The Age of The Masrui

"I know that, I wasn't saying that." Ronan frowned, moving away to look at her properly then. "I am trying to be sympathetic to the fact that you are in the same boat as Rhys here; losing three people not just one, or two. We'll stick to the original name, like I said it sounded ridiculous anyway once I said it out loud."

---

"No, no it isn't fair! It isn't fair that I lose my best friend, because I didn't want him to die! It isn't fair that you aren't smoothing it over! It isnt fair that you haven't reached out to me, that you didn't tell me he was in rehab until I came here, that I didn't know he was home two weeks after he got home! It isn't fair that you don't even seem grateful, and I am... hurting because he hates me now and all anyone is doing is shrugging their shoulders as if it isn't a big deal when it is! I was going to go travelling with him! I told him everything! I relied on him, a- and he hates me and no one cares!"

---

"You've told me about it before though, lots of times it's come up.. no need to pretend it is a secret."

"I know that, I wasn't saying that." Ronan frowned, moving away to look at her properly then. "I am trying to be sympathetic to the fact that you are in the same boat as Rhys here; losing three people not just one, or two. We'll stick to the original name, like I said it sounded ridiculous anyway once I said it out loud."

---

"No, no it isn't fair! It isn't fair that I lose my best friend, because I didn't want him to die! It isn't fair that you aren't smoothing it over! It isnt fair that you haven't reached out to me, that you didn't tell me he was in rehab until I came here, that I didn't know he was home two weeks after he got home! It isn't fair that you don't even seem grateful, and I am... hurting because he hates me now and all anyone is doing is shrugging their shoulders as if it isn't a big deal when it is! I was going to go travelling with him! I told him everything! I relied on him, a- and he hates me and no one cares!"

---

"You've told me about it before though, lots of times it's come up.. no need to pretend it is a secret."

“I appreciate the thought you had.” Bella took his hand and kissed the back of it before pressing his palm to her face. “It was sweet...”

---

“I am respecting my sons wishes! He has told me that he needs space away from you. I never said it was fair.”

---

“I’m still ashamed of it...”

"I was brave enough to help him and I'm being punished for it!" Sienna yelled.

---

"Mm." Ronan mumbled. "Should we head up to bed? I'm tired."

---

"Why? Everyone makes mistake, you say that all the time..."

“Because I did... things I’m not proud of. I wasn’t a very nice person back then.”

---

“Mm, a nap sounds wonderful.”

---

“Nobody is punishing you. He is an addict in recovery. His needs need to be respected so he doesn’t relapse, Sienna. I appreciate why you’re upset but he is fragile right now.”

"And what was your excuse for not telling me he was in rehab?! What is your excuse for not keeping me updated?! Why am I... only loved by Caliban and Dorian but the rest of you look down your nose at me?! I don't talk to the others much, but I was in your life before Grayson cut me out of his and... Everyone always says we are a big family, but it doesn't feel like it to me. I have two uncles, and.. that is it. Everyone else are strangers."

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"No one can be nice all the time. Your meant to embrace the past, not run away from it... so no one loved me growing up; if they had I never would of met you, and everyone else so.. I couldn't imagine it any other way."

---

Ronan got to his feet and offered her a hand up.

"And what was your excuse for not telling me he was in rehab?! What is your excuse for not keeping me updated?! Why am I... only loved by Caliban and Dorian but the rest of you look down your nose at me?! I don't talk to the others much, but I was in your life before Grayson cut me out of his and... Everyone always says we are a big family, but it doesn't feel like it to me. I have two uncles, and.. that is it. Everyone else are strangers."

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"No one can be nice all the time. Your meant to embrace the past, not run away from it... so no one loved me growing up; if they had I never would of met you, and everyone else so.. I couldn't imagine it any other way."

---

Ronan got to his feet and offered her a hand up.

Bella pushed herself up from the couch, taking his hand.

---

“I suppose that’s a way to look at it.” Karsi nodded with a small smile.

---

“Nobody looks down their nose at you Sienna.” Grace frowned. “You’re a very... insecure person aren’t you? Everything is a slight.”

Sienna just shook her head in the negative, frozen in spot.

---

Tesni offered a warm smile before turning her attention back onto the television.

“I’ll tell him you stopped by.”

---

Karsi moved to lay on her side so her leg was more comfortable, watching the movie too.

"Don't bother." She muttered before walking away, heading back home.

((BRB just putting the house back together, it’s all done - what are you wanting to do now?))

(( I have no idea We could just skip however long until River wakes? ))

((How long were you thinking?))

(( Enough for her to be a bit jarred but not too long? A year maybe? ))

((Sure - are we saying they kept her on because they had signs of activity or something? Where are you wanting to be with everyone else?))

(( Yeah, 100%. Like a tiny bit of brain activity and then from there she got better and better.
Kadir and Serena would be solid now, I imagine? Other than that and Eric being born I don't know how much would of changed - it is up to you ))

((Yeah sounds good and then later we can have Dane come round too! Do you mind posting first just whilst I get the house sorted and everything?))

A year later...

River lay in her hospital bed, the only machine now attached to her being a drip and a couple of monitors as she could now breath on her own. Over the past couple of weeks she had blinked her eyes open but for only seconds before falling into a sleep once again. Though today, her fingers began to curl inward as her eyelids fluttered.

Reid, sat beside her and staring in disappointment at his empty coffee cup, didn't even notice. Dark circles under his eyes and slightly thin from stress and lack of sleep from the past year.

---

"Esme, I told you he can't quite play the same way you do yet." Ronan frowned, scooping Eric up off of the floor as he cried - his son having tried to use one of Esme's toys only to have it jump back and hit his forehead.

---

"Felix, do you want to set the table or would you like to stir this risotto for me? It needs to be constantly moving otherwise it will burn."

"Why can't Faye do anything? She always gets out of before dinner chores." Christian complained, making quiet noises of frustration as he tried to fold the napkins into small cranes. Narrowing his eyes at Sienna, "Why can't we just shove the napkins down anyway we like?"

"There isn't any point making dad a surprise dinner if we don't make it look fancy for him." Sienna pointed out. "Keep trying, you'll get it."

"Mm, and Faye is going to help me put away later on. She is still too young to do any of the bigger jobs."

“He cries and everyone comes running for him, great.” Esme sighed deeply, moving to tidy her toys away as her mother entered the room.

“Oh no sweetheart, what happened?” Bella frowned at the red mark on Eric forehead, resting a hand on Ronan’s shoulder as she leaned over to inspect it.

---

“Replacements here.” Astrid headed into the room, taking the old takeaway cup from his hand and slipping in a new one she’d been downstairs to get. Kissing his temple as she tidied round the room a little bit, adding in new flowers she’d gone to get too.

---

“I can stir.” Felix confirmed as he took the spoon from her to do as she asked - looking around him warily, still nervous about being in the house.

"Has my daughter managed to teach you the good part of her sense of music yet?" Marlowe asked Felix with a warm smile as she leant across to turn the radio on.

"All of my tastes of music are good." Sienna laughed.

---

"He is a baby, he is delicate - like you were when you were his age, Esme." Ronan frowned, passing Eric over to Bella when he reached out for her.

---

(( Sorry brb. Sorting out dinner))

“Yeah yeah yeah.” Esme muttered, slamming the lid to her toy box shut before storming upstairs to her room.

“Mommy’s here baby.” Bella soothed gently, holding Eric close as she rubbed his back to calm him.

---

“She plays a lot of music.” Felix nodded quietly.

(( Sorry! Ended up having to pop to the shop and then go and pick up a baby gate for the dog. It is non-stop this week ))

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"Esme, drop the attitude!" Ronan called after her with frown, shaking his head and turning his attention onto Eric. Reaching over to check the mark to see if there was a bump and sighing in relief when there wasn't one. "We need to baby proof better."

Eric lifted his knuckles up to his face as he cried; unknowing of what he was meant to be doing but imitating behaviour he had seen on cartoons.

---

"Do you have any favourites? Or are you not a music person?"

"Mum..." Sienna sighed.

"I'm getting to know your boyfriend! You go and tell Theo he needs to come down and join us." Marlowe hummed.

Sienna grimaced, mumbling, "Play nice." as she got to her feet and headed out of the room to find her brother.

---

"Oh... thanks,,you didn't have to." Reid whispered, taking a sip of the new drink before lifting his gaze up to watch Astrid. "How many more bunches of flowers are you going to buy, hm? It's just a waste o-" He cut off suddenly then, eyes widening in surprise as he stared at River's hand curled around his wrist. Slowly lifting his gaze up to meet his sisters. "Oh- oh my god.. River. Hi."

River just offered a tired smile, lightly squeezing his wrist.

“It’s not a waste. It adds something to the room so it’s not - “ Astrid looked over when she heard Reid speaking, a smile breaking out onto her face. “Hey you...” she greeted, signing it a second later.

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“Her attitude has been awful lately.” Bella sighed as she gently bounced Eric, pulling his hands from his face. “You’re being silly aren’t you?” She laughed softly, kissing the tip of his nose.

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“Not a fan really...” Felix nodded quietly.

"What do you like - What're your hobbies?"

---

Eric sniffed a few times as his hands were moved away from his face. Soon beginning to giggle when his mother kissed his nose.

"There is that laugh." Ronan smiled.

---

River moved her hand away from Reid then so he could sign to Astrid weakly; The flowers are beautiful, thank you.