~A Whirlwind Named Padriq....Part Two~

The Southern Glen. A usually quiet place, but not tonight. Lilli's Midsummer festival was going on and the place had people everywhere. Aja glanced at the cherry trees, where Padriq had given her the music box. And then towards the spot where the table had been set up for the date. The Glen held memories, that at the moment, were making her a little edgy considering yesterdays arena proposal.

Aja tried her best to keep up with conversations and things going on around her. But these days, she had a lot going on in her head, and it wasn't easily sorted out. Work, the bar, the kids, her family all of it...she adored. But once in a while, all of it converged at once, sending Aja into solve the problem mode, which had mixed results.

She was standing in the Glen, sipping her beer and trying in vain to keep Peanut from digging in her pockets for the ring he knew was there somewhere. For a spider monkey, Peanut had some strange habits and interests. One of them at the present moment was hunting down the shiny object that Aja put in her pocket. She swatted his little paw as it started to reach into her inside pocket. Neo looked at that curiously. "What's he looking for?" Neo watched the monkey, and if was paying attention, he saw a monkey pout. "The ring Padriq gave me. Peanut saw it earlier and squealed like a girl." Peanut made another attempt, which earned another light swat. "You behave or I'll let the cat tangle with you." Peanut chattered at her, probably annoyed. "Hope you have it hidden well. Or preferably, not on you at all." Neo said watching Peanut draw back again. "I haven't decided what to do just yet.." she sighed as Peanut went for a third try, took the ring out and put it on her right hand for the moment. "Don't rush the decision. Hopefully, he won't rush it either." Neo's statement made her raise a brow and make a soft snort noise. "He won't rush' The devil will throw snowballs before Padriq Kidd slows down." Padriq slowing down was something she had no concept of at the moment. He seemed full speed, most of the time. "Well he'll just have to be understanding." Neo's sage nod made her smile. Bless the Oracle, for he was truly something special. "I hope so, Neo...I hope so." She replied not really sure if that would happen either. "Ring" Did Padriq propose to you?" Bless Mira, who had just caught the conversation. Aja just nodded to her. "He did...threatened to stay naked till I said yes." Sivanna, who had been dancing till just then, joined in the conversation. "Just water, thank you. I'm parched." She gave a bright grin for Manuel before she redirected at Aja. "You didn't give him an answer, did you? What did he say today?" "I haven't seen him today, Sivanna." She kept the soft smile, but Sivanna standing directly in front of her, probably caught the worry in Aja's eyes. She had stood and watched helpless while Padriq left the arena after the battle, and then saw the sunrise come without seeing him again. She didn't know what to think. "He didn't!" came Mira's shocked reply. "That's it. I'm having another chat with him," Sivanna warned darkly, and in a very protective fashion. "That man needs to learn boundaries." Manuel came back at that moment, holding a glass for Sivanna, who took the glass Manuel offered and provided him a grateful nod before indulging her in a sip or eight. "Oh yes, he did." Aja tried for humor with Mira, even though she worried a little for Padriq now, if Sivanna perceived his silence as a way to hurt Aja, it wouldn't go well for Padriq. Her pretty blond friend had some seriously scary skills. "Padriq's...just...really romantic...gets all puffed up." Aja continued explaining to Mira, she didn't want her family to get the wrong impression just cause she was feeling a little stung by his absence. Peanut hugged Aja's head, making her smile. "Love you too, buddy." And a soft pat was given to the monkey.

While conversations whirled around her, Aja tried keeping a soft smile on her face, trying to look like she wasn't carrying around a weight in her chest. Proposals were suppose to be romantic, and a long time in the making. While Padriq was romantic to the tenth degree, it wasn't a long time coming. It was a whirlwind of events and feelings that sent Aja into a state of upheaval. He normally dormant feelings when it came to men, were now alive and kicking like given a shot of adrenaline that had her brain running in circles.

She must have had enough of a look on her face to alarm someone, cause Mira's voice broke into the jagged flow of thoughts and jarred her back to the present moment. "Are you having fun, Aja?" Aja must have looked more lost than she thought cause Sivanna came to take Aja in a friendly embrace. "It'll be all right, mellonamin," Sivanna's quiet voice soothed Aja's frazzled thoughts. "Oh...I'm gonna be fine.." she had to think fast, her friends worrying was not something she could accept happily. She knew they care, and she adored them, but happy nights were few and far between. "Just . middle of a field here." She tried for a grin. "No bar...no ocean." The joking seemed to work a little, but now Neo was looking too. Damn, not enough. "You alright, there?" he asked. "An ocean of grass. And there's a lake here somewhere." Mira offered helpfully, Aja gave a gentle squeeze to Sivanna then and answered Neo. "I'm good." Then turned her eyes to Mira. "Lake can work...I can pretend I can't see the rest." She gave a playful wink. "Well we can always retreat to somewhere with an accessible bar," Sivanna reassured her complacently, moving to plant a chaste kiss on her cheek. "Alright." Neo nodded, seeming ok with that answer. The relocation to the bar sounded like heaven for a moment. "Sexy." She gave Neo a playfully wink, then smiled at Sivanna. "I love the way you think." "Gorgeous." Neo shot back, his usual blush was decidedly less. That made her smile and she leaned against Sivanna for just a a moment. "It's a gift," Sivanna was always a heartbeat away from becoming a wasp. "Inn Bound?" Aja questioned, she wouldn't drag them, if they wanted to stay in the Glen, it would be fine. But the memories here were digging at her bit by bit. Mira looked for another bright side to the Glen then. "And the table with all the drinks sort of looks like a bar, just without stools in front or mirrors and shelves behind." Aja noticed Sivanna then, her gaze flitted to the dance floor reluctantly, but she nodded and moved to plant another kiss on Aja's head. "If you like." "If you guys are headed out of here, then I'm headed back to the tower. I'd like to get to sleep at a half-way sane hour." Neo too seemed to be looking for a bright side with that even with his chuckle, Aja got the impression he would rather stay. This made her feel bad, she gave a smile. "Ya know...it's nice here...I see beer.." she grinned at Sivanna then. "You dance." She then looked at Mira. "You need a drink, Mira?" Mira was looking around a bit, and didn't answer right away. Peanut chattered at her, Aja laughed at that and took his paw. "Stop buggin her, ya pest. She'll tell us." Peanut then chattered at her making her laugh. "If you say so."

Manuel had challenged Sivanna to another dance contest of sorts, but Sivanna looked at her and said. "That's all right, Aja. If you want to go, we can go." At that moment in time, Aja's eyes saw someone walking up the path, the stride seemed vaguely familiar, so caught up in the observation, she barely noted that Peanut launched himself at Mira, hugging her head and cooing as he petted her hair. "Aw, he likes you too." Aja said, tearing her eyes away from the figure long enough to say, then her eyes strayed back to the person. Padriq. Looking for all the world like he'd been through the ringer, making Aja's heart stop just a moment, the concern she felt for him almost propelling her forward. Then, she remembered that in the wake of everything that happened with them, he left and didn't come home. "We'll stay, love." She told Sivanna, who had also noticed him and was giving him a look too. "But thank you. Seriously." "Suit yourself," that to Aja before her metallic gaze followed Padriq as he made his way into the clearing. She let out a sigh before turning back to Manuel. "Shall we give these people another show, heruamin?" she requested cordially, nosing in the direction of the dance floor. Aja nodded and looked to Mira then. "Be careful there, little one, you may catch your fingers in one of the pins." She was saying to Peanut which made Aja grin a little. "Mira" Can Peanut stay with you a moment' He can get down, wander if he wants." "Okay." Mira agreed and Aja smiled. "That's cool with you, isn't it?" Mira asked Peanut. "I love you." She said to Mira then eyed Peanut. "Behave." She didn't know if Peanut would listen, but it was something else to focus on. Aja took another look at Padriq's approach and turned for the drink table, calling out over her shoulder. "I'll grab you a soda." And she moved through the thin crowd to collect herself, and get something to put in her hands so she'd have something to fidget with. As she grabbed on, she sighed for a moment, thinking that at some point they would talk. So she put another in her jacket pocket, then grabbed Mira's soda. A deep breath to ready herself for facing Padriq and she headed back.

"Hope Pepsi is ok. I think Neo banished all the coca cola from the land." Aja said as she came back to Mira and Neo. "They're not paying me! Let alone enough to try that!" he grinned at her. "Thank you, Aja." Mira smiled and accepted the drink. "I don't much care which brand it is, so long as it bubbles." During this conversation, she saw Padriq look her way, it looked apprehensive. She stared back, unsure of what to do, when he moved towards the lake rather than her, the grin she was giving Neo slipped a little. "Huh.." Aja said watching him move away towards the water. "I think the devil just made a snowman, Neo." She dipped back to their earlier conversation. Neo too, watched Padriq walking to the lake, away from Aja with some concern. "Maybe you should have a look at the lake, Aja?" Mira too it seemed, had seen Padriq dodge to the lake. "It might make you feel better, water being serene and all that." She offered helpfully. "Yer a wise woman." Aja nodded to her, then tapped her shoulder making Peanut crawl over. "Don't want him to scratch you if he sees something exciting."

Aja headed towards the lake, her fingers playing with that ring on her right hand the whole way over. He had his back to her and the rest of the party goers, skipping rocks. Peanut, smart little bugger that he was, was remaining blissfully quiet and still as she stopped a few feet from him. She watched him then, he was still unaware of her presence it seemed and she swallowed hard , then tried for a joke to break the ice that seemed to erect itself overnight. How did they go from last night's playful banter to this" "So.." she started, her voice managing not to crack. "Yer wearing clothes." "Aye." Was all that he said, not making it any easier for her. She caught the inklings that something was going to happen to cause a commotion in the Glen, and this was something that could not wait. She stepped closer and held out her hand to him. "Come with me." She managed again to speak without her voice giving her internal battle away. He glanced back at her, reached out silently and followed her off the Glen.

And into town, Teas and Tomes would be quiet this hour of the night was Aja's way of thinking. She led them into the courtyard and sat on the bench. She grabbed the other beer from her pocket and held it out to him silently. He looked at it, took it studying it for a moment, not looking at her. After a moment, he opened it and took a long drink.

Aja didn't understand his silence, she played with that ring on her hand while she looked at him. Part of her wanted to scream at him, another wanted to hold him and yet another wanted to smack him just a little for last night. That part won the argument. A small sip of beer, then she spoke. "Well...so...I railed at the Gods for a little while last night.." she started, figuring perhaps letting him know how her night went after he left, would tell him something. "And was pretty much talking to a boat.." she shook her head at that. She had actually been ranting to her dead husbands boat, blaming him for her current mess. She sighed and looked at Padriq then. "How was yer night?" "Face firs' in a ditch n' found by me crew." He answered in almost monotone, not looking at her. She sighed a little till she noticed his eyes flickered once or twice her way, before staring off at the courtyard wall again. That kicked up the part of her that wanted to yell at him. Instead, the smack him around part kicked it up a notch.

"Oh yeah. I forgot some stuff." She said a little more forcefully, that got him to look at her, his brow raised a little. "Wut ye ferget?" he asked his voice sounding a little more like his own. Aja got up and stood in front of him then. "I forgot about my crazy arse boyfriend threatening to.." she paused a little and corrected herself. "More than threatening...actually was getting naked in front of my family last night, after proposing to me by the way." She had a head of steam going now, and decided that one more barrel might actually be needed. "I forgot that I also woke up alone, once I actually found my bed.." then she let him have one more yell, this one, came straight from her heart. "And I forgot to say that if he ever walks out on me like that again and doesn't somehow let me know his silly arse is alive, I'm going to shoot him." Her tone was serious, she looked at him calm, but knew there was no way she could hide her worry about him. That last bit was what had been revisiting her all day long with every moment that passed without seeing him.

He didn't seem to follow her way of speaking then, he looked away again, his lowering a bit. Aye..." then he looked back at her, sighing. "I be sorry luv." "Don't be sorry, Padriq. Be here." Aja pleaded, setting her beer on the bench, then taking his to set it down. She took his hands in hers, looking at him. "Talk to me...Cause I won't marry someone who can't."

That seemed to snap him into the present moment more, he nodded slowly. "I be a fool who always be followin' me 'eart. Me brothers say I nae ever listen t' me 'ead. I proposed las' nigh' knowin' ye may reject me again, but damn it I 'ad t'. I 'ad been thinkin' on it all day. Then that cuss of a slaver comes waltzin' in, n' I felt like nae matter when or 'ow I do it. There nae ever will be a moment where it will be perfect enough fer ye. I felt like I cud nae be whut ye needed....Like I wus nae righ' fer ye." He poured it all out for her, the things about last night and his possible taking off making more sense to her now. Aja closed her eyes, feeling the anxiety kick down some, she shook her head once, real slow then opened her eyes to look at him with a smile. "You crazy arse fool." She started softly. "I don't need perfect. I don't need a thousand roses and candle light. I don't need grand gestures." She squeezed his hand. "I need you. Don't you get that?" He looked at her eyes, and sighed a little. Leaning forward, he kissed her forehead, then hugged her tight to him, his fingers trailing through her hair, whispering to her. "Aye luv. I get tha' now." His voice still sounded so dejected, she couldn't stand it. She pulled back and looked at him. "I need to know that you and me can survives those snowfalls.." Aja decided that all cards needed to be set out here, and nothing else would come close. "That there's more to us than big romantic moments. I need to be yer equal here. I know you got my back, but you have to let me have yours too." He nodded once more, whispering to her. "I understand, luv. I understand." He kissed her forehead then, making her feel like she just kicked a puppy. "I nae be goin' anywhere. Nae ever again." She gave him a soft smile and touched his cheek. There was more to their little discussion, things that needed to be said.

"Not that I wanna be tripping around in the big headachey drama..." she trailed off and sighed at how typical she sounded right at that moment. "Lord, ya've turned me inta such a girl." She made a face at that, then looked at him more seriously. "My heart dropped for you when Bridget told me about Jamie." She shook her head slow then. "I shouldn't have heard it from her, luv. It should've been you." "I wus gonna tell ye the nigh' I saw ye, but Bridget 'ad t' go n' run 'er mouth." He sighed then, seeming to think that what he said sounded like a lame excuse. He shook his head and lowered his head. "Aye luv. Aye." She put her right hand with the ring on it in his sight line then. "This is where it's staying for now. Until I feel like we're partners, Kidd. Right now...I'm not.." she paused a moment cause that thought stung a bit. "I know you love me. That's not in question. Not even a shadow of a doubt there." Aja had make sure he understood that this wasn't goodbye, just a hold on a minute sort of thing. "But until I'm also yer confidant, this ring stays on the right hand. Got it?" that got him to look up and lock his eyes with hers. He gave a nod, his voice still quiet. "Aye luv....Aye...Ye do nae 'ave t' tell me more." For a moment, she got worried that she had hurt him. Then he continued on. "I shall whisper all me thought's t' ye in bed, at breakfast, while makin' luv, n' even while ye be tryin' t' work." Each thing cause an ever widening grin.

"Yer such a drama queen." She teased and was rewarded by the twinkle starting to return to his eyes, his hands reaching up and pinching her cheeks. "N' ye be me crazed 'igh school girl wit 'er 'eart all a flutter." That made her chuckle. "You take that back, Kidd." She nudged him playfully, happy to see the grin coming back to his face. "Ye act like a 'igh school girl, who be a freshmen wit a senior boy friend takin' 'er t' prom." "You are so full of it, Queeny." The playfulness wasn't back yet, but it was getting there. "Ye be as flustered as ever luv. It be written all over yer face." "That's it...I'm letting Sivanna have Fredzilla eat you." She grinned and hip nudged him.

That got him to grab her by the hips, pulling her to him and kissing her passionately. One she returned happily. "I missed ye luv. Too much." His eyes locked on hers then and she pulled him close, hugging him tightly. "I missed you. Let's not do that again...it's not any fun." He nodded then kissed her head. "Iffin ye see that Egyptian withou' me around ye do nae stick aroun' luv. Nae ever." She heard the concern, and nodded. "I swear to you I won't." she grinned then. "Bob sent me a plasma cannon. I can shoot him from a distance." "I do nae like 'im, luv." Padriq it seemed was now the one that wanted to get something across to her. "I want ye t' come n' be wit me iffin 'e shows his ugly face again." "I am not running. I haven't before. I won't start. Don't ask me to, Padriq." She stared straight at him, seriously. "Last night, I stayed back...as you asked..While my family took him on." "I do nae want 'im t' take ye n' do t' ye wut 'e did t' 'er alrigh'?" Padriq's view on Duci settled it to Aja that he honestly thought she was in danger of some sort. "'e 'as already made threats against me family. I do nae need t' loose ye. I wud die fer ye." He looked her in the eyes, his voice holding no lie.

Aja rubbed at her head, considering railing at the Gods again. Damn it. How could he ask her to run and hide like some coward" She ain't never run from a fight in her life, and she didn't want to start now. That damn Egyptian could ruin a good time faster than Gilly scarfed burgers and he didn't have to be present to do it. She closed her eyes and leaned against his chest.

Padriq held her close, leaning his head on hers. He hated that Egyptian with a fiery passion. Aja wanted his honesty and he gave it. He feared her loss. It wasn't something he wanted to consider, and a loss to that slaver would be worse.

"Padriq..." she started, her voice sounding whiney to her ears. "Yer asking me to do something I've never done before. Hide." "I jus' want ye t' be safe luv." His quiet voice preceded a kiss to her head. Aja stomped her foot on the pavement in frustration. "I know but, damn it." She sighed, then looked at him. "What about you? Yer like yer fool brothers. Ya wouldn't think twice about going after him..." she pulled away to pace then. "I wanted to smack both Donal and Stephen...yeah it was funny seeing Donal head but the bastard...but the reason was stupid." Aja stopped then, turning to look at him. "So...I will make you a deal. I will stay away from Anubis if you swear to me that you will not try to kill him for the inane things he says. I don't care if he calls me a two copper whore, you do not engage him for that crap. Deal?" this seemed to agree with him. He held her eyes and said seriously. "Aye luv....Aye. Ye 'ave me word." "Likewise." She ran a hand through her hair and then looked at him. "Is there anything else on the deck we haven't cleared?"

"Tha' I feel like a git fer makin' ye sleep alone las' nigh'." He sighed heavily at that, Aja found the look on his face to be adorable and gave a small puff of laughter. "I think being face down in the gutter was punishment enough, don't you?" she watched him nod to that question. "Wut ye say ye let me sleep in yer bed tonigh' lass?" he asked and she smiled, the drama seemed to be done, now they could get back to their usual style of dealing with other. "I don't know.." she grinned then. "Are ya sure yer done kickin yerself" Cause ...I don't wanna get caught in the crossfire." That made his usual grin return. "Tha' so..?" he asked, Aja saw the sparkle back in his eyes and nodded with a smile of her own. "I'm apparently delicate." A little razzing there, she wasn't totally ok with what he had asked of her yet. That made him kick her in the butt gently with his foot and made her laugh. "Owie...now...I make you kiss it." She gave him a wink, and he promptly grabbed her, leaning down to kiss the spot his foot had nudged making her laugh. "Come on, luv.." she smiled. "Let's go on home. Hot bath, little snugglin...some decent sleep" Sound like a plan?" she held out her hand, he smiled and took it in his own. "Lead the way luv." Aja loved the smile he had now. She slipped her arm through his and leaned on his shoulder, grinning. "Queeny." "Prom Teeny." He teased right back making her grin like mad. "I hear Fredzilla likes pirates." She quipped. "Doggie treats." "Oh yeah?" he retorted, keeping step with her as they made their way down the street towards home. "Well, I like yer rump."

Later that night, Aja would lay in bed and look at him sleeping next to her. That ring still on her right hand, and her mind a little more settled. She wondered for a moment if they would be alright in the coming months. Or would his impatience be their undoing" Aja wasn't sure, but for now, things were once again back on a normal track. There were other things in her head, but at the moment..she pushed it aside and went to sleep.