[Action]

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

[Since Laguna picked her up from Evil Forest, Raine has been asleep. Asleep for days. Even with being force fed healing spring water, she's still been exhausted and close enough to death's door to have earned a nervous vigil the family and a doctor. The doctor's been pretty non-committal about how the new mother is holding up, having heard her previous history.

But after sleeping for five days solid, it seems the spring water's worked its magic, because Raine is finally stirring.

She sits up in bed, startled, because she doesn't recognize it at all. She's just groggy enough to believe that the whole episode in the forest was an elaborate dream and she's just been moved somewhere else in her little village.]

Ellone? Where are you? Do you have the baby?

Comments

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

Just like we wanted.

[It was a shared desire they'd had, to have their family all together. Raine smiles at that. Adopted or not, Raine considers Ellone hers, just as much as her newborn. Who isn't a newborn anymore.]

I still don't understand how all of this is even possible.

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

[Elle offers a smile at that, though it's small. She considers Raine to be her mother.]

I don't, either, but... I'm not going to complain. I'm happy you're here. And I know Uncle Laguna is, too.

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

[Watching Ellone so subdued is painful and Raine wishes she were little again so she could pull her into her lap and stroke her hair.

Mention of Laguna banishes those wistful thoughts and her face lights up.]

I've missed him so much.

[Even Ellone wouldn't have any idea of the depth of how much Raine longed for him to come home, since she tried to maintain a brave face and just grumble about him taking forever. Once she arrived back in Winhill.]

He sure took his time getting to me. Here I am sitting in the middle of a forest with a wet backside from waking up in a stump, after giving birth to his son. And he comes waltzing in on his own schedule.

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

[And here's a hint of the fiery young child she once was as her expression tugs downward into a slightly disapproving frown.]

Don't be so hard on him... Traveling in this world isn't nearly as easy as it was back home, especially in Esthar. All we have are the airships and seaships. Sometimes one or the other won't work. He got you as soon as he could.

[And then she seems to realize she's lecturing her mother and falls silent for a second.]

I missed you, too. It's been... long and hard without you... both of you.

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

[Ellone's response to her own nagging pulls a faint smile from her. There's some of the spirit she remembered. Still...]

I'm so sorry. I... didn't want to leave you alone.

[Remembering it was the townsfolk that even sent the children away, Raine's anger renews.]

How dare they?!

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

I don't blame you for it... either of you.

[The harsh cry makes her start in surprise, though.]

How dare who?

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

The villagers. They had no business sending you children away like that, not telling Laguna anything.

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

Oh... [Yes, she's not happy, either.]

I think it was for the best, though.

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

Well I don't. It's terrible!

[Raine lets out an irritated sigh, then decides grumbling about people she can't get her hands on at the moment is counterproductive.]

Tell me more? About you? And your brother? I've missed so much.

[That admission is killing her, almost as badly as the realization that she won't get the pleasure of holding her newborn again.]

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

[okay she can't help it. She scoots forward a little and tries to place a hand on Raine's.]

I would have been in much more trouble had I stayed. They... did me a favor, even if they didn't know it.

[It's so hard to talk about, but if anyone deserves to know, it's Raine.]

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

What do you mean?

[Because there is no way that Raine can be convinced that tearing apart her family was a good thing.]

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

[Her hand retracts now.]

If I had stayed, the sorceresses would have found me sooner and Matron wouldn't have been able to protect me. But she knew me from the Orphanage. She was able to send me away again so she could protect me, so she could distract Sorceress Ultimecia.

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

Sorceress?! I thought Laguna said he was taking care of her?

[If she sounds snappish, it's only because she cares and she's worried. And it's pretty obvious from her reaction that she considers a sorceress to be the embodiment of evil.

Probably doesn't help that Adel kept having Winhill raided and Ellone kidnapped.

Frantic, worried mother is in protective mode now.]

What happened?

[prez-leg-cramp.livejournal.com]

Hhnnnngghhbwuh?



Elloooooone. Why didn't you wake me when your mom woke up?!

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

[Ellone hadn't been paying attention... until right then. She blinks in surprise. Whoops. A little of that childlike shame comes to her face.]

I... forgot. I wasn't sure I'd heard right.

[She's completely distracted from Raine's questions now.]

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

[Blink.

There's a Laguna popping up beside the bed and Raine's taken by surprise.]

Were you there the whole time?

[Seems she's forgotten about her questions for the time being too. That and having her family back together, even with the changes in age, is a happy thing.

She puts a hand on Laguna's head and beams with delight that he's so close. Both of them.]

[prez-leg-cramp.livejournal.com]

Yes, I was. You took the only bed in the room and there isn't enough room for two.



'Sides, the floor isn't that bad. Better than the ground outside.

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

[She's starting to feel a little intrusive and shifts as though she wants to leave the room.]

...I think I dropped my glass of water when I came in...

[Besides, they need a chance to talk without interruption, too.]

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

[Raine shifts like she's going to get up. Moving's more tiring than she cares to admit to.

Still not turning lose of the hubby's hand though. She quite likes that.]

I can go get it.

[prez-leg-cramp.livejournal.com]

Sit.

[winhillstime.livejournal.com]

[Her response comes at the same time as Laguna's. Elle's the one who gets up.]

No. No no no. It's okay. I'll get it. I don't mind.

[Offering a smile, she walks to the door and slips out to pick up her glass and cleanup the water. It's mostly dry already but... she wants to give them a little time.]

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

[Annoyed face. Raine is making it. She loves her family, but being treated like she's frail rubs her independent nature the wrong way.]

For Hyne's sake, I just had a baby. I'm not an invalid!

[prez-leg-cramp.livejournal.com]

No, but you just had a baby! That calls for resting! Besides, you're tired, I can tell.

Totally.

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

[Sigh.

He's right, but Raine isn't about to admit it. Closest she comes is slumping back against the pillows.

After a moment of continued frown, she lets it go and uses her free hand to brush at the gray streaks in Laguna's hair.]

I won't be as bad as you were about resting.

[prez-leg-cramp.livejournal.com]

Please, you're worse than me.



As you said, I complained and whined all the time about the pain. That isn't not resting. So c'mon, chin up. You're stronger than me but that doesn't mean you can't not rest.

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

I hate feeling helpless.

[A tiny huff of air, then she finally softens into a smile. She scoots over too to make more room for Laguna.]

I'll rest. Don't worry.