Aron's Apartment

[Lazey Winde]

Liadan nodded and made her way up the stairs.

Yehudit was calming down now and reached a hand out to Aron.

[Muffin Puffin]

Aron took Yehudit's small hand and brought it to his lips to kiss. "Would you like me to carry her?" he offered as he followed her up the stairs.

[Lazey Winde]

Liadan smiled slightly. She gently handed Yehudit to Aron. When they
reached Aron's old apartment Liadan tried the door.

[Muffin Puffin]

Aron snuggled Yehudit close as the door opened for Lia He smiled, his rooms were the same as when he had left.

[Lazey Winde]

Liadan stepped inside. It hadn't changed much. She looked for a good
place to settle Yehudit in.

[Muffin Puffin]

Aron used his foot to hook out a dresser drawer that still had clothes lining it. It was the bottom drawer so it would be safe. He settled Yehudit in it and covered her up.

On Wed, May 21, 2008 at 10:56 PM, Lazey Winde <lazey...@gmail.com> wrote:

Liadan stepped inside. It hadn't changed much. She looked for a good
place to settle Yehudit in.

--
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[Lazey Winde]

Liadan sat on the floor beside Yehudit's make-shift crib.

"You make a good father."

[Muffin Puffin]

"I try my best," Aron assured her, sitting down across from her. "None of us are ever prepared for parenthood, we just do the best we can."

[Lazey Winde]

"I hope you have more children someday." Liadan said, watching Yehudit.

On 5/21/08, Muffin Puffin <muffinpuf...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Muffin Puffin]

"We will, Lia. When we're ready, we'll go to the orphanage and find another child or two to love."

[Lazey Winde]

Liadan nodded. "Yes... There's always that."

On 5/21/08, Muffin Puffin <muffinpuf...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Muffin Puffin]

"What other ideas do you have?" Aron asked, wanting to hear what was on her mind.

[Lazey Winde]

Liadan blushed bright red and looked across the room to the window.
She changed the subject.

"I get so worried when you get angry and go off."

On 5/21/08, Muffin Puffin <muffinpuf...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Muffin Puffin]

"I think walking away and cooling down is better than fighting. Don't you agree? It's better for all three of us."

[Lazey Winde]

"I keep thinking you've gotten sick of me and are leaving me. You
can't have much patience left." Liadan said.

[Muffin Puffin]

"I have all the patience in the world for you, Liadan Buckley," he husband assured her. "I love you."

[Lazey Winde]

"I must be trying your patience to the end." Liadan said, sheepishly
peering at Aron.

[Muffin Puffin]

"Not at all," Aron assured her. "I know there's a lot going on inside your mind. You need your space."

[Lazey Winde]

Liadan shrugged. "I wish I knew where to find you."

[Muffin Puffin]

"I usually walk out to Brie's old place. I feel at home there even though I miss Keegan terribly. I miss having a really good friend."\

[Lazey Winde]

"I miss having Brie around." Liadan said. "She's been gone so long...
She's doesn't even know about Yehudit."

[Muffin Puffin]

"On one hand, I don't understand why she left, but on the other I do." Aron sighed. "I don't know, knowing about Yehudit might have really hurt Brie. You know after that guy tried to kill her that Ertzel said she was unable to have children."

[Lazey Winde]

"And she lost Eden too." Liadan sighed, "I hope wherever she has gone
she's found a good guy and maybe adopted some kids."

[Muffin Puffin]

"That would be nice, wouldn't it? Brie would be a good mother."

On Thu, May 22, 2008 at 1:02 AM, Lazey Winde <lazey...@gmail.com> wrote:

"And she lost Eden too." Liadan sighed, "I hope wherever she has gone
she's found a good guy and maybe adopted some kids."

[Lazey Winde]

"She's good with children." Liadan agreed.

On 5/22/08, Muffin Puffin <muffinpuf...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Muffin Puffin]

Aron nodded, "She has a good heart. But we've gone off topic," he
said, tweaking her nose.

[Lazey Winde]

"You were willing enough to go off topic." Liadan twitched her nose. She stroked Yehudi's head. "I think she's after her."

[Muffin Puffin]

"All the more reason for us to go on our trip, where she can't find Yehudit," Aron whispered.

[Lazey Winde]

"She might follow us, or still be here when we come back." Liadan said. "She was talking about Molech again... and said he had a claim on Tegau too."

[Muffin Puffin]

Aron paled. "I don't know how to fight this. Do you?"

[Lazey Winde]

Liadan shook her head and wished that her life could be more simple.

"I'd like to just kill Galina and get this over with."

[Muffin Puffin]

"I don't know that killing her would stop anything, if this Molech is involved. Or even that she can be killed."

[Lazey Winde]

"She's a horrible, venomous sotah." Liadan said angrily. "She has no right to mess with people's lives this way. She won't just let people be happy."

[Muffin Puffin]

"She doesn't understand happiness. And she fears what she can't understand," Aron said, agreeing with her.

[Lazey Winde]

Yehudit started to fuss so Liadan picked her up and cradled her.
"Do you think Galina might've... been behind what happened to me?"

[Muffin Puffin]

Aron nodded. "It wouldn't surprise me at all, Cupcake. She is just evil enough to not care what happens to other women by her deeds."

[Lazey Winde]

Liadan shuddered.

"We have to find her and figure out a way to stop her."

[Muffin Puffin]

"Perhaps we should go visit with Brother Osbert. After all, we are dealing with pure evil."

[Lazey Winde]

"It can't hurt." Liadan admitted and caught Yehudit sucking on her shirt. "Uh, she's hungry."

[Muffin Puffin]

Aron stood, "I'll go down to Papa's office and make some notes. Meet me down there?"

[Lazey Winde]

Liadan looked down at Yehudit. She still did not want to be alone. Damn Galina for making what should be simply family things awkward.

[Muffin Puffin]

Aron paused at the door. "You know, if you prefer, I can go in the bedroom to make my list."

[Lazey Winde]

"That would be good." Liadan replied, brightening up a little.

[Muffin Puffin]

Aron smiled and headed past her, pausing long enough to kiss her on the top of the head before disappearing into the bedroom.

[Lazey Winde]

Liadan watched Aron go into the bedroom and wished again that her life had been more simple. She sat up against the wall and started feeding Yehudit.

[Muffin Puffin]

Aron settled down at his desk and started writing out questions for Brother Osbert. Although hopefully the kindly brother would answer the first and make the rest pointless.

[Lazey Winde]

After the baby had been fed and burped, Liadan put her back in the drawer. She went over to the doorway of Aron's bedroom and peered in at him.

[Muffin Puffin]

Aron was lost in thought as he scribbled notes, questions, and ideas on the parchment.

[Lazey Winde]

Liadan came up behind Aron and touched his shoulder.

[Muffin Puffin]

Aron turned slightly and touched her elbow, his eyes smiling at her.

Aislyn took the back stairs and rounded the hallway to Aron's apartment where she pounded on the door.

[Lazey Winde]

Liadan smiled back at Aron, and was about to kiss him when she heard pounding on the door. Alarmed, Liadan ran to Yehudit and picked her up. Whoever it was pounding on the door, Liadan was ready to defend her baby with her life.

"Get lost sotah and sotah scum!" Liadan shouted challengingly.

[Muffin Puffin]

Aislyn gasped softly. "I need Aron!" she called out.

[Lazey Winde]

Liadan blinked. Oh. Aislyn was not a sotah. She went to the door and balanced Yehudit on one hip to open the door.

"What's wrong Ais?"

[Muffin Puffin]

Aislyn rushed in, her eyes filled with fear. "Nelek...he's in trouble. Two men in the dining room...they...were..." she looked down at the floor. "Nelek sent me to the kitchen and he went out to fight them. But there are two of them and only one of him."

[Lazey Winde]

Liadan refrained from swearing only because of Yehudit. She put the baby in Aislyn's arms.

"Aron!"

[Muffin Puffin]

Aislyn accepted the baby and cuddled her close, letting her sweetness calm her.

"Yes, Cupcake?" Aron called out, standing at the bedroom door.

[Lazey Winde]

"C'mon, Nelek's gotten himself in trouble." Liadan said, already barreling out the door.

[Muffin Puffin]

'Gosh, what's he done now?" Aron asked, running after her. Aislyn stood once they were gone and locked the door behind them, then headed into Aron's bedroom where there were no windows.

[Lazey Winde]

"He managed to get into a fight against two guys. I wonder what started it." Liadan said as they neared the lobby.

[Muffin Puffin]

"It had to be something big if Nelek chose to fight," Aron said thoughtfully. "They had to have done something to Aislyn. It's the only thing I can think of."

[Lazey Winde]

"I'll kill the momzers!" Liadan burst through the door.

[Muffin Puffin]

"You're going to have...." Aron stared. "He's standing out here all alone."