Sionnach (closed)

[heartofcourage]

"Funny. I didn't feel a thing." Fiona said softly as a cold wind came through the window with Schaller's great claw. "Just a little pain at first. A lot of blood. I insulted von Morden in German though. I'm rather proud of that."

She gave him a small smile as she reached out and pressed her hand against his claw. "I'm glad that you're still here though."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You think I would leave you?" Schaller murmured, letting his hand rest beside her as she laid her hands on his claws. It was the closest he could get to holding hands with her. "Not to mention, I want to be here for Samuel and Riley as well. Riley acts tough but I know this shook her. And Sam and I... We look after each other in a way. But most of all, I am here for you."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I thought maybe you might go back to Dzana and Sveri at the least. You take care of them as well. I guess I shouldn't have assumed that you would leave me behind so easily." Fiona said softly as she closed her eyes for a moment as a wave of pain and exhaustion washed over her. "Sam? Love, I think I need something for the pain and some food."

She wasn't one to admit that she needed help, but this was a moment that she couldn't hold out. She was in misery.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam was slow to wake, exhausted as he was, but once he saw Schaller comforting her and realized what she was asking, he nodded, rising to open up the nightstand where the doctors had left some supplies. "Here," Sam murmured, pouring a thick syrupy substance into a small cup from a green bottle. "It's bitter as hell, but it works." He dug into his own bag beside the chair and pulled out his medical supplies. Alex supplied everyone with sugary honey or caramel drops to help with bitter medicines, and Sam left one for Fiona. "I'll be back." He left her with a kiss and stepped out, nodding to Schaller who remained to look after her.

 

[heartofcourage]

“So, I’m in invalid now.” Fiona said softly after Sam had left the room. “Not the great warrior queen that everyone fears.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"Only for a little while," Schaller murmured. "Even if you lose some strength in that leg, you will still be the fiercest Rider in the North, and a warrior Queen."

 

[heartofcourage]

“You’re suddenly going to be a voice of reason?” Fiona asked as she glanced towards her dragon. “I never thought I’d see the day.”

She let go of his claw with a sigh and took the medicine that had been left behind. It took some doing, but she managed to choke it down before popping the piece of candy into her mouth and settling back with a sigh.

“I hate this and I hate that fucking bastard.” She muttered.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm fairly certain everyone agrees his fate is yours to decide," Schaller murmured, shifting and withdrawing his hand to rest on the windowsill. "So if it helps, start coming up with what you want to do with him. He has no friends to save him, and no chance in hell of being allowed free. Smart as he is, he's also got no idea how to pick a lock, so he's not escaping. All he's good at is talking."

 

[heartofcourage]

“I’m not the only one that he’s hurt though.” Fiona said with a sigh. “So, I can’t make that decision lightly. There are a lot of people looking to me to set and example and some looking for me to show mercy.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"We know you never make such decisions lightly." Schaller laid his head down outside the window. "But whatever happens, it'll be good riddance, finally."

His great eye shifted as the door reopened and Sam entered with a tray a short while later, a warm and easy meal of soup and soft bread brought to Fiona's bedside, with a second meal for himself. Sam set the tray down and carefully wrapped his arms around Fiona, helping her sit up with as little movement in her leg as possible. With more pillows to prop her up, he sat down beside her, making sure she could manage before he began eating as well.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona was feeling better when Sam arrived with her meal. Letting him lift her up, she barely felt her leg at all as he got her situated among the pillows with a meal in easy reach.

“Thank you, love.” She said softly as she started to eat, mindful of how long her body had been still and how weak she still was.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I handed off most o' my work t'my officers, so Riley an' I are gonna stick with you fer now," he murmured as they ate. "An' when we do go to Normandy, Soma'll meet us there with Brogan. Aside from this mission bein' more difficult than we expected, things are still runnin' smoothly. An' with Ireland an' Wick feeding us information, we know th' Imperial rebels are getting ready to defend on all sides. If we can hit them with a three or four-front assault, we can destroy their vanguards quickly."

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley popped up after a moment, staring blearily at her parents and then over at the open window where Schaller was peering in. Her fur was wild in sleep, standing straight up as she grumpily looked towards her Da who had been talking, and then her Ma who had recently been talking.

"Jesus, it's not even dawn yet. Can you at least wait to have a meeting for when the sun is up?" Riley murmured. "And why is the window wide open when it's threatening to snow?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"Nope," Sam answered with a small smile. "An' it's open fer Schaller. Go sleep in another room if it bothers you." He waved her complaints away, his attention returning to Fiona.

 

[heartofcourage]

"The three of you are absolutely impossible. Worse than children." Riley grumbled as she settled back down on her pallet and was out again in moments.

"She's always been vocal when it comes to her sleep." Fiona said as she watched her eldest kit. "How Andre deals with it being an early riser, I'll never know."

 

[KieranSoares]

"He'll stop bein' an early riser in time. He hates mornings, he's jus' used to them." Sam reached out to brush Fiona's hair back. He was trying not to hover, but he'd never come so close to losing her. Not even when she'd been severely wounded by Barbarossa had she ever skirted death like this. There was a part of him that never wanted to let her out of his sight again.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona had just taken a bite of soup when Sam's fingers combed through her hair. She glanced over at him and caught the haunted look in his eyes. She had felt that way a time or two while watching over him, not knowing if he would live or die. It had been the first time that she had ever given him a scare like that before.

"When I'm finished with this, I want you to hold me." Fiona said softly. "I need to be as close to you as I can."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Sure, love," he murmured, sitting back and letting her finish. While she was eating, he felt the cold wind blow in, and he rose to make his way toward the window. "Sorry, friend," he spoke to Schaller. "I've got strict orders t'make sure she keeps warm, make sure she doesn' get any sicker."

"I understand," Schaller nodded as Sam began to close the window, and he gave Fiona one last look before rising to go make himself useful elsewhere.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona watched as Sam got up to close the window, Schaller looking through one last time before he went off to other parts of the estate. She felt terrible that she couldn't be with him, but it seemed that he understood. Soon enough they would go off on a flight with just the two of them.

When she finished, she was exhausted again and she handed Sam her dishes and then waited for him to come back. With his help, she got comfortable and leaned against his side as he settled against her.

"I'm sorry that I worried you." She said softly as her head rested against his shoulder.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Don' apologize fer what someone else did t'you. You were doin' yer job." Sam buried his face against her hair, an arm draped around her as they laid back. He was almost as exhausted as she was, and all he wanted to do was hold her and sleep til she was on her feet again.

"I love you," he muttered, feeling an unexpected wave of emotion come over him as his tension began to fade. He found tears rolling down his face suddenly, surprising even him. He tried to wipe them away quickly. Even if he had wept in front of Fiona every so often, he tried not to when she wasn't feeling well. He never wanted to put too much on her at once.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona glanced up as she heard Sam quietly sobbing. Reached up a hand, she gently brushed his tears away and gave him a small smile.

"Love, it's alright. I'm alive. I'm not going anywhere." She said softly. "I promise I would never leave you alone."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know, I know," he muttered. "It's just stress, I'm fine. But when they told me you stopped breathing... Gods, Fiona, I jus' wanted to run away an' hide from the world... I jus'got scared o' everything all at once..."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I would never want you to hide away. I know you would grieve if you lost me, but you've come too far and have too much to offer the world to hide away." She said softly, her heart breaking for her husband.

Fiona moved onto her good hip to wrap her arms more fully around her husband, holding him tightly.

 

[KieranSoares]

When Fiona shifted, Sam was ready to help her immediately, and glad to let her half-lay against him. He didn't argue with her words, simply relaxing beside her and slowly beginning to doze. But he managed to stay awake until he was certain she was asleep.

 

[heartofcourage]

It was quiet for a while before Riley slowly sat up, having heard the entire conversation between her parents. She could feel the sadness from her father. It was too much, she thought as she slowly stood and quietly buckled on her dagger and sword. She slipped out of the room and down through the main floor before she exited the mostly destroyed kitchens. She needs space and fresh air.