The click of the lock was like the gunshot start of a race and she scrambled to compose herself and make it to a seat without tripping or letting her heart jack-hammer outside her chest.

The door opened under his fist as he knocked a second time. Hudson paused, and then looked up at the man in the doorway ? only two inches under six feet tall, he was unused to looking up at many. The blonde man standing in the door topped him by almost six inches. Hudson shifted his weight unconsciously, into a more ready stance, before he spoke. ?Good day tae ye. Be ye th? Johnny who wrote me this note??

Muttering a quick prayer to all the saints she'd ever been taught of, Sianna struggled not to wring her hands in her apron like a "worrit washwoman".

?Yeah, tha?s me, bro.? And even though Johnny was still somewhat resentful of the effect this man?s note had on Sianna, his customary term of address for strangers seemed all too appropriate. He grinned, broadly, for a moment before his expression sobered. ?An? I ?spect ya wan? ta meet Sianna. Welcome ta Silver Lark.? Johnny stepped back, out of the way, and opened the door to let the other in.

?Aye, ye be right about that.? The transition from outdoors to in had Hudson blinking rapidly until his eyes adjusted. Once that was done, Hudson nodded his thanks and waited for Johnny to lead the way to Sianna. Whether or not it was his Si was still to be seen.

The rumble of masculine voices foreshadowed the thump of appropriately heavy steps, the boots echoing in dull thuds along the polished wood floor of the hallway. Quick fingertips brushed away the scattered tears that glimmered on her cheeks at the anticipation.

Johnny led the way into the kitchen, and crossed it swiftly to stand behind Sianna where she sat. He placed his hands lightly on her shoulders in wordless support as the man who called himself Hudson Fraiser entered the kitchen.

It was as if her eyes wouldn't quite focus and she blinked them several times swiftly as Johnny crossed her line of vision. And then suddenly, it was if she was ten years old, staring up into the face of her brother. His name escaped in a whisper.... "Oh, Hudson..."

In passing Hudson noticed the protective stance Johnny had taken up behind the woman sitting in the chair ? and then his gaze actually focused on her, and his breath was let out in one explosive exclamation. ?Si!? The reluctance in his pace vanished, and he went from the kitchen entrance to her chair in three long strides. ?Comhnuich mi le comhnadh Chriosd! ?Tis ye.?

A similar explosion of breath escaped Johnny, though his was wordless. From Sianna?s reaction, this was indeed her brother, and she was neither afraid nor worried to see him again. He squeezed her shoulders lightly, then released her and stepped back, out of the immediate way of this reunion.

At Hudson?s exclamation, she popped up and rushed him with a veritable whirlwind of force. Her words were swallowed with another deep gasp of air and she wrapped her arms around him as if terrified that he would vanish right before her very eyes.

Hudson returned her embrace fiercely, the fear and frustration of eight long months of searching banished all at once. He could hardly believe that she was real, and alive. There had been too many times he was convinced she was not. He was laughing, quietly, but there were tears wetting his face as well.

The reunion was so evidently joyful that Johnny relaxed somewhat. Sianna?s reaction to the initial note had been so strong, so unexpected, that he had been on edge about this meeting ever since. For the happiness that he could see already, Johnny was prepared to forgive Hudson much.

The tears that flowed down their faces mingled as Sianna pressed her cheek against her brother's. A thousand questions surfaced at once -- how, why, when.... yet popped like bubbles in a breeze. Giggling at her poor manners, she relaxed her hold a bit and turned to look over her shoulder. "Johnny dear... might I introduce ye tae my brother, Hudson?" A wavery smile curled her full lips as elation lit every fiber of her being.

?Hudson. Good ta meet ya, bro.? Again the appropriateness struck Johnny as he offered his hand to the other man. Cool silver mesh met against triangular scars, and Johnny grinned across their joined hands at Hudson. ?An? ta finish tha? introduction an? keep ya from killin? me on account ?a livin? with yer sister, bro?s goin? ta be th? righ? way ta call ya, soon. Si?s agreed ta marry me.?

"Johnny Smith! I was getting tae that. But since ye beat me to it, could ye have no' seen fit tae profess yer love an affection? Th' way ye said it makes it sound like we just shacked up!" Her laughter was a percolating teapot of sound, her eyes gleaming orbs of blue. Happiness was an understatement.

That was a shock on top of too many others, and Hudson simply stood for a moment with their hands locked, stunned. Eventually his instinctive courtesy returned and he reclaimed his hand. ?Aye, and ?tis a pleasure tae meet ye as well, Johnny. Ye be a lucky man tae have stolen mi puithar?s heart, th? way I can tell ye?ve done. As long as ye keep it well, we should be on well taegether.?

Laughter rang out to join Sianna?s, and finally he grinned from Sianna to Hudson and back. ?Yeah, well, ya know me an? words, Si. They jus? don? get on. An? besides, I think me an? yer bro ?r on th? same page. Abou? th? way I?d be if?n Gabby was ta bring home someone sudden-like. Hudson, I ain? go? a though? in my head ?a harmin? Si intentional. An? if?n I do somethin? unintentional, ya go? every righ? ta take it ou? on me, righ???

"Oh high heavenly days... one canna steal what's freely given, aye? And if 'tis no' kept proper, he'll have far greater tae worrit about than ye, braithir. But thank ye e'er sae much for your consairn jus' th' same." A kiss to his cheek and then a matching one for Johnny before she set to bustling about the kitchen. "Now sit th' both of ye whilst I make ye both a plate."

?Why dae that be th? woman?s first answer tae everything? Feed th? men, and that will be th? end of it. Nae that I be complaining, ye ken.? Hudson took one of the offered seats, adjusting the plaid over his shoulder for a more comfortable drape as he did so. He looked around the kitchen while Sianna bustled, taking in its layout, noting the cloth-covered bowl on one counter.

Ever the economist, Sianna had started a hearty pot of stew just that morning using the tougher cuts of beef that she had bartered for at the market, knowing that after hours of simmering they'd be fork tender and delicious. Dipping up two large bowls of the hearty dish, she placed one before each of the men before gathering a round loaf of soda bread sweetened with honey from the bread box and two Badsiders from the icebox. "I dinna think t'will end anything... but if ye plan tae tell the tale of how ye made it here, ye'll need a stout meal tae fortify ye. And ye dinna think that I'd feed ye and let mo chridhe sit by and gawk at ye, aye?"

A nearby chair snagged and swung backward, Johnny sat with his arms crossed on the high chair-rail. ?I ain? never goin? ta complain abou? getting? fed. ?Specially since Si cooks so much better?n me.? He grinned up at Sianna as she set down the meal. ?An? ya know tha?s one?a th? reasons I love ya, m?own. Ya ain? one ta let a man starve. S?anyway, Hudson, tha?s a good question. How?d ya find yer way here??

After the others were served and seated, Hudson took a few bites from the stew before he answered slowly. ?Th? short answer be that I walked intae a stone circle on th? moors whilst looking for Sianna. Walked out th? other side intae a glen in a forest. Took th? road I saw, and found th? city, thinking that this be th? Sidhe-lands th? whole time.? He shook his head with a slight smile, remembering that first disorienting evening.

((Adapted from Live RP; posted with full consent of all involved))