Twenty-Five

She was very good. He had to give her that, as his eyes followed the flash of red hair, the lithe frame that wove through the thick masculine bodies around her. He could have sworn that when she was telling him about her family on the plane, she'd said she only had four older brothers. Not that only was an appropriate word. Four was still a considerable amount, all things considering. Still, there were considerably more than four men that she was playing against. The soccer game was rough, and not a one of the men playing was hesitant about putting Maire in the dirt. Then again, she didn't hesitate either, and had put the hulking men in their places a few times already.

Like when one of her older brothers had tried to talk him into joining the spontaneous pick-up game. Hiro had declined, and remained on the porch. The man had scoffed, about ready to call Hiro insults, to try and challenge him into the game. That had lasted until Maire had stepped in. Since they weren't dating, he felt no need to get ruffled over the fact that she'd defended him. When her oldest brother hadn't believed her, and was still going to mock Hiro, she'd taken the thirty-four year old over the railing and to the ground. While the men were careful not to injure her too badly, they didn't give Maire any preferential treatment, which Hiro knew suited his friend nicely.

Ireland reminded him much of Maire, her sweetness and her gentle, laid-back personality that hid a vibrant and stunning love of life. As he watched, the body language out in the front yard shifted, and he could tell that the game was about to end. Maire had the ball, which was no suprise since she was faster than all of the men she was up against. One of her brothers- Patrick, he thought, lunged for her. Slipping to the ground in a stunning kick, Maire sent the ball into the makeshift net, and slid right out from underneath her brother. The man laughed, pulling Maire to her feet. Hiro saw her wince, though he supposed that it made sense, since she'd just slid under a very large, full-grown man.

The men that he didn't recognize waved their farewells, and began to walk home. The five Brennans began walking back to the porch. That was when the flash of crimson on Maire's leg caught his notice.
"Maire, you're bleeding."

The woman glanced down at her leg, a bemused grin on her face as she stopped, examining the long and deep gash that spanned all the way down her leg.
"Good. Must've caught it on Patrick's cleat." Her brothers all laughed, and disappeared inside. Maire sat next to Hiro, who was frowning.
"What is it, Hiro?"

"Get in the car." Hiro knew that Maire regarded her injuries as badges, but he was pretty certain that cut needed stitches and needed to be cleaned out, because there was no telling what had been on that cleat. The adults had left a stack of towels outside for sweat, and Hiro grabbed a clean one, handing it to her.
"Put that one on, and get in the car."

The drive to the hospital was a quiet one, save for Maire's brief instructions about where to go. Her face held a grey tinge that left Hiro very worried, and he sped up slightly. The situation that was already stressful, increased with the knowledge that Maire was beginning to feel the pain in her leg. Hiro repressed the irritation towards the girl's brothers that he felt welling within him. Maire was an adult, and they had probably left the situation up to her. It seemed to take forever for them to get there, and once they did, Hiro made Maire wait until he came around to get her. With her arm looped over his shoulders, they slowly hobbled their way into the hospital.

After waiting there for a few minutes, they called Maire back. Her hand tightened in Hiro's, and he took it as a sign that she didn't want to go back there alone. From what she'd told him about the day her mother died, he knew it stemmed back to her fear of being alone with doctors, one reason that she'd not wanted to come. It was also probably why her brother's hadn't forced her to come, he realized belatedly.

The doctor examined Maire's leg, and said that it needed stitches. Maire still clung to Hiro's hand, and he brushed the hair from her face, wishing that she wasn't in pain. Despite the gravity of the situation, the doctor's instruction for Maire to look at her boyfriend's face was met with a chuckle from both of them, though Maire was in too much pain to correct the man, and Hiro was too worried. As the doctor began the stitches, Hiro looked only at Maire's face, unable to stomach the sight of that needle and her skin. Really, this whole situation was stressing him beyond what he should cope with, but Maire held his hand in a vice-like grip, and he wouldn't have left her this panicked anyway.

In the end, the doctor said, it had only needed five stitches, for the cut was shallow at the far end. Maire stood, and leaned on Hiro as they walked away. Five stitches? Hiro thought that the man was lying. Surely it had been three times that?

For when Maire had opened her eyes, and looked up at him, fearful and in pain, his heart had told him that surely it was twenty-five.

Fear in my heart pt. 1

(A/N: I wrote this about a time when Isobel is quite ill, and has to be hospitalized for a week. I'm hoping that Ree will write the Jon/Morgan perspective, though she may or may not. xD Not my best work, but I wrote it in class, so forgive me.)

It was a cool night, a grateful released from the heat of the day. Madeline had opened the windows in hers and Jonathan’s room, and opened Isobel and Christian’s a crack, as well. The only room that didn’t have a window opened was baby Jake’s room, for Maddie feared letting him get too chilled, though she had placed a fan in there. It was shortly after midnight, and Jonathan had only recently come to bed- he did enjoy staying up to watch his sci-fi shows. Madeline was currently snuggled against him, with his arm draped over her waist. It was a good night, after a nice relaxing summer day, she was enjoying the equally relaxing summer night.

She was just drifting off to sleep, when little hands appeared on her side of the bed, and a little one tried to clambor up onto the bed. Sleepily, Madeline reached over, pulling her child up next to her.
“What is it, sweetheart?”
The child shook her head.
“Mama, I’m hot.”

Madeline smiled, and patted her child’s back.
“Alright, Mama will come open the window.” Madeline touched her daughter’s head, and was stunned by just how hot the little girl was. Suddenly she realized that she could feel the fever through Isobel’s nightgown. Bolting upright, Madeline slid out of bed, picking her child up, as Isobel lost consciousness in her mother’s arms. Looking over her shoulder, Madeline realized that her husband was now awake- probably from her abrupt movements.
“Jon? Can you call Morgan- Izzy’s sick…her fever is way too high.” She waited until her sleepy spouse had nodded and reached for the nearest phone to call Isobel’s father.

Settling Isobel on the couch, and opening all of the windows Maddie returned to check her daughter’s temperature. The number terrified Madeline. She could hear Jonathan in the Children’s bedrooms, checking both the three year old Christian, and the infant Jake. In that moment, Madeline decided to take her daughter to the hospital. A quick call to Julienne, and Maddie knew that the far more experienced woman was on her way, ready to keep an eye on the other two children, so that Madeline could go, and Jon could support her. Maddie knew that she needed him there- even if Morgan would probably come too.

Another call to Morgan, to let him know that they were taking Isobel to the hospital, and Madeline and Jonathan were in the car- Jon driving, and Maddie seated in the backseat with her prone child. It was a long and torturous ride, Maddie wanting desperately to know that her little girl would be okay.

Upon arriving at the hospital, Isobel was whisked from Madeline’s arms, and she was told that they would let her know when they had news. Sinking into a seat, Madeline placed her hand over her mouth, fear in her pale face. Jonathan’s arm slipped around her shoulders, and she turned into his body. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been waiting before Morgan arrived, his hand on her back, and stroking her hair. She might have been terrified, and uncertain, but at least she didn’t have to deal with it alone.

Tie

Bleak brown eyes stared at the odd assortment of ties on the back of the closet door. There were so many, in many different colors. To a man who wore suits everday, having a variety of ties was important, vital even. Red, black, blue, patterned, seasonal, humorous, beautiful. For Alex, the tie made the suit. Reaching out, his fingers traced the silk fabrics that dangled there. He couldn't choose. Which tie would make his suit today? Should today be made? Should he allow himself to wallow in pain and remorse? What would Cindy say?

"Alex, honey, I have another tie for you." The pretty blonde leaned over the table, handing him a flat box. He took it, a confused and questioning smile on his face as he did so. He wasn't aware of what the occasion would be, as he opened the box, and lifted out the beautiful sapphire blue silk tie.
"Cindy, it's beautiful..." He leaned over, stealing a kiss from his wife. "What's the occasion?"
Cindy smiled at him, and propped her head on her hand.
"I'm pregnant."

Alex let the blue tie slide through his fingers, and completely bypassed the ruby red one that dangled next to it. Ties that she'd given him on finding out about each of their two children. Nine year old Sandy, with her brown hair and the beautiful grey eyes she'd inherited from her bother, seven year old Justin, who looked just like his father. Grief filled Alex, and he simply reached over, and picked up the black tie that hung on the far other end. It was the only black tie that Alex owned...

"Alexander! Will you stop moving!" The petite brunette was standing on her tiptoes, trying to tie his tie for him, and he was was squirming far too much for him to call it a success. His younger sister was dear to him, and he had asked her to be the one that helped him get ready for his wedding.
"Sorry, Lina." He apologized, bending his head to kiss the top of hers.
"My name's Madeline, and I told you not to move!" The teenager had never tied a tie before, but she'd insisted on being the one to do this. Patiently, she'd read the manual, and had done rather well- if only he would stop moving.
"Sorry, Madeline." She finished, and stepped back to admire her handy work.
"There, even Cindy can't find fault with that!" She caught his rueful smile, and she began to laugh.

Alex stepped away from that tie, too. So many memories, so many things to think about as his brown eyes swept them over. Finally, he reached up, and unbuttoned the top button. There was a knock on his door, and though he made no answer, it slowly pushed open. It was Madeline, regarding his brown eyes with concern. Out of respect for his loss, Madeline had not brought her two children, leaving them with Morgan. It was a nice thought, but Alex would have liked to have seen his niece and nephew.

His little sister didn't say a word. She merely walked over to him, and held out a hand that he immediatly took, comforted by it's slight weight in his hand. Maddie reached up, and tweaked his collar, making no comment about the absense of a tie for the first time since she could remember. He'd just lost his wife and children in a plane crash, and people would be talking about how rude it was that he would arrive to the triple funeral with no tie. But Madeline, at least, understood that there were too many memories down that path.

She knew that he couldn't wear a tie.

Pillow

Sunlight was beating down on his skin, warming the bare flesh of his chest, arms and face. He stirred, waking slightly as the light drew him out of his sleep. He was about to roll over onto his chest to hide his face in the pillows, when he realized that there was something laying on him. Prying one open, he was met with rivers of silky red hair that were splayed out all over him. Now that he was awake enough to be thinking clearly, he remembered the day before. Tyson remembered Juliet in her beautiful white gown, designer of course, and Alice before her. Juliet had looked stunning on her father's arm, as she'd approached him.

Of course, the nerves had been rampaging in his head and stomach all morning, and only Trenton's quite reassurances had kept him from keeling over on the spot. His elder brother was his best man, of course, and Tyson wasn't sure what he would have done when the Preacher had told him to kiss his new wife, until his brother pinched him. When he'd opened his mouth to say something, Juliet had taken the initiative, pulling him down and kissing him, much to the amusement of the family and friends that had assembled to share this day with them.

To be honest, he didn't really recall the reception all that much. There was a lot of talking that had been boring, and then the dancing where Juliet had whispered in his ear all of the wonderfully terrible things that she was certain would occur on their honeymoon. The very thought had Tyson blushing the whole time, though he couldn't deny the anticipation welling up inside at the prospect of being able to love and cherish all of the the lithe woman in his arms. They didn't even stay for the whole reception, if his memory served him. Juliet had made some excuse to leave early, and by that time Theo had been too drunk to notice.

In the hours that had followed, Tyson had been incredibly awkward. Juliet had been the one to get them through those first few hours, and he hoped that she would never tell anyone that. Her coaxing, and her ability to rouse his passion had gotten him through his awkward stage, and soon He had no longer harbored any shyness about being with Juliet. He had spent hours, showing her how he felt, and then talking, and then using his body once more to show his beautiful wife just how much he cared.

Now, looking down at her, that word kept coming back to his mind- wife. It was such a powerful word, a powerful commitment that he'd made to Juliet Morhan- now, Juliet Maddox, now. He didn't know what lay ahead, but he did know that no matter how busy the two of them got with their seperate careers, and no matter how stressed life got, Tyson knew that he would love Juliet, as he already had. He gently ran his fingers through her hair, pleased by the sensation of her breath on his chest, and her fingers on his abdomen. They stayed that way for some time, with him just holding her, petting her hair.

Not too much later, Juliet stirred, placing a kiss to his chest, causing Tyson to shiver and place a kiss to her exposed shoulder. Juliet lifted her gaze to him, a mischevious twinkle hidden there.
"Still shy, Mr. Maddox?"
Tyson rolled, pinning Juliet's petite frame beneath his own.
"Not at all, Mrs. Maddox."

As he bent to kiss her, the last thing he noticed were the rivers of red hair splayed across his pillow.

Secret Smile

The snow was thick around the small house, coating it's yard in two feet of fluffy whiteness. Small hands left their mark on the frosty window, hand prints that melted the icy feeling away from the clear pane. A little forehead joined the pane, warming the window beneath that flesh as well, eager brown eyes clearly longing to go out and play in the snow. He watched for a few more minutes, then sighed and sank back into his chair. They'd flown all the way from New York to Glasgow just to spend Christmas with the boy's grandparents. Grandma was getting sick more, and more often, and the family wanted as much time with the woman as they could possibly have.

That didn't mean that Jake wanted to sit inside and miss out on the snow, especially at Christmas. He sighed, looking for his little sister. He sat up, and wandered about the house, looking from room to room. Ainsley would just smile and hug him, and then the two would set about to do something warmer, that was allowed. Their older siblings, the twins, would take an entirely different approach on the whole matter. He stuck his head into his Uncle Daniel's room, hoping to see Ainsley there. The little girl had taken to her Uncle Daniel, and she would chat a bit with him, which was an awful lot, coming from Ainsley. However, as he passed the room, he could hear his mother picking at Daniel- she was probably still trying to get the man to settle down. Jake figured it was a lost cause about now.

Running out of options, he knocked on the door that He and his three siblings were sharing. There were two beds, and while the intention had been for Isobel and Ainsley to share one bed, while Christian and Jacob shared the other, it hadn't worked out. Izzy preferred to sleep with Christian, and Ainsley didn't much care. Christian opened the door, and grinned at his little brother, letting him in. Izzy lay on her bed, and she nudged Chris with her foot.
"What's up, Jakie?"
"I can't find Ainsley."
The older two shared a worried look, one that Christian quickly dispelled.
"Ainsley's like a cat. If she doesn't want to be found, she isn't. Tell you what, we'll go and play in the snow, she'll hear our fun, and come join us."

Jake eyed the fourteen-year-old doubtfully, but finally nodded. Chaos ensued, as all three siblings attempted to bundle up at the same time. Finally, they managed to be ready, and they snuck out the back door, and into the glorious snow. It was the day after Christmas, and the snow had been steadily falling for two days. It was beautiful, and fluffly and thick. The twins were trying to savour it, since in a few days they would be heading back to New York on a plane to spend a few days with their father, and celebrate Christmas with him. Ainsley and Jake were going to be staying in Scotland with their parents until after New Year's day, when they would fly back home.

The three children began to build a snowman, laughing as they tripped and fell, once landing in a giggling heap that had Isobel on the bottom. Finally the snowman was built, and they had begun construction on two snow forts, when they heard a voice that seemed to suddenly stop the fun.
"Well, there you are. Why didn't you-"

The three were making faces at each other, bothered about being caught, and about upsetting their mother, when a snowball smacked directly into the back of her head, stopping her midsentance. She whirled, obviously not at all happy, and when she did she saw her husband across the yard, tossing a second snowball up and down in his hand, Ainsley with her hand over her mouth, stood next to him.
"Jon!"
"Well, Mads, are you going to let them have fun?"

Madeline began stalking towards her husband, and Ainsley squeaked, ducking out of the way and sprinting across the yard. Everyone was focused on Madline, who was slowly advancing on Jonathan. They didn't notice Ainsley burrowing herself into the snow, where she could safely watch whatever was going on. Madeline slipped up to Jonathan, and tried to stuff snow down his shirt. He knocked the snow from her hand, and with a cry of protest, Madeline tackled him into the snow. Christian, Isobel, and Jacob all began to laugh, leaning upon one another for support, and feeling tears welling up in their eyes. That is, until a snowball caught Christian's cheek. With a shout to his mother, Christian retaliated, followed by Isobel and later by Jake. The five members of the family were having a grand time.

Only Jonathan realized that someone was missing. With slow movements, he scanned the yard, and saw a pair of brown eyes peering out of the snow. He walked in a circle, so that he knew Ainsley couldn't see him. He stood right behind her, and plunged his hands into the snow, pulling her out. Ainsley squealed, and clung to her father, which caused both of them to laugh, before rejoining the fun.

A few hours later, the family had trouped in for what Martha called 'Hot Chocolate and nap time'. There was the hot cocoa for the children, and tea for the adults, though Martha wondered aloud if there were any adults to give to tea to. Rather than sending everyone off to bed, Madeline and Jonathan sat in front of the fireplace, Jake with his head on his mother's lap, Ainsley curled up on Jon's, Chris laying against Jonthan and Ainsley, and Isobel curled up against him. It was a happy family huddle.

After a long time of silence, and when the children were asleep, Madeline glanced over at Jon and caught his eye. They shared a smile, and Jon smiled once again as Madeline's head lowered to his shoulder, and she slept too.