It had been a long, rough journey from Benin back to Sularia, but he made it. He felt nothing but relief once the sight of the port came to view for everyone on the ship. Dalyor couldn’t wait to get back and see the White Manor again. Keya would be deep into her studies as usual, but she’d be a sight for sore eyes. As well as Tempest and Kite, provided that the former was keeping out of trouble, he thought with a slight snicker. Even the company of Toya, Blaine, and yes, even Garland, would be refreshing.

As he stepped off the ship and onto the dock with his things in tow, the thoughts of seeing Keira made his smile ever so wider. It must have felt like ages even though it was merely a few months since he saw her radiant self. Of course, nothing was going on between them aside from a great and long friendship. They bonded well, especially with the other’s children and it felt normal and right. He couldn’t really explain it any other way, at least verbally.

It took almost another hour before he reached home and slipped inside, he made his way towards the stairs when he felt eyes on him from a distance. Glancing over to the foyer, he was startled to see Blaine and Toya on the couch facing his direction. He waved at them, but the lycan simply beckoned him to come over. Dalyor was confused but he complied anyway.

Boy, did he ever wish he hadn’t.

Drawing nearer, he could see all three children from the corner of his eye in seats of their own. Hm, to call them children now was wrong; Both Tempest and Keya had grown into beautiful young women and Kite was a fine young man coming into his own. Gods, how time flew by.

“What’s the matter?”, he asked as he noticed that Keira was missing. Panic suddenly tugged at his heart- had something happened to her? “Where’s Keira?” He looked towards the heads of the house and then to the twins. There was a rather calm atmosphere among them so…had nothing happened to her after all.

“Don’t worry about her. She’s safe and sound”, Blaine sighed, his arms crossed tightly. “But we need to talk to you, Dalyor.”

“About what?”, he asked as he took a seat across from them. If she was really safe, then what was the business with him then. “I know I came back a little late, and I apologize for it”

“Oh don’t be a horse’s arse!”, a voice drunkenly boomed from behind him and he grimaced as he shifted his head and saw exactly who he thought it was. Garland. With a bottle in hand no doubt. “Those two”, he said, pointing at the couple, “They’ll be the judges. My three great grandchildren are on the jury. And I'm the bloomin’ executioner!” The elder wolf gestured at his throat with a quick finger across it as he started holes in Dalyor.

“…What am I being charged with?” This sounded more like a three ring circus than an actual court to him as he turned back and looked at everyone.

“You’re on trial for shacking up and playing house with my grandbaby!”

“Enough, father”, Blaine rolled his eyes. “But yes, we wanted to speak with you on that matter.”

To say he was dumbfounded would have been an understatement. “But nothing is going on between us!”, he spoke a little too loudly than he had wished.

“Boy’s getting defensive now. That’s your proof! Guilty!”

“Shut up, Garland!”, Blaine shouted. “Anyway, you think there’s nothing going on, but I think everyone else believes differently. He glanced at the young ones, “What do you think?”

Dalyor couldn’t believe any of this; they were just friends. How could that be any further from the truth?

Keya spoke up, “Papa…I know that you’ve been lonely for a long time when I was little, but ever since we came here, I’ve never seen you more happy when you’re with Mama, I mean Keira.” It hadn’t been the first time that he'd heard his daughter call her that, but it was the first in a long while that the context really hit him. When she had first started that, he had been quick to correct her but years later, it didn’t faze him as much and grew into it. Keira herself hadn’t corrected her at all, he recalled. “We’ve all seen the way you look at her…and when she looks at you.”

Aurora, with all the “grace” she could muster, came down the stairs with death glares at the party. “It’s late, what’s with the racket?”

“Don’t you worry, little lady. We are just putting this lad on trial for playing house with your sister”, Garland chimed in as he literally fell onto a nearby couch and downed some more of his whiskey. Shifty eyed, Aurora slowly paced backwards and headed for the stairs, no doubt planning to blab what she’s learned to Keira. Meanwhile, Dalyor was still in the hot seat. “I’m telling you nothing’s happened or going on. I was brought in to protect Keira and her children. She is my closest friend and I wouldn’t disrespect her or you guys in any way.” He immediately got up, thirst was suddenly taking its toll on him and he fetched some water nearby.

“I’m not buying it”, Blaine said plainly. “You, Toya?”

[Gmod permission granted toward my characters.]

It had been over a decade since Dalyor came into their household. It was starting to agitate her that he hadn’t made a move yet. It was almost infuriating to watch the longing glances. The words weren’t coming fast enough in her opinion. Somehow everyone else got involved in all this madness.

So that meant a trial.

Well, kind of.

At least he wasn’t going to die unless Garland had his way.

Toya just frowned deeply at his words. “I don’t buy it wholly,” Toya spoke up finally and crossed her arms, “But I really think this moron believes what he is saying.” She waved her hand nonchalantly. “You can’t make someone see what you want them to see.” He was blind to it. Keira and him were already a family.

“Let’s just bring in the kids for this trial,” Toya opened the side doors to all three ‘adult’ children. Kite, Tempest, and Keya were all let in.

“Who is this man,” Toya asked pointing her finger.

“Father,” all three of them answered.

“And who is Keira?”

“Mother,” once more all three of them answered.

“So, do you think that your mother and father are in a relationship?” Toya pointed at Dalyor again. “Even if they fail to realize it?”

“Yeah… they have the best relationship,” Kite spoke up. “Even if they don’t really see it.”

Tempest for all her rage normally was nodding with her brother, “You really should just tell Mom how you feel.” She waved her hand in the same manner as Toya. “You both aren’t getting any younger.”

“The children feel the same way we do,” Toya watched Dalyor with interest now. “So stop pussy footing and tell my daughter how you feel.”

“Boy’s just blind is all!”, Garland yelped as he sprung himself back up to a sitting position. “Maybe it’s a good idea that they ain’t together. Don’t need no blind wolf babies running amok.”

Dalyor was more taken back by Toya’s words than that of the old lupine though. “Why would I lie?” He drank and quelled the thirst, but he was still in the hot seat with the Wintercrest family. What did he do wrong? He never made a move on Keira and kept any feelings he possibly might have felt at a distance. They were friendly, quite friendly actually, but their arrangement was simply that of a business one, correct?

“Maybe the bastard’s afraid that Blaine will kill him”, Garland offered, while stifling a laugh that ended up coming out anyway. “For heaven's sake, he didn’t kill Jordas for what he and Rose were doing, so untie your knickers and admit the truth. I’ve seen it.Toya damn sure sees it. Hell, half the damn population sees it.”

He was about to protest further but then Martiach brought in the jury that were the children. Not that they were the little tikes from when their parents first met. No, each of them have come into their own and had grown before their eyes. Suddenly his throat went dry again, but water wouldn’t do anything this time. His heart sank when they all chimed in that he was their father- a position he had never set out to usurp from their real one. It wasn’t the first time he heard the twins call him that, no more than when Keya called Kiera mother. He simply didn’t correct them; at first as to not hurt them and then it just became second nature to his ears. He had attempted to do so to his daughter, though in the end, the same result occurred.

His teeth clenched as he steadied his place as they continued. His eyes lowered, stuck on the ground. “It’s not that simple.” His voice was soft and near quiet. “How is it now?”, Keya said, approaching him. “Are you not happy whenever you are with her?”

“Yes, but…”

“Ah, for the love of…”

Blaine heard enough and he immediately lunged at Dalyor and pushed him up against the wall. With ease, he lifted the half elf up off his feet. “I hate agreeing with the old fool, but I won’t kill you if you want a relationship with her. Toya would skin my hide if I deny her daughter a good man, and that’s what you are. I respect you not trying anything funny, but you’ve been taking this too damn slow. Y’all are already a family. Keya sees Kite and Tempest as her siblings and they see her as one too. Toya loves Keya and so do I. Even my father sees you both as packmates and treats you no different. Do you not feel the same?

Dalyor didn’t struggle in the grip, his mind was doing a damn good job for him in that department. “I do. I think the world of you all for taking me in and accepting us. I can’t begin to find a way to return such kindness.”

“Ain’t nothing to return”, Garland groaned and took a deep chug. “We family, boy. And family takes care of family.”

“I..know. But I can’t simply tell her…”

“And why the fuck not!?”

“Because…because…”[b/]

“Because why, papa?”, Keya said, frustration building up in her voice.

“Yeah, why”, Blaine added.

“BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’D DO IF I LOSE HER!”, he screamed, tears starting to build up in his eyes.

“The hell? What's he talking about? Losing her? You ain’t gonna lose Keira…”

“I LOST ONE LOVE AND I COULDN’T DO ANYTHING TO SAVE HER! WHAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO KEIRA TOO!?” His head dipped down and Blaine lowered him back onto his feet. “Dalyor, I know, sort of what it's like to think you lost a love. When my wife left for war, I didn’t know when she’d come back. Months went into years and I hadn’t received any message of her status. I thought I’d lost her until the day she returned. I couldn’t bring myself to do anything with my life but focus on raising our children and even then I had to tear myself away from grief, for them. She came back, but was wrapped up like a damn mummy. But she came back and I realized that love outweighs the fear.”

He sighed and put a hand onto his shoulder, “You did the same after Keya’s mother passed. You focused so much on raising her and keeping the grief at bay that you didn’t think to move on. Keira? Can’t say for sure what she’d say, but any answer is better than not knowing and not admitting what it is you feel for her in case something does happen. Now get up there before her parents really give you something to cry about.”

For a moment, he felt frozen in place. There was no going back from this now- they all knew and only one other person had the right to hear this as well. Regaining his strength over his body, he marched out of the room and headed for the stairs. Only one problem though as he was rounding the corner- she had been there. His eyes froze on Keira as she was at the bottom of the steps with Aurora hiking back up them.

“I’m heading back to bed. Y’all got a lot to talk about”, the youngest sister spoke. “Don’t lose courage now, Dalyor.”

Now he felt like he himself was tied in knots, not just his tongue. “How…how much do you hear?”, he muttered out, with fleeing being a racing thought in his mind.