Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction / Yami No Matsuei Fan Fiction ❯ Black Velvet ❯ When One Door Closes ( Chapter 20 )

“What do you mean she's dying?” Crawford said. “You can work miracles, Skye. I've seen you literally bring someone back from the dead before.”

 

“I can heal wounds, Bradley,” Skye said patiently. “I can't regenerate atrophied and diseased tissue. That isn't within my capabilities. I'll do everything I can to make certain she's comfortable but I can't make her live.”

 

“Then what good are you?” Crawford snarled, shocking everyone in the room except the person the comment had been directed at. Skye simply stood and walked out of the room with all the good grace and manners she had been raised with. Only when the door had closed behind her did it register to him how stunningly out of line his comment had been. That had only been emphasized by the fact that Schuldig suddenly had a gun pointed at his head.

 

“Take your ass out there and apologize, Brad.” The usual smirk was gone and Crawford knew he was deadly serious.

 

“Don't worry about it, Schuldig. I feel like shooting myself right now,” Crawford said, moving to the door to follow Skye.

 

He found her in the backyard gazebo talking with the current Granny Po. When he got to the steps of the gazebo the older woman stood and crossed to where he stood on the bottom step and cuffed him hard on the side of the head.

 

“Ow! That hurt.”

 

“Good! It was supposed to. I should beat you black and blue, boy. You must've lost every lick of sense you had to say somethin' that stupid.”

 

“Probably,” Crawford said, rubbing the side of his head.

 

“Ceile, it's fine,” Skye said. “He's distraught and not thinking right just now.”

 

“He should be thinking right enough to remember his manners toward a lady.”

 

“She's right, Skye. There's really no excuse for what I said.”

 

“We all have our moments of insanity. Ceile, would you go help Belle make sure everyone knows the party has been canceled for tonight?”

 

“You'll be okay?”

 

Skye laughed. “Yes. I'm perfectly safe with Bradley.”

 

“Long as you're sure,” the other woman said, giving Crawford one last hard stare before walking off.

 

Crawford sat down on the steps. “She's right, Skye. There's no excuse for what I said to you. You've done so much for me and my family I can never repay you. I don't know what possessed me, I'm sorry.”

 

Skye sat down next to him. “Bradley, your sister whom you'd all presumed was dead suddenly arrived on your doorstep. After the initial flush of happiness at having her back you find out that she's likely to die in front of you. It's enough to make any normal person lose their mind much less their manners.”

 

Crawford put his head in his hands. “I shouldn't have taken anyone's word for it she was dead. I should have made certain myself.”

 

“Bradley, you were what? Twenty? No one expects to know and do everything right at that age.”

 

“As you told me, so much can change by just one small action or inaction.”

 

 

“Everyone but Schuldig, out,” Circe said weakly, her hands moving restlessly on the comforter covering her. “I need to talk to him while I still have time.”

 

Everyone else filed out of the room with Aurora and Dee pausing to give their sister a brief hug before leaving. Schuldig waited until everyone left the room before pulling a chair next to the bed and looking expectantly at Crawford's sister.

 

I know you're a telepath so I hope you don't mind communicating this way. It will help conserve my strength.

 

Works for me. What did you need to talk to me about?

 

Brad of course. I don't think you realize how much he needs you.

 

He'd be appalled to admit to needing anyone.

 

That is so like him. The fact remains that he needs you and you need him. Your destinies are linked and when you go out the front door in the next few minutes, part of your destiny will meet you. Now, if you don't mind, send me my sisters. I have a few things I have to discuss with them as well.

 

You aren't planning on kicking off before Brad gets back here, are you? I don't think he could handle that.

 

Not that I plan on.

 

Schuldig smirked at her then left the room. He met Dee in the hallway and Aurora on his way downstairs and sent them to their sister. He was wondering about what Circe had said as he went out the front door. He sat down on the porch for a moment and was mildly startled to see a young man he had never met before coming up the lawn toward the house. For some reason this person seemed very familiar. Schuldig watched as he made his way up to the porch, thinking maybe it was the way he walked or held himself that seemed so well known to him. Or maybe it was just the waist length reddish orange hair that the young man was trying desperately to keep tamed that looked so familiar.

 

“Sorry to bother you,” the young man said upon reaching him. “But have you seen two younger teenage boys, they're twins and a little girl?”

 

“Not since I came outside but that doesn't mean they aren't around here somewhere. I'll help you look for them.”

 

“Thank you. They're my brothers and sister. I can't imagine how they got by me,” the young man said.

 

“Kids do that.”

 

 

“Is that her?” the girl asked, leaning forward from her perch in the huge old cypress tree to get a better look in the gathering darkness.

 

The two teenage boys standing at the foot of the tree nodded.

 

“She's beautiful! Think she'd want me too?”

 

“There's no guarantee she'll want us,” one of the boys said.

 

“I think she will,” the little girl said. “She seems nice.”

 

“We'll see,” the other boy said. “Who's that talking to her?”

 

The little girl squealed and quickly covered her mouth with both hands, looking at the boys in horror.

 

“Oh, we are so busted.”

 

 

“Bradley, did you hear that?” Skye asked.

 

“Yes. I think it came from over there,” he said, already moving off of the steps and toward where they had heard the noise.

 

 

“Hunter, Gun, I'm stuck!” the little girl said, panicking.

 

“Just phase out,” Hunter said.

 

“I can't. There's too much magick. It's why we had to phase in outside of the grounds and walk up here.”

 

“She has a point there,” Gun said.

 

“We'll get in so much trouble if Takara and Gwynedd find out.”

 

Hunter snorted while trying to pry his sister loose from the tree branch. “Taka has a lot of room to talk considering where we found her the other day.”

 

“She was across the street from the compound,” Gun supplied at his sister's curious look.

 

“Damn, she's really stuck. Gun, gimme a boost so I can see what's got her.”

 

“I know what's holding her,” Crawford said from behind Hunter. The boy jumped and looked around guiltily at the much taller man.

 

“We're beyond busted,” Hunter said.

 

“If you mean you've been found lurking where you probably aren't supposed to be, then you are definitely busted,” Crawford said, reaching up and detaching the sharp twigs holding the little girl's skirt. “My sister always got stuck in this tree like that. I can't count how many times I had to get her down.” He lifted her down and she wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

 

“Thanks!”

 

“Not a problem,” Crawford said, turning to really look at the little girl. His heart seemed to stop for a moment.

 

“What?” she asked.

 

“Odd. You look just like my sister when she was your age.”

 

“Really? What's her name?”

 

“Her name was . . . is Circe.”

 

“Is that what you'd name me?” the little girl asked very seriously.

 

Crawford looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. “I think I probably would.”

 

The little girl squealed and hugged him tighter. He shot a puzzled look at Skye who shrugged.

 

Both boys were looking from their sister and Crawford to Skye in something akin to awe.

 

“Obviously you three know you aren't supposed to be here,” Skye said. “Do you live nearby?”

 

“Not exactly,” Hunter mumbled.

 

“Do you want us to get your parents?” Crawford asked.

 

Without warning Gun threw himself into Skye's arms. She gave Crawford a bewildered look over the top of the boy's head, which he returned. Just as abruptly as he had hugged her he released her then dashed off into the trees.

 

“Gun! Damn it! Stupid ass,” Hunter said, taking off after his twin, still cursing.

 

“The kid was a sailor in a past life,” Crawford remarked dryly.

 

“I'd better go find them, Bradley. The swamps are no place for children after dark,” Skye said.

 

“I agree,” Crawford said. “At least not for children who weren't raised here. I'll keep this little one company until you get back.”

 

Skye nodded then headed in the direction the boys had gone.