Violence wasn't new to Rhy'Din, any more than it was to many other places throughout the multiverse, but ever since the governor's election, the violence in the city seemed to be spreading. This whole Humanity First nonsense had gotten out of hand. Protests had taken place all over the city, including the Marketplace. People had been hurt, and in some cases, killed. Yet another explosion had rocked the Marketplace causing widespread fear and panic. If someone didn't do something to stop the violence soon, the Marketplace was going to end up looking like a war zone. Despite Miranda's promise to make her shop a Safe Haven and the security team that had been stationed there, she'd had enough.
Shaken and on the verge of panic, she'd texted Rufus with shaking hands telling him she was on her way home, only to find herself stuck in traffic. He'd wasted no time in texting her back to use the bloodstone ring every Granger had in their possession to open a portal and bring her home to the main house without hesitation. The fact that she even didn't bother to argue about abandoning her beloved Corvette said volumes about how frightened she was, and within minutes of texting her husband, she had arrived in the basement of the main house, clearly shaken and terrified.
The car could be replaced; she could not be. Rufus had already been on his way out of the house by the time he was texting a reply to his wife, Ro under one arm to be deposited with Gabi and George with minimal apology and explanation before he jumped back in his car to drive the short distance to the manor. It was unlike his Miri to admit to being afraid; more so to abandon her shop in the middle of the day and come home because of some external influence. He didn't like it. Barely two minutes after Miranda arrived in the basement, he was marching in through the door, waving off Vicki's movement toward the basement with a curt assurance that he knew who it was. The first thing he did when he got into the basement was wrap his shaking wife up in his arms. The second thing was to turn the alarm off before Humphrey tried to find out what was going on.
It was a good thing he got there as soon as he did or she might have ended up curled up in a ball and sobbing on the floor. As it was, she broke into tears as he wrapped her up in his embrace, balling her fists up in his shirt and clinging to him for dear life. She had always been a strong woman and had prided herself on that fact, but enough was enough. Everyone had a breaking point, and it seemed Miranda had just reached hers.
"Easy, love," he murmured against her hair, knowing all she really needed right now was two strong arms around her as she worked through her shock on her own time. "I've got you. You're safe. I promise you, angel, you're completely safe." His voice was gentle but firm, his arms confident around her, but his eyes were glaring at the middle distance, wishing all manner of horrors on the people who had reduced his beautiful wife to this.
As far as she knew, she hadn't been the target of any attack or protestors. Why would she be? She was a harmless human just trying to run a business, but she had openly declared her shop a safe haven for those who might be in danger. She still didn't think that made her a target, but one only had to be in the wrong place at the wrong time to become a victim. It took a few minutes of sobbing and shaking before she was able to cobble together a few words. "S-sorry," she hiccuped. "What about my c-car?"
Rufus couldn't help smiling, stroking his hands against her back as she articulated the first thing to come to mind. "Taken care of," he promised her. "I called a friend at the Watch in that area, and he's going to have it collected and stored safely until we go to pick it up." He smiled, tilting his head to lean down and kiss the tip of her nose. "I am an organized fellow, love. Everything is taken care of."
"Oh, Rufus!" she gushed, a fresh flood of tears welling up in her eyes, though this time they were mostly from relief to be home safely and in his arms. "Don't let go!" she scolded him, burrowing back into his chest again, the tremors slowly subsiding. He'd seen her scared before, but never quite like this.
"I'm not letting go," he assured her, tightening the wrap of his arms just a little more to make sure she believed him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was minutely dissecting each and every member of the Humanity First and Divine Mother movements with a blunt spoon and a copious amount of vinegar to wash the wounds. He thought he'd been angry about this before, but now he was incandescent. And she'd made him promise months ago not to go looking for trouble again!
It took a few minutes and a lot of sniffling before she composed herself enough again to form words. Rufus' poor shirt was mascara and tear-stained by now beyond hope, but he had other shirts. "Where's Ro' Is she okay?" Miranda asked in a sudden panic when she realized he had come without their daughter - or at least, the child they had adopted and come to think of as theirs.
"With Gabrielle and George," he assured her once more, more than happy to keep reassuring her that everything was under control. "For as long as we need her to be." Her gently removed one hand from her, digging in his pocket for the handkerchief that was always there to dry her face. "Blow your nose."
It might be something one told a child, but she didn't even flinch at his command as she took the hanky from him and blew the snot from her nose as ladylike as one could. "I'm sorry, Rufus," she apologized again between rubbing and blowing. "I just panicked."
"Justifiably," he told her gently. "Come home, angel. You're safe now. And you're not going back to that shop." It was rare that Rufus laid down the law to his wife, but he wasn't having this. He'd been so proud of her for declaring her shop a safe haven, despite his concerns, but now those concerns seemed to be resembling reality. "I'm not losing you, Miri. Not over keeping a bloody dress shop open."
"No," she agreed without argument, sniffling further as she curled herself against him. "I don't want to go back. I want to stay home with you." This was very different from the woman who had been so excited about opening her own shop in the marketplace, but then that had been three years ago - before they'd had grandchildren, before they'd adopted Rowan, and before violence in the city had escalated.
"So stay home with me," he said unequivocally. "Stay with me and Ro, and design from your office. The shop was always just an ego boost, sweetheart, and we both know it. I'm sure your contributors and staff will understand."
"Are you sure?" she asked, as she tipped her head up at him, her nose red from crying. "You don't think we'll drive each other crazy?" Even if they did, at least each would know the other was safe, and she had to admit that she'd been missing him and Rowan last crazy lately.
He raised a brow, his lips quirking into an amused smile. "We each have an office, and there are plenty of places within walking distance to escape from each other in," he pointed out. "No, I don't think we'll drive each other crazy. Mildly annoy one another, yes. Crazy, no."
Shaken and on the verge of panic, she'd texted Rufus with shaking hands telling him she was on her way home, only to find herself stuck in traffic. He'd wasted no time in texting her back to use the bloodstone ring every Granger had in their possession to open a portal and bring her home to the main house without hesitation. The fact that she even didn't bother to argue about abandoning her beloved Corvette said volumes about how frightened she was, and within minutes of texting her husband, she had arrived in the basement of the main house, clearly shaken and terrified.
The car could be replaced; she could not be. Rufus had already been on his way out of the house by the time he was texting a reply to his wife, Ro under one arm to be deposited with Gabi and George with minimal apology and explanation before he jumped back in his car to drive the short distance to the manor. It was unlike his Miri to admit to being afraid; more so to abandon her shop in the middle of the day and come home because of some external influence. He didn't like it. Barely two minutes after Miranda arrived in the basement, he was marching in through the door, waving off Vicki's movement toward the basement with a curt assurance that he knew who it was. The first thing he did when he got into the basement was wrap his shaking wife up in his arms. The second thing was to turn the alarm off before Humphrey tried to find out what was going on.
It was a good thing he got there as soon as he did or she might have ended up curled up in a ball and sobbing on the floor. As it was, she broke into tears as he wrapped her up in his embrace, balling her fists up in his shirt and clinging to him for dear life. She had always been a strong woman and had prided herself on that fact, but enough was enough. Everyone had a breaking point, and it seemed Miranda had just reached hers.
"Easy, love," he murmured against her hair, knowing all she really needed right now was two strong arms around her as she worked through her shock on her own time. "I've got you. You're safe. I promise you, angel, you're completely safe." His voice was gentle but firm, his arms confident around her, but his eyes were glaring at the middle distance, wishing all manner of horrors on the people who had reduced his beautiful wife to this.
As far as she knew, she hadn't been the target of any attack or protestors. Why would she be? She was a harmless human just trying to run a business, but she had openly declared her shop a safe haven for those who might be in danger. She still didn't think that made her a target, but one only had to be in the wrong place at the wrong time to become a victim. It took a few minutes of sobbing and shaking before she was able to cobble together a few words. "S-sorry," she hiccuped. "What about my c-car?"
Rufus couldn't help smiling, stroking his hands against her back as she articulated the first thing to come to mind. "Taken care of," he promised her. "I called a friend at the Watch in that area, and he's going to have it collected and stored safely until we go to pick it up." He smiled, tilting his head to lean down and kiss the tip of her nose. "I am an organized fellow, love. Everything is taken care of."
"Oh, Rufus!" she gushed, a fresh flood of tears welling up in her eyes, though this time they were mostly from relief to be home safely and in his arms. "Don't let go!" she scolded him, burrowing back into his chest again, the tremors slowly subsiding. He'd seen her scared before, but never quite like this.
"I'm not letting go," he assured her, tightening the wrap of his arms just a little more to make sure she believed him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was minutely dissecting each and every member of the Humanity First and Divine Mother movements with a blunt spoon and a copious amount of vinegar to wash the wounds. He thought he'd been angry about this before, but now he was incandescent. And she'd made him promise months ago not to go looking for trouble again!
It took a few minutes and a lot of sniffling before she composed herself enough again to form words. Rufus' poor shirt was mascara and tear-stained by now beyond hope, but he had other shirts. "Where's Ro' Is she okay?" Miranda asked in a sudden panic when she realized he had come without their daughter - or at least, the child they had adopted and come to think of as theirs.
"With Gabrielle and George," he assured her once more, more than happy to keep reassuring her that everything was under control. "For as long as we need her to be." Her gently removed one hand from her, digging in his pocket for the handkerchief that was always there to dry her face. "Blow your nose."
It might be something one told a child, but she didn't even flinch at his command as she took the hanky from him and blew the snot from her nose as ladylike as one could. "I'm sorry, Rufus," she apologized again between rubbing and blowing. "I just panicked."
"Justifiably," he told her gently. "Come home, angel. You're safe now. And you're not going back to that shop." It was rare that Rufus laid down the law to his wife, but he wasn't having this. He'd been so proud of her for declaring her shop a safe haven, despite his concerns, but now those concerns seemed to be resembling reality. "I'm not losing you, Miri. Not over keeping a bloody dress shop open."
"No," she agreed without argument, sniffling further as she curled herself against him. "I don't want to go back. I want to stay home with you." This was very different from the woman who had been so excited about opening her own shop in the marketplace, but then that had been three years ago - before they'd had grandchildren, before they'd adopted Rowan, and before violence in the city had escalated.
"So stay home with me," he said unequivocally. "Stay with me and Ro, and design from your office. The shop was always just an ego boost, sweetheart, and we both know it. I'm sure your contributors and staff will understand."
"Are you sure?" she asked, as she tipped her head up at him, her nose red from crying. "You don't think we'll drive each other crazy?" Even if they did, at least each would know the other was safe, and she had to admit that she'd been missing him and Rowan last crazy lately.
He raised a brow, his lips quirking into an amused smile. "We each have an office, and there are plenty of places within walking distance to escape from each other in," he pointed out. "No, I don't think we'll drive each other crazy. Mildly annoy one another, yes. Crazy, no."