It seemed Lis had already thought this through and Edward didn't really have to say a word about it. "There, you see?" he asked, with a faint smile to his sister, which usually worked like a charm. She might be obstinate and stubborn and have a temper, but she'd always had a hard time denying her big brother anything - or at least, he'd always thought so. "It's just for a few days," he reminded her. He would have nudged her amicably, but she was too far away.

Brynne's mouth worked silently for a moment or two, but despite that rather infamous temper of hers, she knew when she was beaten. She was also pretty good at making a guess as to how a conversation was going to go, even three hours before it happened. She sighed, giving in, and tapped the bag by her foot. "Fine," she said, giving in without much grace. "I brought some of your things over, in case you were going to be stubborn about this." The glare she flickered in Lis' direction did not bode well for the following evening, but Lis ignored it.

"When I'm better, I'll make you and Lila the best blueberry pancakes ever!" he promised, with that silly grin of his, getting off the chair a little too quickly to kiss her cheek and swaying like a tree in the wind.

How she managed not to lurch over in the hope of catching him, Lis had no idea, but some stern stubbornness of will told her to stay put and let Brynne actually see how weak her brother was. Thus, Brynne was the one who went pale and worried, reaching out to steady Edward as she lurched up off the couch to catch him as he swayed. "Teddy, sit down," she told her brother more quietly, concern filling every nuance of her expression and tone. "You're obviously not up to much."

He grabbed onto his sister, not to hug her but to stop himself from falling over, letting her lower him into a chair, rewarding her with a faint but boyish and grateful smile. "Nothing a little R&R won't cure, Bree," he reminded her, just like he'd told her when he'd first arrived home. "I came to a decision today," he added, almost in hopes of diverting the subject.

"What kind of decision?" she asked warily, making sure he was settled in before she sank down into her awkward perch once again. Her gaze flickered toward Lis suspiciously before returning to her brother. "You've only been home a week."

This decision had nothing to do with Lis, though she had been part of the decision-making process. "I'm going to write my memoirs!" he declared with a proud grin. How could she possibly argue with that' It would keep him busy and out of trouble for a while, and perhaps mostly importantly, it would keep him near home and allow him the time needed to properly recuperate.

Brynne stared at him for a moment, not entirely sure how to react. Thankfully, her expression reacted appropriately for her with a wide smile to echo his. "That's wonderful, Teddy," she said encouragingly. "Oh, and you know what? You know I told you about Jon's brother, Desmond, and how he got married this time last year" His wife is a writer. She's got literary contacts, I'm sure she could find you an editor to hep you out."

"Brilliant! There, you see" It was meant to happen," he said, in his ridiculously cheerful way, even when he wasn't feeling very well. "Where's Lilabean?" he asked, looking around, still a little disoriented from his long nap or maybe the fever.

Brynne chuckled, shaking her head at him. "She's at football practice," she reminded her brother affectionately. "And more than a little ratty with me for not waiting until she was done to come and see you. I'd expect a visit in the next coupla days if you're set on staying here."

"Oh, that's right," he said with a frown, scratching at the tumble of blond curls on his head. "How's she going to get here?" he asked, though he suspected any of the Grangers would be willing to drop her off, if Brynne or Lis were busy. "I'm really sorry about all this, Brynne. I'll make it up to you. Promise."

"I'll bring her, or one of the others will," his sister told him, blowing her own short hair off her forehead. "Stop apologizing for being sick, too. It's not like you can help it, and ....loath as I am to admit it, you're in good hands."

This was offered in a low grumble, abruptly cut off as Lis brought over a tea tray for them to share. She didn't linger, removing herself from the room entirely so as not to be tempted to engage with anything else Brynne might blurt out.

He offered Lis a grateful smile and a quiet, "Thank you," when she dropped the tea off, frowning a little as she made herself invisible. He was relieved that Brynne was at least able to admit that Lis would take good care of him, but he had a feeling jealousy was at the root of her anger, and he wasn't quite sure how to assuage that.

Brynne muttered something that might have been a thank you, but it wasn't exactly effusive. She did, however, move to pour the tea, knowing how her brother liked his. That, at least, she was pretty confident Lis hadn't learned yet. Edward was right; Brynne was jealous, and she wasn't very good at dealing with that feeling. "Is there anything you need me to get for you, then, Teddy?" she asked him, handing him a cup. "Your notes or whatever?"

"Thanks," he said as he took the cup of tea from her, trusting it would be made just the way he liked it - milky with just a hint of sugar. He considered her question a moment while he sipped at his tea. "Yes, if you wouldn't mind. And my laptop, I think."

"All right," she nodded. "I'll bring them over tomorrow." Still perched on the edge of the couch, she sipped her own tea, eyes studying him thoughtfully. "What actually happened last night, Teddy?" she asked quietly. "You were fine when you left the house."

He took another sip of his tea, while he considered her next question. "I don't know," he replied. "It might have been the cold, or perhaps I've just been doing too much with the holidays and all." It could have been the rich food, too, but he doubted it was just that. It wasn't his stomach that had felt ill, after all.

"Yes, but why didn't you come home?" she asked, her expression twisted with worry. "Why would you trust a stranger to help you over us? She should have brought you back to the Grove, then you wouldn't be so isolated here."

"Brynne, she's not a stranger," he told her, a serious look on his face that wasn't quite scolding, but told her he wasn't going to argue about it. "I almost passed out, and her place was closer," he explained, sighing as he lowered the tea cup to his knee, hoping he wouldn't spill it. "You might as well know. I intend to get to know her better, and I don't mean as a friend."

He seemed to sense the hurt in her, but it wasn't so much his words that had hurt as her misunderstanding of them. "Brynne," he started with a serious but fond look on his face. "I've been alone a long time. She's the first woman I've dated in years. When I say it's because she understands me, that doesn't mean you don't. You know, I'd date you, but I think there are laws against those things," he teased, tapping her leg with a bare foot.

"That's disgusting, Ted," she grimaced, rolling her eyes at him. Scrubbing her hand through her hair once again, she shook her head. "Look, I know I'm difficult, okay' I can work on it. I just ..." She sighed. "I feel like I only just got you back, and you're already moving on again, all right' And it's obviously not the case, but that's how I feel. I'll get over it."

"No matter what happens, I'm always going to have room in my life for you and for Lila. No matter how far away I am, you are always in my heart, Bree. You're my sister. No one comes close, not even Madion." And if he did fall in love with Lis, well, that was a different kind of love, wasn't it"

"I know," she nodded reluctantly. "It just pisses me off that I didn't even realize how perfect she was for you until you came back, and it's ....well, it shocked me, okay' And no, I don't approve, and I know it's making things awkward."

Edward chuckled a little as a thought came to mind. "Brynne, I could marry the Queen of Sheba, and she wouldn't be good enough in your mind," he said. He had a feeling it wasn't Lis so much that was bothering his sister as it was having to share him so soon after he'd returned home. In her eyes, no one would probably ever be good enough for her big brother, but it wasn't fair to expect him to be always alone, just because no one lived up to her ideals.

"If you married the Queen of Sheba, Mum would disown you," she pointed out with a faint smirk. "At least Lis isn't a whore." Although she'd very nearly been called one to her face earlier. "I'm sorry. I didn't sleep much last night, I'm just irritable. I'll sort myself out and stop being a bitch. Promise."

He arched a brow, more than a little surprised to hear her use that word in his presence and in connection with him in any way. "I can assure you I've never been with a whore. Never dated one either," he said, just a little defensively, though she was clearly teasing. And if anyone was the farthest thing from a whore, it was Lis, who Edward knew was more than likely a virgin, but he wasn't about to tell Brynne that.

Brynne smiled awkwardly, shaking her head. "I didn't mean ....never mind." She set her cold cup of tea back on the tray. "I should go. All I'm doing is pissing you off, even if you're too polite to admit it." She shrugged. "I'll make sure you get your notes and your laptop."

"You're not pissing me off." He sighed, too weary to argue. "I don't want to argue, Bree. I'm sorry. I'm just tired, and..." He paused a moment, realizing he'd told Lis more about his trip than he had his own sister. "As soon as I'm feeling better, let's spend a day together. Just the two of us, all right' There are....things I need to tell you."

"We're not arguing," she assured him, moving to stand. "It's me and my temper, Teddy, that's all. You know me." She shrugged once again, smiling at him. "I'd like that. I've missed you, you know?"

"I've missed you, too," he replied, that soft smile back in place on his face, affection for her obvious in his eyes, even if they were a little glassy still. "Tell you a secret?" he asked suddenly.

She paused, looking down at him curiously. "A secret?" As far as she knew, most of her big brother's life was one big secret from his family, though more to keep them from worrying than for any sinister reason. "If you want to tell me one."

"I wish I was a little more like you sometimes," he said, with a straight face, completely serious. Though they might be siblings, there were as different as night and day. She was fire and he was water, and sometimes he wished he had a little more of her fire to balance him out.

Her smile was just a little bitter as she shook her head. "No, you don't, Teddy," she told him quietly, gently stroking his hair. "Trust me, you don't want to be like me. Otherwise you'd have a failed marriage under your belt already, and I don't want that for you."

"And you have Lila," he countered. What did he have besides them' It was too soon to count Lis, but though he'd never had a wife or children, he touched countless lives in a different and just as meaningful way. "Don't worry so much about me, Brynne. I'm not going anywhere." Not yet, anyway. He said this while looking up at her because he knew if he got off the chair, he'd likely topple over.

"Sorry, can't do that," she told him. "You're my brother; I'm always going to worry about you. You're just going to have to learn to live with it." Her smile, though, was more relaxed as she bent to hug him, kissing his cheek. "Take care of yourself properly this time, Teddy."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied obediently, even though he was the elder of the two, as he attempted to hug her back. "Will you be by tomorrow?" he asked curiously, hoping she wasn't angry anymore and wasn't going to hold any of this against Lis.

"Of course I will, if you want me to come by," she assured him, not even thinking to ask if Lis would welcome her. That was part of the problem; in Brynne's mind, Lis was a servant, someone almost beneath notice but for the service she provided. While Edward was here, it wouldn't occur to her to consider this apartment anything but an extension of her own home. "And Lila will come by, too."

"I'll see if it's all right with Lis and let you know," he said, though he couldn't imagine why it wouldn't be, except perhaps for the fact that his sister had nearly insulted her in her own home. He would have asked Brynne to apologize, but he didn't want to push his luck. He was lucky enough to have managed this far, and he had a feeling if he wasn't sick, he might not have managed it at all. "I'd see you out, but I'm not sure I can get up."

"You stay put," she told him firmly. "You already went Leaning Tower of Pisa on me once, I'm not having that again. And do as you're told - if she really is a nurse, not doing what she says is a bad thing." Her fingertip bounced off the end of his nose as she smiled, dropping the bag of his belongings she had brought with her beside him.

"Yes, Mum," he replied, smiling up at her, even as she tapped his nose. He could only hope his mother didn't find out about this little debacle, or he'd never hear the end of it from both of them. "I'll call you tomorrow, all right' Not too early though."

"Definitely not too early, or you'll end up with Lila to chat to for hours and hours," she warned with a chuckle, stepping back and slinging her own bag over her shoulder. "All right, Teddy. I'll see you tomorrow. Get better. That's an order."

"I'll try," he replied, having no choice but to let her go. "Love you, Brynniecakes!" he told her, as she stepped away. Hopefully, the worst was over. She was going to have to come to grips with the fact that Lis was part of his life now, and not because she was a nurse or a servant.

She groaned at the old nickname pegged on her, sticking her tongue out at her big brother before moving to let herself out. She didn't quite know what was going to happen over the next few weeks now, and she wasn't happy that Edward seemed to be starting a romance while he was still so obviously unwell. But she'd made a promise not to interfere, and she would try to hold to it, at least out of his earshot. The last thing she wanted was to drive him away. So now all she had to do was reconcile herself to the fact that her brother was dating the help. That couldn't be so hard, could it"

((Life's never easy for the Grangers, is it' Many thanks to Edward's player!))