A Very Long Night: part 1

Hey folks.  

Since I've decided to try and keep progressing with the maggie\grey storyline in order as much as possible, things will often get more linear than maybe they have been in the past.  I'll probably still jump wayyy back in time because of all the stuff that went down back in the day that is still shrouded in mystery, and I'll jump around to different storylines of course, like a soap, but mostly we're trudging forward on the path to avalon's wedding and the thrilling aftermath because there's alot in store for our beloved residents of Cedar Falls, USA (wink wink to Danielle:)

So.  Another family dinner, you say?  yeah.  sorry.  Velvet likes to throw parties.  

This is the first little snippet from the big Delaney meet & greet for Maggie.  I'm trying to keep them short and -well, not sweet, but scrumptious?  

Shrug.  Sigh.  Whatevs.

Enjoy.

"This is going to be a long night"

*******************

Zahra’s husband was tense.  He was doing his best to behave as if nothing was bothering him, but she knew him better than that.  He was never short with the children, not even when he was agitated, but tonight he was, well, not short precisely, but, distracted?

“Then also can I please have a baby unicorn?”  It was the third outlandish and impossible item Lola had asked to be added to her ever-lengthening birthday wish list.

And he’d nodded absently.  “Sure thing baby.”

Zahra narrowed her brows as her daughter squealed with glee in the back seat. 

“What?!”  Shrieked Keer, scandalized.  “Daddy, she can’t have a baby unicorn!” Their eldest protested hotly.

“Yes I can!”  Countered Lola’s piping little voice.  “Daddy said!”

“Daddy, can I have a Pegasus?”  Ajay queried, sensing this to be a good opportunity to ask for mythical beasts.

“We’ll see.”  Nolan responded calmly.

Zahra heard Keer groan exasperatedly in the back.  “No Ajay, you can’t even have one because there’s no such thing!”  She was in a very literal phase at the moment and had little tolerance for all things magical or fanciful.

“If Lola gets to have a unicorn then I can too have a Pegasus.”  Ajay reasoned, and Zahra could imagine the glower he was giving his older sister.

“Yeah, you can have one.”  Agreed Lola generously.

“They don’t exist!”  exclaimed Keer, ready to explode.

“Nolan?”  Zahra asked him quietly, under the bickering in the backseat.

“Hm?  He responded vaguely, hitting the blinker and turning into the posh residential neighborhood of Cedar Crest.

“You ok?”

“Sure.  ‘Course.”

“Daddy, don’t they exist?!?!”  Ajay demanded from the back.

“Of course they do.”  His father replied dispassionately.

“Mom!”  Keer countered.

Zahra sighed.  “I’m not sure we have room in the house for a Pegasus, or a unicorn for that matter.”  She replied diplomatically.  This answer caused Lola to wail, Ajay to grumble and Keer to tisk with a great deal of attitude.  “They’re really much happier when they get to roam free, guys.”  She told them gently.  “Besides, what ever do they eat?”

“Skittles.”  Lola responded readily.  “And stardust too I think.”

“I think Pegasus eats dragonflies.  And carrots.”  Ajay said thoughtfully.

“They don’t eat anything because they AREN’T REAL!”  Keer shouted.

“Keer, watch the volume please.”  Her father said, not hearing what she’d said, only seeming to register the tone and size of it.

“This is ridiculous.”  She spat.

Zahra rolled her eyes and allowed them to bicker further about skittles and myth while she watched her husband’s profile.  He was scowling at the road in front of them. 

They were on their way to his brother’s for a big family dinner.  They were going to be introduced to Grey’s new bride. 

News of the elopement had surprised Zahra.  “I thought they broke up?”  She’d asked her husband that evening a week or so ago when he’d come home and told her about their nephew’s out-of-the-blue marriage to one of his employees. 

“They did.”  He’d answered, sounding irritable and uptight.  “I’ll have to be at the shop more this week—Velvet arranged a honeymoon for them I guess, and she needs the week off.”

Zahra had stared at him curiously.  “You’re not happy about this.”

“No.”  He’d answered as he’d slipped off his shoes and begun unbuttoning his shirt.

“How come?”  She’d moved to him and begun to knead at some of the tension bunching his shoulders.

“Nnnnnn.  That’s good.” He’d moaned.  “Because she’s a nice girl and he’s an asshole.” 

She’d smacked him lightly on the back.  “That’s your nephew!”

“Yeah, that’s how I know he’s no good for her.”

Zahra had kissed him where his collar met his skin and felt him sigh.  “Who are we to judge where love strikes?”  She’d asked gently.

“It wasn’t love that struck Zee, it was his—something else.”  He’s spun under her hands to face her and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead while pulling her body to his.  “I’m pretty certain she’s pregnant.”

“Oh.”  Zahra’d responded.  “Well.”

“Yeah.”

“Do people still do that anymore?  Get married because of that?”

“She comes from a pretty strict Catholic upbringing, from what I can tell.”  He’d responded, sounding drained and leaden.  He’d been in a sour mood all that night.  His face and body coiled and stretched just a bit too thin, his conversation vague, his mind preoccupied, his stormy eyes dustant and unreadable.  Not at all unlike this evening.

“Plus, besides, Daddy already said I was a princess and a princess neeeeeeds a unicorn or else!”  Lola’s tiny voice had a great deal of power behind it, and the decibel and pitch of it was cutting right into Zahra’s skull.

“Ok, listen up guys.”  Zahra said in her all-business tone, turning around in her seat and fixing them each with a warning stare one by one.  Three pairs of eyes looked up at her expectantly.  Nolan was turning the van into the driveway.  “I want you all on your very best behavior.”  They all nodded solemnly.  “I mean it.”  She cautioned.  “No more bickering, no more arguing, no more yelling or annoying eachother—or anyone else either.  Got that?”

They cast sideways glances at one another and eventually all three nodded or mumbled agreement. 

“We’re meeting a new member of the family tonight, like Daddy told you, and you all know about first impressions.”

“I met her already!”  Gloated Lola jubilantly.

“That’s true, but you still need to be on your best behavior.” Her mother explained.

“She’s nice.”  The girl assessed with finality.  “And pretty.”  She added.

Zahra raised her eyebrows.  “Have I got everyone’s word?”  She asked them all.

A chorus of yeses sounded from the back as she turned to her husband.  He was staring blankly at the big house, patiently waiting until she’d finished her riot act.

“You ready?”  she asked him.

A muscle jumped in his jaw.  “Yup.”

Zahra bit down a snappish comment and recognized that it was going to be a very long evening.