Morningstar Manor

Ang had been feeling fine all day, and now, settled happily in the bath was soaking away another of those annoyingly niggly back aches she’d been having for over a week. It really did work, the warm to almost hot water soothed, the lavender oil calmed, and the soft strains of Vivaldi’s four seasons kept the baby from kicking too much. Perfectly relaxing and she sighed happily as she sank a little deeper into the water. The only downside was needing help to get out of the bath, in case she slipped of course, but even then, nothing compared to a sleepy Ang waddling to bed with a sleepy baby not kicking her crazy and actually getting some sleep!!! Now there was a thing.

She was just starting to sit up again when her back twinged a little, and she stopped to ease it again, closing her eyes and slowly sliding back downwards. Holding on to the sides of the bath she was definitely feeling sleepy when something else happened. Her womb clenched, almost like, no, just like a contraction. But Ang didn’t worry, she’d been having Braxton Hicks for over a week, and the midwife had told her just this morning that the baby wasn’t ready to come out yet and to stop worrying... she still had several weeks to go and to go home and rest. A few minutes later she had another contraction, stronger, and longer lasting, but she put that down to Braxtons too.... she even added more hot water to the bath, because the water looked funny and was getting cooler. It never even dawned on her that her waters had broken, and that this was it. She was too relaxed, and too comfortable to move just yet.

Leaving Gavin sleepy-eyed and moments away from sleep after reading through the story book for the third time, Alec knocked gently on the bathroom door and poked his head in. “Pruney yet?” he teased.

( Then something good happened. )

Ang was stuck, not major stuck stuck, but, having finished her crossword puzzle, and needing to get up and move around, she suddenly found herself stuck in her favourite armchair. Worse, with Gavin down for a nap, and Alec in his office down the hall, she was on her own. Which wouldn't have been too bad, except the baby was busy tap dancing on her her internal organs, doing somersaults and generally making Ang feel rather nauseous. After a few minutes of struggling, and it was a struggle, she was due in about six weeks so was the size of the average small house now, she had to give in. Please god she didn't wake Gavin up...

"Alec?" Even to her own ears it sounded plaintive and whiny, "I need a bit of help here?"

There had been shopping earlier, and Alec was confident it had gone well.

Gavin was currently racing - as fast his chubby little legs would carry him - around and around the lawn, chasing Faith and laughing uproariously in time to the little ghost stuffie he clenched tightly in one little hand. Every time the wee tyke squeezed a might too hard the cheerily grinning ghost lit up and shook and shimmied to the "Monster Mash."

Ang would probably kill him later, and make sure the toy disappeared the instant Gavin went to bed, but right now, his son's face made it totally worth it.

Ang had done one of her favourite dinners, good old fashioned Sunday Roast. A beef joint, potatoes, Yorkshire Puddings, vegetables, gravy, horseradish sauce, and of course, for dessert an apple pie of her own bake, with ice cream and custard. She couldn't eat like this much longer though, and it was probably not something Alec hadn't already worked out, but, she did wait until dishing up dessert, even giving Gavin a little piece of pie with ice cream.

"So, er, you know you said about when Gavin was walking? We could, oh, do you want custard with that Gavin?" Ang poured a spoonful into his bowl. "Alec? Custard?"

Icene was on edge, many of the people in the department figured the butcher had finished, but, there was a part of Icene's mind that said that was not the case. So instead of letting them get to her at work, she came home and punched the bag, lifted weights, ran and rowed, and generally worked herself into exhaustion before going back to either hers or Adam's apartments to shower before dinner. Tonight was no different really, she just, wasn't feeling it quite so much, and even though the workout had been intense, and she was now stretching out, she still couldn't put her finger on what was wrong. But something was, something very bad was very wrong.

The door opened behind her and she rolled, twisting as she did so to come up facing the door, nobody was going to sneak up behind her today!

The night before Ang had packed the suitcases, all three of them, and two flight bags. This morning she'd taken Gavin to the park to wear him out, then this afternoon while Alec had Gavin she'd napped briefly before they had to leave. Now though they were loading the taxi with the cases, and heading for their evening flight. A tactical decision on Ang's part, she felt they'd arrive feeling better if they'd slept on the night flight.

It had been a little tense, Ang being convinced she'd forgotten something important, but Alec had all the paperwork, so in the end she'd had to give up looking for whatever it was (and it was truly nothing, since she'd ticked everything off on her checklist) and get in the lift with Gavin and his stroller, her flight bag and a suitcase, while Alec brought the other cases and his flight bag. Seriously, travelling with small children was a nightmare! However, the taxi ride had excited Gavin, and seeing the airplanes had pepped him up again, until they boarded and settled down, Ang's indulgence in Business Class doing them a favour and giving them a row to themselves.

It wasn't until the plane actually took off though that Gavin fell asleep, and only then did Ang begin to really relax, only to worry about Julie and everything else, until she too dozed off. Alec made sure they were both covered up with blankets, and then went back to staring out of the window into the darkness, and kept his worries to himself.

It had been a good practice, the team was looking the best it ever had, thanks in large part to young Devon. It was still early in the season, but Alec was certain the scouts would be out to see that boy. Perhaps even, if they were lucky, the Yankees.

Smirking happily, Alec dropped his gear in his office and headed into the kitchen to start something for dinner - he wasn't sure where Ang was, but no doubt she'd be about soon - making a mental note as he studied the contents of the freezer to check just who the Yankees would be sending out scouting this year.
( Read more... )

Last night, on the way back from his workshop, he had heard familiar acccents, had accosted them and had been welcomed to a shebeen over on Ferry Road. It had been a grand and gaudy night with much drink taken, craic spoken and music played.

Now he had a head like a foundry and a belly desperately in need of food. Mocha coffee and cookies would have to do.

He joined the queue and stood quietly suffering as the line shortened.

Round two in the basements for Jazz. This time though she'd brought food with her and when she needed a break she perched on an overstuffed ottoman (a survivor of the first purge) and propped her feet up on a box of clothes as she bit into an apple.

~.~

While Ang gave Gavin his nightly bath, Alec took Faith for a long walk around the block that ended with a stop in the Mocha for a coffee for him and an oatmeal cookie for her. While the dog gleefully enjoyed her snack under the table, Alec sipped his coffee and quietly perused the classifieds in the paper someone had left behind. Ang said they'd be okay, but it still made him feel nervous, neither of them working, like he was tempting fate somehow.

~.~

Joe was beginning to suspect the librarian liked him. You know, as much as the dead could like anything. More often when he stopped in to do a bit of reading, as he was now, he would see her, moving slow and silent just out of the corner of his eye. Perhaps because he too was careful and quiet she felt a sort of ghostly kinship?

~.~

Setting his grocery bags down at his feet, fish tonight - he'd been craving grilled fish for ages it felt like, Adam popped open his mailbox and started the ritual sorting dance. Junk in the trash, keepers under his arm, bills...hover over the trash then reluctantly stuff them under his arm with the rest of the keepers.


((OOC: I'd love to play if someone wants to, but if not, consider it a 'Yes! My pups are still about!' type post.))

However uncertain or uncomfortable things could be between them, one thing Alec and Ang could agree on was the importance of family. This would be Gavin's first Christmas, and Emma was expecting the big family meal, they couldn't disappoint.

And, honestly, he had to admit, by the time they were all seated around the big table and the food was being dished out he could almost imagine that it wasn't all for show. It felt, truthfully, the way it should have, the way it had before.

Ang had worked hard to keep everything under control, while feeling fairly stressed and miserable at the same time. Now of course with the meat and Yorkshire Puddings plated up, and a very small plate done for Gavin, all cut up of course, she was quietly hopeful that today would go off without a hitch. Well, at least until she pulled out the Apple Pie anyway. She'd kind of decided to tell Alec and Emma the er, news over dessert. It seemed kinder that way, to not spoil the meal?

( Read more... )

Standing in the mailroom Jazz sorted through her mail, whistling the 12 Days of Christmas under her breath. With the job from Nine finished and, more importantly, having finally been able to spend some time with Tom things were starting to - dare she even think it - look up.

Oh, look! Birthday cards!

Grinning she tucked the rest of her mail under arm and flicked the card open.

~.~

Down in the laundry room Adam was sorting his whites from his colors, singing We Wish You A Merry Christmas softly to himself. As he moved about his sweater, one of his mother's patented bad choices and adorned with dozens of tiny sleigh bells, jingled along festively.

~.~

In the Mocha Alec wasn't crooning Christmas carols, but he was smiling in a bemused sort of fashion as he supervised Gavin, who was currently having just as much fun smearing the cookie Alec had gotten him all over his face as he was actually eating it. Luckily, Alec had a stack of napkins ready for the cleanup so he was, for the time being, content to let the boy enjoy himself.

Ang had been settling Gavin down to sleep, rocking him gently in the nursery, crooning a lullaby a she half dozed herself, mind wandering from Thanksgiving to Christmas, and on through the future she would love to see come to pass.

Alec appeared in the doorway, face tense. "Ang? That was Andy on the phone, something happened at the gallery. We need to get down to Saint Martin's, Emma's there.

"What?" Ang looked up, still half lost in her daydreams, "But, she was at work, surely Emma should be safe there? How on earth did she manage that?"

( Read more... )

Waiting in the morning queue in the Mocha, Jazz shuffled idly through the deck of cards that had come with the costume she'd selected to go along with Michaels Bros. Halloween theme this year. She remembered her mother had had similar set, and she'd seen Senor Manny with a like deck, but to her there might as well have been Chinese algebra written on their slick surfaces for all she understood about them. Really they were just meant to sit in a pouch on her belt for decoration.

~.~

Out in the garden Alec wasn't in costume, but Faith was. She streaked across the grass, chasing pigeons, a short, bright blue cape streaming behind her. Lael had sent the dog costume as a joke, and Alec had drawn the line at putting his dog in a sweater, but the cape? Now that was okay, he decided with a chuckle as Faith raced by him, cape and ears flapping.

Ang had indeed come home early, and bought basic food supplies with her, adding her own special flair to the presentation of the finger nibbles, seasoning the steaks with a light marinade, and even making fat free chips to go with dinner.

There was even an apple pie, because really, what family celebration did they have that didn't have apple pie. With dinner eaten, and both herself and Alec done with the cleaning up, they were able to relax on the sofa and snuggle together while the game was on. Which was really good, because it was a resounding win for the Yankees. "There, they won, um, one more right? And then it's the oh so inappropriately named World Series?"

She was teasing, her fingers tickling at his ribs as she spoke, smiling up at him with her hair loose around her shoulders.

The baseball game on TV was going well, and although Ang was pleased and enthusiastic, she was also exhausted. She'd seen her doctor again and handed back all her medications, telling him there was no way she could function as a mother, never mind a highly paid PA, while feeling like she had the entire global population of miners banging away in her head. He'd just blinked at her and then started talking about changing doses, and Ang had told him flat out she was changing the doses permanently and coming off all the damn pills. Just a few days later and already she felt heaps better.

She was snuggled up to Alec on the sofa, the throw across their legs, but now she moved, sitting up and folding the throw back neatly, "Do you need anything? I thought I might get another cup of tea, maybe some biscuits?"

Gavin had just gone down for his nap and Alec was getting ingredients together to make himself a grilled ham and cheese sandwich when the front door suddenly opened.

Squashing the sandwich together between his hands, Alec took a couple steps and leaned through the doorway, curious as to who was letting themselves in the apartment at this time of day.

After chasing Gavin around most of the night, the little tyke finally tuckered out and Alec found him fast asleep in Faith's dog bed. The dog sat nearby, watching with what Alec could only assume qualified as the doggie equivalent of a bemused expression.

She looked up at Alec, upper lip hooked back by her one of her lower canine's and made a gruff, whining noise.

But that's my bed, Alec imagined her saying.

He chuckled softly and reached down to rub her ears, "I know, I know." Over his shoulder he called out to Ang. "Hey, Ang, come in here for a second."

After a lie in and a hot breakfast Adam made his way down the garage with a small bucket and a set of rags.

With Selma's passenger door hanging open he scrubbed, trying to get jello stains out of the seat.

~.~

Something strange was going on with the mail, Alec thought. After almost a year of marriage he was more than used to seeing all sorts of deliveries for Ang - but here lately...nothing. Not a bill, not a packet from her foster home, not even a flyer from that boutique she liked.

He knew what it looked like, but he refused to believe it. Why would Ang come down, get her own mail and leave him to come get his own? That would be completely out of character.

He shook his head and turned to the sorting counter.

Things were probably just slow right now.

~.~

Down in the gym, Jazz sat on the floor in her little shorts and sports top and stretched out her legs, one long limb at a time.

Last night her dance professor had set them all with an interesting little task and she was eager to begin work on it. She slowly leaned down over her leg, holding her toes with her fingertips. She held that position for a few deep breaths, then she sat back up and switched to the other leg.

Technically they shouldn't have put it in the pool, but the Manor could afford to replace it if necessary and it had to be admitted that a genuine floating pirate ship was a lot more fun than one on the grass.

Nick tied it off securely at one side of the pool so the prow was in the shallow end and the stern over deep water for jumping in, and wondered who would be the first to find it. There were plenty of posters up, that was for sure.

{Standard party post - get your pups' scantiest swimmers on and come and say 'Aaaaar'}

Anastasia sat in the garden, a content smile upon her face as she snapped pictures of random flowers and summer foilage before it was all gone. Her anniversary getaway with Trevor had went extremely well, and she was starting to feel good about her life again.

Niles was in the garage with Piglet in a dirty grey t-shirt and a pair of battered jeans with grease up to his elbows as he looked at the cars innards. Something just wasn't right, and he had to figure out what it was. He worried about that car like it was his child. 

Isabella sat down in the laundry room, dressed casually for once in a plain white tank top and a pair of short black shorts. Her flip flops lay on the floor discarded from where she sat on top of the washer, reading through the New York Times. 

Smith sat alone in the Mocha in a pair of black work out pants and a white tank top, hiding a very uncharacteristic bout of chuckles behind a Chuck Palahniuk novel as he watched someone that had been sent to watch him tuck and roll across the lobby, as if he wouldn't notice it. 

Bea was up at the pool again in her silver bikini, her iPod on but turned down just incase anyone talked to her. Before her sat a to-do list where she lay on her stomach, her feet crossed at the ankles behind her.