over the fact he wasn't there for her before.- "Loki, stay, I'm begging of you. I'll leave if I have to, but I need to know you're safe."
F: -There are a lot of bonds that could bend and snap if she goes through with helping him and she knows it. The conflicting emotions on the subject are maddening but she knows where she's leaning towards. Feeling his touch on her arm she turns briskly and pauses, acknowledging him with worry in her narrowed eyes.- "I loathe this."-Her disappointed tone is sharp, and then softens.- "I don't want to be at odds with you. Not you. I know you're hiding things." -It isn't accusatory, it's just a fact she's stating, her tone reflecting that.- "I have no right to be upset with you for it." Bows her head, breaking eye contact, half of her silhouette shrouded in the dark of the hall. "It's hypocritical of me. I'm just as guilty as you are of keeping secrets." -She's quiet for a few seconds and then glances at him.- "Y’know, I actually care more about others than I care to admit." -Breathes a laugh.- "But at the same time, if anyone of them hurt you, I wouldn't hesitate to hurt them and despite how that would reflect on me—I don't care." -Laughs breathily again and shrugs her shoulders.- "So that's where I'm at." -Slowly reaches out a hand to him.- “I’ll stay.”
A: -Silently, he listens, studying her. Her body language, the look on her face, even the very atmosphere around her; as much as he'd like to think it was only because of her encounter (which he still would like to know more about when the time was right,) that she was this upset. Though, he knew better. It was hard to say what scared him more: telling Loki the truth and truly exposing himself for the depraved monster he was, or letting it all stay secret and make her resent him for his deceit. Either way, he was at risk for losing everything again and he could hardly bear it. Not daring to meet her gaze, he reaches back, his fingers brushing lightly across hers.- "I'm so sorry." -It was all he could think to say.- "You deserve better than all this."
F: -The brush of his fingers, his words, it left her with an awful ache in her chest and prompts her to move closer. Sliding her fingers between his own she guides him, to close the rest of the distance between them until she can hold him in her arms for a long moment. Burying her face against his neck she nuzzles there muttering against him. "That's for me to decide." She moves up to nuzzle the shell of his ear, then tilts her head back to nudge his nose with hers and rest her forehead to his. She squeezes his hands, her voice soft, with a slight tremble.- "We knew going into this who we both are and you fear your secrets as I fear my own. I'm not going to give up on us just because the situation isn't ideal, but--" -She swallows a lump threatening to rise in her throat.- "If you want this to last as much I, we must trust each other. Without it, we will have nothing."
A: -Every excuse, every justification, every reason he has not to tell her buzzes through his mind. He had already shown her more of him than anyone had ever seen before. Wasn't that enough? Did he have to share the darkest parts of himself that he loathed? The knot in his stomach seems to travel up into his chest, pulling even tighter. Giving her hands a gentle squeeze, he keeps his eyes fixed on her pregnant belly. Was it worth losing all of this, just to save face?- "I know." -He says softly, his voice laden with emotion.- "I know. I owe it to you." -Letting go of her hands, he threads his through her hair, gently stroking it before bringing them to rest on either side of her head.- "You deserve nothing less than full disclosure. No holds barred."
F: -When he lets her hands go she rests her palms on his chest and closes her eyes. Her own chest feels tight, a sick feeling in her stomach. Distrust, lies, abuse, deceit. They’ve effectively choked the life out of all of her previous relationships. She could never be open enough for anyone’s liking, and she can't bear to let it stay that way with him. Allow it to fester and tear them apart. She knows it's a matter of time, it always is. Even now though, she still asks herself if she’s really ready to tell him everything. To let him in deeper. Loki doesn't let anyone in, and if she did, what if it backfired? What if that was the plan all along? No, she mustn’t assume he’s trying to pry anything out of her for some darker purpose. An important question does come to mind in this heavy moment though, and she clears her throat.- “So—“ -A short pause, her eyes open, searching for his.- “Who wants to go first?” -The tremble in her voice is still there, but she feels mostly confident she can do this.-
A: -Pondering over her question he feels a bit of panic well up inside him. They were really going to do this, right here, right now, weren't they? He's hesitant, and tempted to find a way out of all this, but he knows better. If he's going to hold on to her, he's got to give. Finally meeting her eyes, he's afraid, but he's resigned. There's no turning back now.- "I suppose I should." -He murmurs, gently rubbing her temples with his thumbs.- "It'll at least give you the chance to run, should you choose." -He jokes grimly, but he can't quite find it in himself to give her that cheeky smile to go with it.-
F: -There’s an attempt at a smile, and it almost makes it. "Would I run?" she wonders, and as nervous as she is to find out, Loki can't help loving the adrenaline in her veins. She acknowledges him with a nod and makes herself a promise. Whatever he’s about to say, the Goddess will take it to the grave.-
A: -With a trembling sigh, he presses a kiss to her forehead, lingering as if this could be the last chance he'll have to do it. A long, suffocating silence falls between them as he struggles to find the right way to begin. He could simply show her, as he had done before, but he's sure she'd never be able to look at him the same way again. It was a lot to explain, and there weren't many ways he could put things delicately. All he could really do was start at the beginning with what she knew so far.- "About ten years ago, I met Scarlett." -He finally begins, the tips of his fingers skimming over her hair as he pulls back a step.- "I had been spending time posing as a fortune teller, reading palms and tarot, performing séances and such for people. It was a fun way to pass time, but it was a way for me to come in contact with those that had potential for talent with the mystic arts." -He had already shown Loki the countless lives he had claimed, possessing bodies to maintain a foothold in the physical plane without burning himself out. It was easy enough to figure out where he was going next with this.- "She was young, on a journey of self-discovery when she chanced upon my shop, and I saw her right away for what she was. She was too valuable an asset to let go. I charmed her, manipulated her into falling for me--" -He shakes his head and breathes a short laugh.- "It was child's play, that. Someone that desperate for love and assurance was simply waiting for the next seemingly decent person to shower her with affections. I had planned to take her body and abilities for my own, but her chaos magic made things... difficult. Though, my charade made it easy enough for me to exploit her talents for my own gain anyway." -He pauses, swallowing thickly.- "That's about the point this whole mess started..."
F: -She's listening, processing, taking it all in while a big ugly knot forms and settles in the pit of the trickster's stomach. ""She was young," " I charmed her, manipulated her into falling for me--" That struck an all too familiar chord. It's almost like looking in a mirror. Looking at her, it's hard to tell what she might be thinking right now, but at least it doesn't look like she's about to run. She reaches up to rest a hand on his cheek, her thumb caressing it gently.- "Tell me about the mess." -The tremble in her voice is mostly gone, her tone more even-
A: -Holding his breath for a brief moment, he turns back toward his study and beckons for her to follow.- "Now, right around this time I had found something I had been searching long and tirelessly for." -Making his way to a tall, wide bookshelf behind his desk, he pulls out three books and stacks them on top of each other.- "Maggie's spirit. Rather, Fiona's, as she was named before Scarlett changed that." -Waving his hand over the stack of books, threads of black and purple light weave over and around them, covering them completely, before vanishing and leaving behind a large, worn tome.-
"Once I was sure I had her trust, she became instrumental in my efforts to revive her. We tried everything. Each effort became an increasingly disappointing failure." -He begins flipping through the pages, all detailing every method he used, each one in an effort to resurrect his daughter with no cost to her quality of life, and minimal to no cost to his. That was always the catch for him. There were ways of bringing back the dead, but they were always intertwined with curses of varying degrees. Opening to a section toward the end of the book, he draws in a deep breath.- "In my desperation I began to experiment, combining her chaos magic with blood magic. I had learned a few things about her... counterpart and her sons, and thought I might try something similar. On our first attempt--" -He can hardly believe he's telling her this. His voice catches in his throat.- "She fell pregnant and Maggie's soul finally had a vessel, but it didn't last more than a handful of weeks before Scarlett's body rejected the pregnancy. She was devastated, as was I but I was determined to try it again, as it was the first method we tried that yielded any measure of success." -He turns to a page chronicling each ritual, what changes they made, and how close they were to succeeding with each attempt. His fingers trace a blood stain on the corner of the page, his expression dark, angry and full of pain.- "She was willing at first, but soon it became too much for her."
F: -She follows, keeping close beside him, listening. Her eyes rove curiously over the books he places on the desk and she studies the pages as he flips through them. Had they only met sooner, Loki thought, and thought of all the ways she could have been of assistance. Realization spread like ink on parchment across her features as he shed light on his past with Scarlett. A flicker of distaste shone in her face and pursed her lips, but she kept that from his view by positioning herself just barely behind him. She raised her gaze. Even from where she stood she can still take in the pain evident on his face, feeling it hanging heavy in the air. Her hand rests gently on his back near his shoulder, letting him know she's still there and hasn't run away. Words collect on her tongue but go no further.-
A: -Leaning over the desk, his palms flat on its surface, he hangs his head and his hair cascades over his shoulders, acting as a curtain to hide his features. There's little comfort from her hand on his back. He's only just begun.- "My efforts continued, but she had to be... persuaded." -It's the most delicate way he can think to put it, but everything about him; his posture, his tone, his very energy gives way to the shame he feels. It was a boundary he never thought he'd cross, but his obsessive need proved him wrong.- "It took three years before we made any substantial progress again. Within hours of completing our final ritual, I could feel that things had gone right. To this day, I still can't explain how, but I knew this was it." -Balling his hands into fists, the study around them turns dark and his memory plays out before them as a silent projection.- "But I forgot to take into account how truly unpredictable chaos magic is." -The illusion shows Scarlett merely hours after the completion of their spell, her belly already firm and round, nearly the size Loki's is now. She's doubled over on the floor, her face contorted in agony.- "She and Maggie both nearly died." -The image turns to wisps of smoke before turning into another memory.- "Within days, my darling daughter was exactly as I remember her." -This time the illusion takes shape of a young Maggie, asleep and contained in a large bubble, floating in some translucent, pink liquid. Her form keeps changing erratically between her human and phantom forms, similar to how she transforms now.- "Except when she was separated from Scarlett, her soul seemed effected by a constant pull from the astral plane. She was far from whole, but this was the closest I was going to get." -Another illusion of Scarlett appears in front of the bubble, her hands outstretched toward it, red light sparking all around her, threatening to destroy the container along with Maggie inside.- "I nearly lost her all over again."
F: -What came next was so much worse and she opened her eyes wide, a storm of emotion swirling in them. Briefly she raised her free hand and reached for Scar, then let it fall as she draws in a breath. Atros has done things that she never has and her dark brows drew together, pained. Loki almost forgot to breathe, her shaken hand nearly dropping from his shoulder as sorrow gripped her heart. She breathes out sharply and every breath following comes quick and shallow. Words still would not flow, but she wept quietly in equal measure, for Scarlett, for Maggie and for him.-
A: -The illusions fade and light returns to the study, but he doesn't move. He can't bear to see her cry, especially knowing that he's the reason behind it.- "So, to protect my daughter, and through-- Pity? Guilt? I locked away her memories of the five years we spent together. She could recall meeting me, but as far as she was concerned, she left my shop that same day and it was like it never happened. I let her go so that I could give Maggie my full attention, but I realized that I still needed her. I found her at the tower, and she still saw me for what I was and because of that, she took Maggie from me. The rest is history."
F: -A tense silence passes between them as she reflects. Working through this in her head she's put herself in his shoes and in Scar's. In doing this, Loki is confronted with a startling revelation and in that instant a cloud lifted from her mind and she feels a grudge she's been holding onto begin to crumble. In it's place blooms an understanding. The quiet lingers a touch more while she reaches up to wipe her eyes clear. Soon after Atros can feel his hair being brush away from his face by her fingers and she tucks it gently behind his ear, brushing it back a few times to make sure his face is no longer hidden from her.- "What you did-" She begins firmly. "shows how ugly desperation can be." -Her tone ends on a softer note as she cradles his cheek tenderly, turning his head towards her. Compassionate eyes drift over his features. "But...your past, my love, does not have to tear apart your future."
A: -Breath hitching in his chest, he finally looks to her with tears in his eyes, awestruck. He didn't dare hope for forgiveness from anyone for what he had done, yet here Loki was, offering him just that and so much more. Whatever little shred of composure he had clung to is lost. Wordlessly, he wraps his arms around her and buries his face in the slope of her neck. Trembling, his shoulders twitch and jerk as he clutches her close to him, his sobs following close behind.-
F: -As much as she wants to hold him even tighter than she is already, she has to remind herself to mind her strength. Hearing him break down however; has brought a few tears back to her eyes. She knows she still has a lot to tell him, but it can wait, she's so tired. Tonight she only wants to take him back to Galway and curl around him in bed, with the sound of the ocean in the distance and the smell of it in the air around them. Just them and their little one in between. The thing she hid behind his cottage can wait till morning.-