Reflections Of Angels

A Turn Of Events

"Hey, you!" Nyx greeted Abby, crouching down to cuddle the little girl. The she looked up at her brother, feeling nervous as she rose and met Travis's gaze. "Hi."

"Hi." Travis responded; seeming almost just as stunned as her, which in a way she found reassuring. Shaking himself, Travis pulled himself together, walking towards her. "Nyx! How are you? Where have you been? We've been looking for you, we were so worried!"
Nyx offered him a weak smile. He looked like he was moving to wrap his arms around her, but didn't, sensing something in her body language. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." Nyx nodded. "I just... you know... after what happened at the hospital... I decided to stay with my boyfriend for a bit."

"Up! Up! Up!" Abby chirped, asking to be picked up with her arms raised. Nyx crouched and did so, and Abby snuggled contentedly against her, a blissful look on her face.

Nyx chuckled, lovingly stroking Abby's hair. "Aw, Baby Bird, I missed you too."

"I am so sorry." Travis said. "We should never... I swear... We should have delt with it together. It wasn't fair to do that to you, to send you away..."

"Travis." Nyx said softly. "Look..." She'd been so worried about what she'd say when this situation inevitably came, had fretted over every emotion, response and reaction. But when it came down to it, she found it really didn't matter. It just came so easy. "It doesn't matter. Whilst... it wasn't the greatest place..." They shared a look. "Well, not at all, really. But... I was struggling and I wasn't dealing with it well, and I was in denial... I reacted badly..." She gave a one-shouldered shrug and offered a rueful smile. "It's fine. I'm dealing."

He smiled back. "It's good to see you so much better. You can always talk to me, you know? I love you, Nyx."

In the stroller, Grizelda looked up at the scene before her in confusion. "Eh?"

Travis turned his eyes to her. "Oh! Well, who's this then? You've got a baby?"

"That's Grizelda- Zelda. She's... Chris's." She offered, remembering the name they'd given her family at the Christmas party.

Travis quirked a brow. "He has a baby?"

"She's adopted." Nyx explained quickly.

"Uh huh." Travis was unconvinced. "How lucky, she's got his hair."

"They're related." Nyx cut in. "Uh... A cousin, or a child of a cousin or something... and he's got custody. It's... a whole thing. Bit complicated. But I've been helping out where I can."

"Oh." Travis said slowly, still evidently not completely sold, but he nodded. "Oh, okay."

Grizelda was staring at Abby; her big eyes narrowed at the little girl, like a competitor that had just invaded her territory. Carefully, she examined Abby's every movement. Then: "Uh!" Nyx looked. Grizelda sat in the pram, arm's raised like Abby's, wanting to be picked up. "Uh! Uh!"

"Aren't you going to pick her up?" Travis asked.

"She... doesn't usually like being picked up..." Nyx said in bewilderment; but still, with her free arm, she reached down and picked the baby up. Happily, Grizelda cuddled into her; all the while fixing Abby with a victorious look.

"Well, would you look at that..." Nyx murmured incredulously.

"Looks like Abby is setting a good example." Travis chuckled. "Hey, you should bring Zelda over. You should both come, to see everyone. Today, if you like, for lunch. Or tomorrow- you have to come over this week. You have to."

Grizelda was staring at Abby. Abby didn't mind; she waved happily at Grizelda, laying her head lovingly on Nyx's shoulder. Grizelda didn't wave back, instead apprehensively shying away, pressing herself against Nyx, clawed hands clinging tightly to Nyx's clothes.
Full of excited energy, Abby wriggled happily in Nyx's arms; Nyx chuckled. "You alright, Sweetie?" She pressed a light kiss to Abigail's forehead, smiling as they snuggled their faces together.

Grizelda grizzled. Suddenly, Nyx felt a small hand on her chin; determinedly, Grizelda steered her face back towards her, and stretching up, bumped her own lips against Nyx's cheek in a semblance of a kiss. She looked at Nyx expectantly for a moment, before snuggling down against her shoulder, cooing softly and patting Nyx's neck.

'Okaaay then...' Innocently, Grizelda looked lovingly up at her with her deep blue eyes; Nyx didn't quite trust them.

Opening her eyes again, Grizelda glared at Abby, and reaching out, pushed the other girl's arm off of Nyx. Then she struck out again, hitting hard.

"Hey, hey, hey, no!" Nyx scolded, catching on to the escalation. "Travis, help me!"

Travis took Abby back from Nyx's arms, his young daughter looking shocked, as Nyx took a firmer hold of Grizelda, bringing the child up level to her face. "No. You don't do that."

Grizelda turned her face to Abby and hissed, viciously baring her teeth; possessively clinging to Nyx's shoulder.

"Hey, hey, hey! It's alright!" Nyx soothed, bouncing Grizelda on her hip before dropping her back into the stroller, tucking her in and pulling the hood down over her face. Zelda shrieked in objection when she realised what had happened.

"I am so sorry about that." Nyx gasped breathlessly as she turned back to Travis. "I didn't expect her to do that."

"It's alright." Travis said, soothing the unsettled but unharmed Abby. He glanced at the stroller. "Is she... okay?"

Nyx pulled an awkward face. "Well..." She trailed off, not knowing what to say.

Travis nodded understandingly.