He felt heavy. Arms made of sandbags, nearly unresponsive to his bid to move.  He panicked.  This wasn’t where he’d been a moment ago.  Voices around him, hushed and quiet. Just to the right, and close.

“We have been through this,” a man said in a bored voice, “Telling anyone about his condition jeopardizes everything he has worked for. Even if he does come around, people cannot trust an Auror who—”

“If you tell me one more time what to do with my son,”  a woman hissed back.  He held his breath to hear better, craning his head slightly against the pillow.  “I’ll cut off your—” There was a gasp. Then abrupt silence. “He’s moving!” The light scuff of high heels against wood floors, the crisp clip of men's dress shoes. Then everything around him, the blankets, the bed, was jostled uncomfortably.

He caught the scent of bergamot and vanilla; the woman shifted her weight, settling beside him. He was pinned beneath the blankets.  Her fingers wrapped around his hand. He tried weakly to fight back. Couldn’t.  He slumped back against the mattress, resistance gone.

“Sweetheart?” He felt her fingers comb through his hair. “Dear, are you awake?”

With great effort, he peeled his eyes open.  Inches away, the woman's dark hair, dark eyes, worried and familiar, leaned closer.  He felt floppy as she handled him, cupped his chin, inspecting his face from various angles. 

This was his mother. He knew it, but didn’t know how. Had she said it? “…’Ma?”  It was a wavering, rasping sound.  Faint and pathetic.  He swallowed and tried again. “Ima?”  Just beyond him was a nondescript man--same hair and eyes. Vaguely familiar as well, but no name came to mind.

 “Oh, thank God.” The woman flung herself on him, arms drawing him close as she swayed.  ”Thank God…”  He relaxed against her; it was soothing, rocking like this.  They stayed that way for some time, him hearing the sound of her heart, head pressed against her chest.   He closed his eyes, feeling himself being pulled under to the silent blackness, again. When he finally opened his eyes again, he was propped up with several pillows, the crisp sheets tucked around his chin like a child. His mother was smoothing the covers, then her hair.  Finally, she wiped at her cheeks. She smiled, gazing at him hungrily, like she would never be satisfied.  “Well,” she sniffed, breaking away to pull out an iPhone. With shaking hands, she held it to her ear, casting him a nervous, encouraging smile.

“Kiva? It's Hestia and Adon." She smiled broadly at him, ear still pressed against the cellular mobile telephone. "Yes, dear; he's awake. Why don’t you bring Dree and Gabe over. Soon as you can. Alright, then. See you soon.”

She placed the iPhone down on the bedside table, pivoting  “Who?” he asked, frowning.

His mother’s smile was determined. “Dree and Akiva, dear; they’re headed over. We’re so relieved…” she leaned in, kissing his forehead.

“Good…” he said, sluggishly, venturing a timid smile. That felt right.  Dree and Akiva and their son Gabe. He looked back to the man standing just beyond his mother.  “And… who’s Adon?”

Days hadn’t felt this long since before Dreogan returned home.   

Vivid memories of waiting by the windows and staring at the mobile that didn’t light up night after night had come back fairly quickly as she waited to hear about Adon.  She didn’t understand how he’d managed to get attacked by dementors: she knew he had to have plenty of happy memories to pull from to cast a patronus. 

But, then again, there were so many things that could have happened in the course of a shift, she shouldn’t have been surprised.  It was still unreal though, and waiting and wondering hadn’t helped.  She spent as much with Gabriel as she could to occupy both of them.  There were only so many times she could read The Warlock’s Hairy Heart before her mind wandered after every third word though. 

When she finally got the call, well, it was such a relief.  As soon as she hung up, she put Gabe into his crib (he cried out after her, but she wanted to make sure he was safe) before she rushed to the office and grabbed a fresh piece of parchment off the top and dipped the quill that was always at the ready before scratching out a quick note to her husband.  Her hands shook as she folded it.  Not a perfect paper airplane, but it would do.  She addressed it to Dreogan and quickly made her way downstairs. 

She opened the tight lock box on the mantle they kept the floo powder in (as to not aggrivate Dreogan’s allergy) and took a small handful.  She threw it into the fireplace, announcing the Ministry before she let the paper glide, disappearing into the green flames. 

As soon as it was gone, she dashed up the stairs once again and grabbed Gabriel out of the crib.  His nose was still red, but Akiva wiped it with a towel on a shelf and tossed it into the hamper before quickly tugging an extra jumper (just in case) over his head and smoothing out his curls.  “We’re going to see Uncle Adon,” she cheerfully announced to Gabe who stared up at her with his wide, dark eyes.  “We have to use the floo,” she informed him as she walked down the stairs, baby on her hip. 

It hardly mattered that he didn’t know what that really was – she narrated everything to him anyway.  She lifted the lid again and grabbed a more substantial handful than before.  “Adon Eleor’s flat,” she announced as she tossed the powder.  Gabriel gasped and babbled excitedly, pointing at the fire. 

Akiva took advantage of his wonder and quickly stepped in.  The trip was quick, barely a blink as she and Gabriel appeared on the other side, stepping into the flat.  Hestia was there, as expected, and Alberic Grimm, who she supposed she should have expected – but hadn’t even considered.  “Dreogan was at work,” she explained quickly, “I sent him a note though,” she readjusted Gabriel on her hip as he pointed at his grandmother while simultaneously tugging on Akiva’s shirt.  “You want to see Ima?” she asked and he obliged by nodding. 

Never one to outwardly deny a request like that, Akiva looked at her with an obliging look and Gabe’s hands continue to outstretch toward her.  Ima was apparently much preferred to Mama, who he had seen altogether too much of in the past 48 hours.  “He’s awake now?” Kiv finally asked hopefully, “up and talking?”

"Hestia," Alberic stood at the edge of the loft, gesturing down. "Your daughter-in-law..."

"I heard you the first time," she snapped, pulling her hand away from Adon.  The touch had been both comforting and... repulsive. The body in front of her was hardly more than a body. He hadn't spoken--had only observed--didn't know his name, where he'd been, or who he was.

It wasn't her son. And now she needed to the entire family this.

It was foolish of her, foolish to call Akiva up before she was more certain.  Now she would have to turn all three away disappointed.  Hestia herself didn't know how to process the heartbreak.

"He’s awake now? Up and talking?”  Gabriel reached for her, and Akiva readied herself to make the switch.

At a total loss on how to proceed, Hestia reached out numbly for the boy.  Gabe settled himself comfortably against her, sucking on his fingers again and looking about.  He must have caught sight of something interesting; he began pointed insistently.  Hestia followed the line of Gabe's pudgy arm to Adon's kitten poised for a flying leap up to the sofa arm.  The cat made the landing silently, crossing the back of the couch towards them, eyeing them curiously.  Gabe gasped, stiffening bolt-upright.

"Bear!" he exploded, appreciatively. 

"Not now, dear," Hestia soothed, bouncing him a little. She looked to Akiva, trying to keep her face composed. "Adon's... both of those things."  He just wasn't exactly Adon.  "It's a significant improvement," she said cautiously. But that didn't take much.  As far as any of them could tell, just a few hours ago, Adon was just a shell of a human; awake but not conscience. Breathing, but not necessarily alive.  And now? Hestia's throat constricted.

"Bear!" Gabe repeated, beginning to writhe in her arms.  Hestia took a calming breath, but her grip on him tightened.

"Not now, Gabriel." She looked about for something else to occupy him, a toy maybe or someone else to take him...

It looked like Akiva and Gabe were not the only arrivals.  Alberic had sauntered into the main room. Worthless man.  Always present so he could be in the know; always useless enough to avoid looking like he cared.  Time for him to pull his weight.  Hestia sent an imploring glance towards him, shifting Gabriel away from her body a bit.  Alberic's brows knit, uncertain.

Once the request was understood, however, both Alberic and child looked at her in horrified disbelief.  Gabe shrunk as much as he could, collapsing like a limp doll at first, then frantically bucking and pulling at Hestia's sweater.  When this failed, he finally declared an insistent "Nono-no, Ima! No!"

The child was looking at her with such a scolding pout--it was clearly a reprimand.  In spite of herself, Hestia gave a little laugh.  She wouldn't even need to teach her grandson to say horrible things about Alberic.  It came innately.  "Okay, love," she said, dropping down to look the pouting toddler in the eyes.  She kissed his forehead. 

Adon's fireplace again burst into green flames; Dree was here.  She was about to greet her other son, but Gabriel was not quite done with his feelings yet. 

"Bad!" he huffed, eyeing each of the adults sulkily.  This was just the sort of thing Adon would do when he was little.  That thought made her heart hurt.

"Well, if you don't need me here, I'm going to check in on him. Ask some questions," Before Hesita could say anything, Alberic was already halfway up the narrow stairs leading to the loft. 

"I don't know where he learned that," Dreogan said, happily reaching out for his son, who appeared even happier to be saved. Or perhaps it was just that Alberic had left. "We try not to say words like that at home..." He looked in concern to Akiva, then glanced between the two women.  His mother did not look happy. Akiva had written saying Adon was awake. His smile fell. "... Did I miss something?"

Akiva had been too preoccupied upon arriving with Gabriel to notice that Hestia wasn’t as jubilant as she should have been over Adon waking up.  It was only until she accepted Gabriel that Akiva took a moment to look at her face and notice that something was off. 

Gabriel, of course, hardly noticed and immediately brought everyone’s attention to the blackish ball of fluff that was Adon’s cat – named bear, which made teaching animals quite tricky.  (“Gabriel, what’s that?” pointing at a picture of a black cat in a picture book, “Bear!”  Changing tactics, pointing to Gordon: “Gabriel, what’s that?” “Bear!”)  But, he needed a distraction from trying to touch the kitten and Akiva looked down – surprised, and somewhat embarrassed that she’d completely forgotten to grab his diaper bag to take along.  She always tried to carry a few extra things for him… That was frustrating. 

“I’m sorry, he’s being fussy,” Akiva bit her lip and looked around for something – anything that wasn’t alive and would interest Gabriel.  Unfortunately, the immediate vicinity provided nothing and Hestia’s patience with him (understandably) was not at an all time high. 

Kiv should have known better, to be honest.  After all, she’d been sitting by Adon’s bedside for who knows how long without sleeping and to pass on a toddler…

She was going to take him back when Hestia motioned for Alberic to take Gabriel.  Now, Akiva didn’t take issue with other people around her son, she tried to expose him to as many people as possible but he had never had that kind of reaction before.  It made her blanche, watching as he reared a fantastic effort against being handed off before pouting.  If Alberic Grimm did not look so relieved (if she could even say that – maybe it was just the look of abject horror had worn off), she might have apologized to him.  Instead, she looked helplessly and apologetically at Hestia who was left with an armful of huffy toddler and what appeared to be the retreat of her brother.

That would not last long, however.  It appeared Dreogan had received her note and made a hasty retreat from the office because he stepped out of the fireplace (clearly a sign of his own hurry, otherwise he wouldn’t have dared do that at all) and immediately made his way to Gabriel.  His sulk dissipated and instead, Gabriel laid his head on Dreogan’s shoulder, reaching up to run his hand over Dreogan’s jaw  - typical in the same way another child might reach for a security blanket. 

Akiva moved to his side and placed one arm around her husband’s back, the other soothingly rubbing her son’s back, “Your mum was about to explain,” she looked to him, and then hesitantly at Hestia, “you did say he was talking…”

Adon's condition could not have been worse.  To his knowledge, his little brother had, according to Alberic's best suppositions,  received a Dementor's kiss 2 days ago.  As soon as he'd heard, Dreogan'd naturally wanted to come over. No, his mother had written back. She was handling it but couldn't handle company.

Company. That's what he was.

Dreogan did managed to come visit, eventually--but had kept Akiva and Gabe away from it. From his mother's mood, and from the disturbing sight of Adon's vacant stare.

Of course, when she wrote that Adon was now awake, this changed everything. Dreogan had left work, a weight off of his chest.  No one awoke from a Dementor's kiss.  It had obviously been something else, then. A sort of stunning spell, probably.  Dark magic, sure. But curable. And, accordingly, Adon was coming to.  But here his mother was, yet again keeping them at bay, boxing them out.  It wasn't right.  Either things with Adon weren't right, or what his mother was doing was just plain wrong.

Dreogan watched, frown growing as his mother looked about. Opened her mouth several times.  Looked back at the kitchen.  Anticipating her next move, he began, "Ma, we don't need any--"

"Yes we do. I do." She looked to Akiva, intent on translating.  "Need some tea."

"Ma, you're just stalling!" Dreogan snapped, but his mother was already in Adon's kitchenette, filling up the kettle.  Giving an exasperated sigh, he looked at Akiva, tilting his head towards the kitchen as a non-verbal cue that they should follow.  "Well, explain it to us while the kettle boils, then." To this, there was a slam of metal on metal as Hestia put the kettle down with undue force.

She whipped out her wand, setting the stovetop beneath the kettle ablaze.  In his arms, Gabriel shrunk back from the sudden burst of heat a little, grabbing a fistful of Dree's shirt.  Instinctively, he kissed his son's curly mop of hair. 

"Ma, the longer you take, the worse it is," Dreogan persisted.  They had her cornered now, against the counter.  He didn't like doing this--his mother looked like a wounded animal, recoiling, hackles up.

"Well, he's talking," she repeated.  Dreogan bit back a frustrated sigh, hoping the discomfort of the silence would speed things along. "He said my name..."

Dreogan gave a sigh of relief that sounded more like a breathy laugh.  So he had been stunned. "Well that's--"

Hestia's voice cut in--sharp and hard. "He doesn't know his."  She looked at both of them.  "I don't think he knows much of anything."

"Well, if it's memory issues," Dreogan persisted. His mother shook her head.

"He's just... I... can't describe it. A mother's instinct. But it doesn't feel like him."  Hestia was near to tears.  Dreogan swallowed.  Akiva had talked about the horrible day he'd returned to them--the day in Jerusalem.  She'd mentioned one fact that had stuck with him: his mother had never cried.

There was a part of him, some small part, that felt a snap of anger.  It was a thinly veiled family secret that Adon was his mother's favorite. Adon'd insisted Dree was his father's son first and foremost. But seeing her here, crying... He felt queasy and angry and sick and scared.

And guilty for what he was about to do.  He cast pleading eyes over at Akiva, rocking Gabriel gently.  He could hand Gabriel back to Akiva so he could handle this but then...

Then he'd have to handle this.

It was a selfish thought, and he was guilty and sad and everything all at once, standing there in the kitchen, pleading silently with his wife. Fix this.

Akiva returned Dreogan’s anxious look, but she was not going to push Hestia.  It wasn’t that she could really understand how the woman was feeling, she had no idea what was going on, but uncertainty did breed a short temper.  Akiva had slammed her share of kettles to the surprise of anyone who was present at the time, and she couldn’t help but look on, dismayed.  She only had a moment to let it sink in though, before tailing behind Dree and his mother. 

She assumed a space next to her husband and put her hand on the back of his arm, hoping to steady him and catch his eye.  Her expression was all warning after he tried to to tell her what they did or didn’t need.  It wasn’t about them, of course.  Hestia needed to do something.  Anything.  Akiva could understand that feeling. 

It wasn’t as though that stopped Dreogan, however.  His efforts were rewarded:  "He doesn't know his…  I don't think he knows much of anything."


Akiva’s heart stopped in her chest for a moment. That sounded bad.  Really bad.  It was only confirmed as she noticed the unmistakable welling in Hestia’s eyes. No one enjoyed watching a parent cry and looking at Dreogan, it was obvious he was completely uncomfortable.  She saw the way his muscles tensed around their son and how he looked at her. 

Steeling herself, Akiva took a resolute breath and stepped forward.  “Here,” she soothed as she took a few steps forward, unsure with her approach, “I can handle the tea.”  A pause, “You should sit down.”  Kiv offered softly and made a small gesture toward the chairs. 

“You’ve been at this for days, you need a break,” she added with a small smile and just… you know… ever so slightly and carefully edged her way into the place before the stove so Hestia would have few choices other than sit down, unless she wanted to busy herself trying to find biscuits (if Adon even kept them).   Akiva moved with slow and measured steps to grab some mugs and find where Adon kept everything.  “Perhaps it will take some time…” she continued setting the cups in a line, “That’s been documented in muggle cases where patients wake up not knowing a thing and after exposure to pictures, heirlooms… talking with their families, and rest… memories can come back.” 

She turned back toward the three other people in the room, “We shouldn’t assume the worst.” 

Hestia wanted to handle the tea. It was the only thing she could handle right now, but instead, her son and his wife were determined to handle her.  Hestia opened her mouth to protest before deflating somewhat. Akiva Eleor. Always trying to help.  This wasn't directed at her.

"Thank you, dear," she muttered, moving over to the bar stools, where she settled down.  She watched, uncomfortably, as Akiva and Dreogan--busy with tea and Gabriel--moved about with purpose.  She smoothed the wrinkles of her skirt. Akiva was continuing, tone light with a forced sort of easiness. "We shouldn't assume the worst."  It brought to mind every acquaintance Hestia'd ever had, trying to soothe her when her husband, then her son, had gone missing.  Things had a way of working out. No news was good news. Everything happened for a reason. I'm sure he's thinking about you, too.

All the inane, meaningless, condescending comments that she was supposed to appreciate. Because they came from a good place.

"Please," Hestia snapped, hands at her temples. She gave an exasperated sigh, hands flailing out helplessly.  "Don't tell me how to think, Akiva." Uncomfortably, she folded her hands on the countertop, fingernail picking at a nick in the marble.

"I've had two days to think about this--same as you.  It's all I've thought about; I'm aware of the possibilities."  He could continue to be a vegetable.  He could slowly recover.  "And I have tried to be optimistic the past two days, even with very little reason to hope. There's no point." Her jaw set.  "Anything could happen and I am tired of hoping for things that don't happen."

"Ma!" Dreogan cut in, angrily. No one, not even his mother, could talk to his wife like that.  For a moment, mother's and son's eyes locked gazes. The stubborn family jawline becoming ever apparent.  It was a battle of wills, and, ruefully, Dreogan broke away after mere moments, sighing as he looked for any opportunity to distract his attention so the surrender was not overly blatant.  He looked about for anything to give him a moment, finally deciding to ... mop the counter with a dish cloth.

Gabe reached for the cloth and grabbed it, shaking it a little before starting to chew on the corner.  Dree didn't even stop him. In fact... Dreogan sidled up to Akiva, handed him off to her. He gave her an encouraging smile, hand on the small of her back for a moment before turning to face his mom.

She was still eyeing him with basilisk eyes. Don't freeze up now, Dree. She can sense your fear.

Dreogan cleared his throat. "Then we take it as it comes, 'ma. Just like we've been doing. We're good at waiting."  They'd waited over 15 years to find out what had happened to their father. And his family had waited the better part of a year, just this past year, for news of him.  Surely they could handle a few days. It was only a few days.  The fact that they had anything to wait for at all... For the past two days, Dreogan had been worried, or rather, nearly certain, that Adon's condition had been permanent. He'd been grieving. But Akiva was right, no matter what his mother thought.  They were still waiting, and that meant that this could still turn out better than they'd thought. They needed to keep hoping. They'd waited, perhaps, too long for his father to return.  But if Akiva had given up on Dree--if he'd come back to find she'd already moved on, it would have been a blow Dreogan didn't think he could have ever recovered from.

It had been two days. Adon needed more from them.

His mother seemed to resist this, determined to wallow. There was a fire in her eyes. Dreogan was certain she was going to lash out and say something nasty to them both, but instead, she gave a sharp, bitter laugh.  "Waiting. Yes, we certainly are."

The darkness of her tone didn't exactly make Dreogan feel better, but it was the first time they'd agreed on something this morning.  He suspected there was one more thing they could agree on. Especially Gabe.

"Uncle Alberic said he had questions for him.  Are... we just going to let him cross-examine Adon?"

Akiva's hands stilled as Hestia snapped at her.  She knew that feeling: her husband had been gone for months, their son was (for all intents and purposes) a newborn at the time.  That had been for considerably more than two days and things certainly had seemed much more bleak.  However, Akiva did believe in waiting, she believed in hope, and if she hadn't listened to Dreogan talk and hadn't spent time with his mother on more than one occasion, she might have pointed that out. 

Instead, she just left the kettle be and turned, expression neutral.  She understood her anxiety, this was her son.  Akiva couldn't imagine if anything happened to Gabriel what she might feel like.  The thought made her glance at the curly-haired toddler in his father's arms.  Perhaps Dreogan had a sense of it because he moved to her side and Gabriel extended his arms.  Akiva instantly took him and placed a firm kiss to his head. 

The conversation, as it turned out, seemed to now be completely between Hestia and Dreogan.  She had tried and sunny optimism was not accepted by the Eleor matriarch. So, she stayed out of it.  Though, she did linger in the kitchen as a support to her husband who she imagined was having a hard enough time being calm and even.  He was usually that way, but since he'd returned his patience seemed to be shorter - at least with some things. 

While the tension remained, it appeared, at least for the moment, the topic could change.  Akiva had almost forgotten Alberic was here.  Gabriel shifted uncomfortably in her arms before he settled, balling his hands into the fabric of her sweater. 

---

Sorry, this post was kind of useless.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Three visitors climbed up the stairs to the loft where he lay, one by one.  He took them in.  The first, a brunette with a sweet face; the second, a little toddler--a boy with dark, curling hair--in her arms.  She shifted uncomfortably, stepping aside to let the third come up, a shorter man with a square jaw and perpetually concerned brows.  Though the man was short, he was still a couple of inches taller than the woman--his wife.  He tucked his little family beneath the crook of his arm. Together, like a little flock, they edged forward.

Dree. Akiva. Gabe. As Ima had said. And he was Adon.

The tall man who had been talking to him, asking questions, still had not given his name.

He shifted the blanket around his shoulders uncomfortably, pulling it tighter around his neck with numb fingers. It was cold. It was very cold. The tall man had said that that was to be expected, given his condition.

He didn't know what his condition was. The tall man was to his left, hanging back by the headboard.

The three visitors--and now Ima, coming up the stairs, and a little black cat last of all--were all looking at him. Ima hung back by the stairs, hand on the rail, but the shorter m--Dree smiled warmly. He liked how that felt, and tried a smile back; but it felt unnatural. He stopped.

"Hi," he said, finally. His voice still sounded odd. Maybe using it more. "Dree. Akiva." He looked at the little boy before adding, "Gabe."

"Bear." The boy said in the same, solemn tone, attention on the little black cat which leapt up to the top of the bed, feeling at the down comforter experimentally.

He regarded it carefully. That boy was wrong. It wasn't a bear. He was sure of that. "Cat," he corrected.

It was odd, leading Dreogan up the stairs, knowing that although it was Adon that was was waiting for them.... he wasn’t the same.  He didn’t know them.  He didn’t know himself.  She’d experienced the terror of having her memory wiped, having no memory of what happened to her and at the mercy of others.  There were still things she couldn’t do.  For a reason lost to her, fried eggs still made her stomach turn. 

Without thinking about it, she was rubbing Gabriel’s back and realized she probably had been all the way up the stairs.   Stepping aside, she let Dreogan all the way up and he wrapped his arm around her.  She stook up a little taller at that and bounced Gabriel a little bit.  His feet were moving and his hands hadn’t uncurled from her jumper quite yet. 

She put on the sunny smile she always did, but it felt odd – especially seeing Adon looking so much smaller, all bundled up like that, than he normally did.  Maybe it was just the blankets wrapped up around his neck.  It didn’t help that Alberic was looming in the background.  Gabriel didn’t seem all too pleased either or he probably would have tried to clamor down and rush to his uncle. 

Whatever instict her son had for avoiding Mr. Grimm was coming in handy at the moment.  “Hello Adon,” she greeted warmly, giving a little squeeze to Gabe’s thigh.  His eyes followed the tiny cat though, and in place of a greeting, informed everyone in the room that Bear had arrived.  But… Adon didn’t know that.  Akiva’s smile faltered for a moment – it was usually her or Dreogan correcting Gabriel on his misidentification of animals.  “His name is Bear,” Akiva offered, bucking up because that was what one was supposed to do, and then turned to Gabe, who was much easier to be happy at, “Right, Gabriel?” 

”Bear,” Gabe repeated, more obstinately this time, followed quickly by ”Day-duh,” the best he could do with his Uncle’s name at this point in his life, and clearly trying to inform him that this was indeed Bear and he had to be confused. 

Adon looked intently at the happy family unit, all enfolded like a neat, little package.

He nodded to Akiva's explanation. "Okay. Bear," he said.  The kitten sniffed as it approached, forging a trail all the way to Adon's lap. Adon fumbled with it a little awkwardly, and it mewled in protest. He stopped, let it scramble off his lap and go about sniffing now at the bedside table.  Things were breaking apart. Dree, his brother, muttered "I've got to speak to him..." to his wife before peeling off from the family unit and moving over to the side to engage the tall man in a whispered conversation. His brother did not seem happy; the man was folding his arms across his chest; Dree pulled him away from the bedside by his elbow. His mother soon followed, speaking in hushed, chiding tones. They looked back, before resuming their conversation.

It felt like he shouldn't be eavesdropping. But they were most probably talking about him.  His jaw set, he shifted his legs--Bear pounced at the sudden movement--and Adon returned his attention to the remains of the family unit.

Adon hadn't responded at the time, but he definitely caught the little boy's words. Bear and dada. He met eyes with the toddler, who was looking intently at him.

He took a moment to process, shifting slightly as he did so. He frowned before looking back to the woman--Akiva--as the interpreter. "Wut."

It was sort of like being in another reality.  She knew everyone in the room, she knew the scenario, but it didn’t feel real.  Adon’s expressionless face, Dreogan voluntarily speaking to Alberic… these were all things that were plausible, but in the actual reality of their lives did not seem possible at all. 

But, now it was and while Hestia, Alberic, and Dreogan were engaged in a tense, hushed conversation it was only Akiva, Gabe, and Adon.  She walked closer to the bed, watching him handle the kitten like he’d never even handled an animal before.  It was so strange.  She approached, in the absence of anything else to do and Gabriel shifted uncomfortably on her hip as he and Adon looked at one another. 

”Wut.”

If not for the fact that it made her stomach twist a little, it would have been comical.  “He can’t say Adon,” Akiva gently explained, “Not yet, anyway.”  Gabe chirped “Day-duh!” again, as if to prove he could indeed say his uncle’s name and Akiva smoothed his hair down and placed a kiss on his forehead.  “Don’t worry,” she added with a little smile, “he’s just your nephew.” 

“Though, he can be a lot like you sometimes,” she added, glancing over to the little huddle in the room.  They were still engaged in their conversation.  Kiv would have reached in her pocket and taken out her mobile – Dreogan made sure they were all updated with the latest models – to show him photographs, but it would never work here.  Too much magic.  “Do you want me to get you anything, Adon?” she elected on forwarding his self interest and care before waxing on about how his nephew consistently reminded her and her husband of him. 

"Um..." Adon said, looking at them a moment before being distracted by the squabbling, which was currently dominated by Dreogan who was saying words like "indiscrete" and "poorly managed."

"No, you should stay," he said, trying to hide his discomfort.

In a moment, the merry trio in the corner seemed to break apart, the tall man pulling away wordlessly to plod, heavy-heeled, down the steep stairs to the main floor, a heavy air of sulking trailing after him. His mother rejoined Adon by the bed first, followed quickly by Dreogan, though neither of them looked happy.

His mother was better at covering it than his brother. "Do you need anything?"

Adon glanced briefly over at Akiva. "Uh..." he repeated. From below, he heard the heavy door click shut.

"Tea?" his mother persisted.

Adon tried to read the faces of each, to see if this was the right call. "...Yes."

His mother bustled out with renewed energy and, judging by the heavy sound of dishes moving in the kitchen moments later, perhaps with some renewed feeling.

"Um..." he managed again, looking around for a topic. There was Bear-Cat, now back on his lap somehow and trying to sniff at his face. There was Gabe. Gabe was already what they'd been talking about, and it might lighten the man--his brother's mood a little. "He can, uh... come see Bear on the bed, if he wants..."

He didn’t want her to leave.  Okay, that was fine.  She followed his line of sight to the small group of others in the room and she couldn’t blame him.  They were trying to maintain a hushed conversation, but the way the tension radiated off of them, it was like radio waves.  Nodding resolutely, she smiled a little and took another step closer to him, “I’ll do that then,” she agreed. 

They were once again joined by Hestia and Dreogan – Alberic was leaving without so much as a goodbye (not that one was needed), but Gabriel instantly relaxed in her arms.  She hadn’t realized he was still that pent up like that.  She gently rubbed his back and he rubbed her cheek.  Probably a disappointment, considering he much preferred the stubbled cheek of his father in moments like this. 

Hestia was off for tea though, and it left only the four of them.  Adon still on the bed and Gabe’s attention grabbed by the kitten again.  Adon seemed reticent, but Dreogan was still tense (she could see it) and putting on a sunny smile as she looked at Gabe.  “Would you like that, Gabriel?” she asked, “Want to go see Adon and Bear?” 

His eyes widened and he instantly started to fold over, like a wilted flower, seeking the floor.  Akiva acquiesced and put Gabriel down on the edge of the bed (tugging his shoes off before she let him go to crawl).  She held the tiny pair in her free hand, the other wrapping her arm around Dreogan’s back, rubbing a little as well.  She looked up at him concerned, “you okay?”