"You should learn something to do during your down time. There's no such thing as a full time house keeper in my world." Elunara shrugged. "It just feels like wasted time to me. Besides, everyone in the family has to pull their equal share and their equal time; there really won't be much for you to do."
"Finding my place..."
"Exactly." She nodded. "Even Grogek has been known to help out with chores on his off day. Mind you, that's rare. None of us begrudges him though, he works the hardest physically, and he takes the least amount of off days, so he does the least amount at home. I wonder how that will change with you around." She winked.
Susan giggled. "Yeah."
"It'll be nice to have someone else to trust with Lulu. It can be a royal pain to set up someone to watch her while I work."
"I imagine so."
"Let's head up to the platform." Elunara yawned. "I want to rest in the sun and get some energy back."
"That sounds lovely."
Before anyone could react, Tina took off running across the training yard. "DADDY!"
Everyone seemed to yell at once. "TINA, NO!"
Elunara bolted after the girl, but Bradly was closer and quicker. He threw himself at Tina and took the blade of a sword to the back. He cried out, even as he clung to the girl.
Elunara made it to him and put her hand on his back. "It's alright. You're okay, it's not that deep."
"It hurts." He whimpered.
"You were SO brave." Elunara hugged Bradly, pouring her healing energy into him.
"I am so sorry." The soldier gasped. "I didn't have enough time to stop."
"TINA!" Susan ran over and grabbed up the child.
"No! Let me go, I want my Daddy!" Tina struggled against Susan.
"WHO WAS WATCHING HER?!" Grogek roared.
"I..." Susan clung to Tina as she scrambled back.
"CAN'T YOU KEEP YOUR HANDS ON HER FOR ONE MINUTE?"
Susan shrank back and clung to Tina. Tina curled up against her mother in terror.
"ANSWER ME!"
Elunara jolted up, and grabbed Grogek by a fang, yanking his face to her. "You will calm the FUCK down NOW!" She looked over her shoulder. "Susan, take the children and go." She looked back at Grogek. "You will STAND THERE, while I tend to Bradly's wound. It's not healed yet. You MOVE, and I will FLATTEN you, do you understand me?"
"Be gone from my sight." He growled at Susan.
Susan scrambled back, and took off towards the stroller.
Elunara punched Grogek hard enough to cause him to unbalance. "I said STAND THERE. I didn't say you could TALK!"
He rubbed his jaw, but made no other movement.
"Darguni, help your brother home."
"Man, you're going to have a cool scar." Darguni snorted.
Once they were out of the way, Elunara stared Grogek down. "I know you were scared, and now you're just mad, DADDY, but you will NOT take Tina's stupid actions against Susan. You know damned good and well that Tina is a total pain in the ass, and just short of keeping her unconscious, impossible to control. I will not have you screaming at Susan over it. You just scared the absolute SHIT out of that woman, and I can damned well tell you right now she thought you were going to HIT her!"
"I..." He blinked and dropped his arms. "But, I wouldn't..."
"SHE didn't know that!" Elunara gestured towards the house. "Now you're going to go fucking apologize, and then we'll figure out how to deal with Tina."
Ignoring all else, he took off towards home.
Once he was out of the way, she looked around. "What are you morons staring at? GET BACK TO WORK!" Everyone scrambled to comply, as she marched off of the training yard.
Jordan stood on the platform, and just stared.
"I'm suddenly terrified of her all over again." Someone mumbled.
"What happened here?" Varian frowned.
"I think she'd want you to know." Jordan sighed.
Elunara found Grogek standing outside, his hand on the porch railing. He looked back and sighed at her. "I didn't want to go in without you." He ran his hand over his head.
"This is what happens when you act in anger and haste." She shook her head. "Come on."
When they walked in, Susan scrambled back, putting Tina behind her. Grogek reached out, but sighed and dropped his hand.
"Susan, there's no need for that." Elunara shook her head.
"My sweet angel, I'd never hurt you." Grogek frowned. "I was terrified for Tina, and it made me angry to feel that. Please, please don't be scared of me."
Elunara picked up Tina. "I'm going to check on Bradly." She disappeared into the boys' room.
"Susan, please... I'm so sorry. I broke one of the strongest rules in this house. I acted in anger and haste, and I... I didn't mean to." Gently, he placed his hands on her shoulders. "I would never hurt you, this I swear."
Susan let out a shaky breath. "I've never been so scared in my life." She gasped. "Not even when the Dark Iron attacked. Even then, Isaac would save me... but I had no one in that moment, not until Elunara jumped between us." She wiped the tears off of her face.
He collapsed to his knees. "Oh, Gods. I'm so sorry." He wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so sorry."
"Now do you see?" Elunara pointed at Bradly's back. "That could have been YOUR HEAD! You could be dead or severely injured, because you refused to listen." She sat down and ran her hands on the healing wound. "It's not even as bad as it was. You do NOT go on to an active training yard, EVER! Do you HEAR me, little missy?"
"Brother Bradly saved me?" She whispered in awe. Climbing on the bed, Tina put her hand on the new scar. "I'm sorry." She hugged Bradly's back.
"Yeah, don't do that again." Bradly winced. "You scared the crap out of everyone. I've never seen Papa Grogek so angry."
"Me either." Darguni marveled. "Dad's NEVER been that angry that I've EVER seen." He shook his head.
"Daddy yelled at me and Mommy." Tina sniffled. "He made us go away."
"Because you did something incredibly dangerous, and just plain stupid. You need to LISTEN to us. I may not have given birth to you, child, but that doesn't mean shit in this house. I didn't give birth to Bradly; I didn't give birth to Lulu, but BOTH of them listen to me. I am their mother. Just because your mother is in this house, doesn't mean you don't have to listen to me. She listens to me, so you better!"
Tina crossed her arms. "I don't like it."
"Fine, next time, we'll let them cut off your head. See how defiant you are then." Elunara walked out of the room and slammed the door.
Darguni and Bradly winced. "Kid, when Momma uses "stupid", you're in BIG trouble." Bradly sighed.
Elunara tossed her hands up. "I can't work with that girl."
Grogek sighed. "I'm not certain what to do about her either." He rubbed his cheek on Susan's head. They sat on the couch, curled up together.
Susan sighed. "She was a beautiful, sweet child, until Isaac died, and then she just became impossible to deal with."
"It's not uncommon." Elunara shook her head. "For a child to flip in personality at the death of a parent."
The door opened. "Daddy, are you still mad at me?" Tina fiddled with her dress.
He snorted. "I'm not your daddy."
Tina looked like she'd been slapped, and tears pooled in her eyes. "What?"
"You refuse to listen to either of your mothers, so you're obviously not MY daughter, because MY children listen to me AND them."
"But..."