the_chappy | (no subject)

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With a frown, and too impatient to look for the pot holder, Ryan uses two paper napkins to lift the pot over to the sink.

Paper napkins, however, are poor protection from the heat. Something Ryan learns as it becomes more and more uncomfortable to hold the pot. Teeth clenched, he mutters, "Fucker."

The steam was not helping matters.

The spaghetti drained he, quickly returns the pot to the stove and, just as quickly, returns to the sink to run his hands under the cool water. No blisters or burns, just a slight sting.

Drying his hands, he wonders if he should call David in to wash up before dinner or if he should wait till Elaine got back. He hadn't seen her when he went into the bar but he hadn't looked for long.

He decides to give David a few more minutes outside and returns to the stove to get dinner ready.

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Elaine come in from the outside. Her hair is slightly singed, and her knuckles are bruised up a little. She kind of looks like she's been in a rodeo and was kicked off more than once.

But she looks oddly pleased with herself.

"I'm home," she calls sheepishly.

Chewing on a piece of garlic bread, Ryan puts the other pieces into a bowl. He takes the bread and salad bowls to the table, holding his piece of garlic bread in his mouth.

It's a lucky thing he's set the bowls down just before she enters. Luckier still that he has the presence of mind to take the bread out of his mouth before his jaw drops.

"My God!" Ryan rushes over to her. "What happened!"

"Got in a fight. There were some weird creatures out by the lake, and...I went to help."

She smiles, just a little. She's exausted but at least she was able to help. And she's still got a little adrenaline kicking around in her system.

"We won, though." Elaine begins unbuckling the sword belt. And winces. "I think I pulled something."

"What?! You we--" The words die on his lips and he sighs. One arm around her he guides her over to a chair. "You should sit. Are you hurt?"

She lets him guide her over and sits. "No, not hurt, just...never been in a fight before and I know I pulled something." She sits back. "I'm all right, really. There were several other people there, so I wasn't alone."

He pulls another chair over and sits down. "What did you pull? How did you get into this fight?" His tone is worried but tinged with annoyance.

"Oh, just a muscle at my side," she says, a little carelessly. "And I was practicing out there when I saw some people heading out--I went to see what was going on, and then it was rather too late for me to do anything else but fight."

She can hear the annoyance, but isn't responding to it at the moment.

Ryan looks at her as if he doesn't believe her. He's about to ask if she's sure she's not right when that last sentence catches his attention.

"You could have walked away. Went to get Security."

Elaine pauses.

"I suppose I could have, yes. I guess I just wanted to help."

It's the only excuse she has, really.

Well.

Ryan has no argument for that.

He sighs, anger gone, only the concern left. "Are you hungry? Should I run you a bath?"

"I'm starving, actually. And...I'll just clean up for dinner, and have a bath later."

She leans over and kisses his cheek. "I'm fine, really."

"All right," he says, leaning in slightly so she doesn't have to move so far.

He pauses like that for a moment, looking at her. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she says, touching his face.

She knows she worries him sometimes. She doesn't like to worry him.

But she doesn't want to lose what she has here, either. And she'll fight for that, if for nothing else.

He covers her hand with his, wincing at the swollen knuckles. Bringing her hand to his lips, he kisses it softly. "So you won, huh?"

She smiles at him when he kisses her hand. "Yes. I got rid of two of them. There were...seven, I think. They are called Hollows. Spirit-beings."

She shakes her head. "As strange a threat to the bar as ever I've heard."

"A Hollow?" he repeats, eyebrows furrowing. Her helping made more sense if they were supernatural creatures. She had abilities that could help.

"I'll call David in and set the table. You go wash up."

She smiles. "All right."

She doesn't show how much she's hurting as she pulls herself up from the chair. She heads into the bedroom, where she finds clean clothing ad heads into the bathroom to wash.

After combing carefully through the tangles in her hair, washing her face and hands, and putting on fresh clothing, she looks much better.

Ryan watches her go, resisting the urge to hover over her.

Instead he finishes setting the table and calls David inside, telling him to wash-up at the kitchen sink.

Elaine comes out of the bathroom, tousling David's hair as she passes him, and goes over to help Ryan bring the food out.

This is her family. She has extended bits of it, but this is her family, the one she chose for herself.

It's worth the fight, she thinks.

The food is ready, the table is set and everyone is here. Dinner is pleasant and Ryan's rather proud of how the meal turned out.

David, in an unusually talkative mood today, makes up the bulk of the dinner conversation discussing everything he saw by the lake. Particularly the bugs.

Throughout the dinner, Ryan watches his wife, wondering how she's feeling.

Elaine smiles at David's talk; he's just so curious about everything, and she loves that about him.

Towards the end of dinner, Elaine looks up and catches Ryan's eye, smiling at him.

Ryan smiles back. He's relieved that Elaine seems to be doing all right though he's still no less worried.

After dinner, David goes back outside, wanting to catch a few fireflies as dusk falls. Instead of clearing off the tables, Ryan pours himself another glass of wine. "Do you want some more?"

Elaine nods. "Yes, please," and holds out her glass to be filled.

Her muscles feel tired and stressed, but she smiles anyway, just liking the fact that she's home and now it's safe for David to play outside.

He obliges.

"How are you feeling?" Ryan asks as he sits back down.

"I'm well. Achy and tired. I'll be worse tomorrow, I'm sure."

She smiles softly, and reaches over for his hand.

Mindful of the bruises, he gently takes her hand. Nodding, he tells her, "I'll ask the bar for some things to help with that."

Beyond the first aid kit, they didn't have much more than asprin.

She nods. "I really didn't want to worry you, Ryan. You know I never want to do that."

With all the worries over Chris and other things, she doesn't want to cause him more problems.

"I know," he sighs. It's almost an exasperated sigh. He doesn't want her to feel like she has to explain, even if he did ask questions.

"I understand why you did what you did and I can't argue with that." Though he almost wants to. "It just...scares me to think of you in danger."

She sighs, as well. "I know. And I'd feel the same in your shoes, and have."

She worried every moment while he was out of the bar getting those things for the cure for that horrible illness a few months back.

He doesn't make the connection immediately but, when he does, he nods. "I'm glad you're all right."

"So am I, believe me."

She sips her wine and sinks into her chair a little bit.

His hand brushes her knee. "Do you want a foot rub?"

She smiles. "That sounds lovely, Ryan."

Her feet are good to start with.

He pull both her feet into his lap, his touch slow at first. "So, who else was in the fight?"

"Peter Venkman, Obi-Wan Kenobi, a boy called Danny, a woman named Rhiannon, and the one who explained what the creatures were...his name was Ichigo."

Elaine begins to relax as he rubs her feet, closing her eyes for a long moment.

"Obi-Wan..." Ryan repeats to himself. "Did he have his lightsaber with him?"

"Well, that sounds like an apt name for a sword that shines like lightning." She grins.

He nods at this, still a little amazed. Sometimes, he thinks he might never get used to this place.

"What happened to these Hollow beings you were fighting?"

"Well, we had to get their heads--but they're really quite big. But once we'd damaged them enough, they just...faded away into nothing. Very strange."

But then, there were a lot of things that were very strange, and this was just the latest.

"Everything about this place is."

His thumbs push a little deeper into the soles of her feet, kneading out the tight muscles. "Does Security know about them?"

"I'm sure they do, but I didn't think to ask. I'll make sure of it."

She sighs as he works at a particularly tight spot. Her eyes drift closed again, and then they open.

Ryan nods, not quite listening, instead watching as relief washes over Elaine's face.

"Ok."

She could have him do this all night. But his fingers would get tired.

"I'm glad I'm home," she sighs softly.

Smiling, he tells her, "So am I."

"I think I need that bath now. Even if I don't want you to stop doing what you're doing."

She grins at him.

"All right," he says, stilling his movements. "Do you want me to run one for you?"

"Only if I come with you while you do," she says, putting her feet on the floor.

He stands, extending a hand to her. "That sounds fair."

The dishes can wait.

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