Tempered by Love

Chapter 14 Facing a Demon

The twentieth of December dawned bone chilling cold. It had taken a bit of doing on Pete's part, but they'd managed to squeeze a couple more days for Daniel and the family to settle into life. But the deadline had finally arrived. They'd driven down on the nineteenth with Winter Holiday music blaring in between adverts for shopping, Handle's Day and Nollag gifts. He filled his head with thoughts of how he would wrangle the babies on Father Winter's lap without them getting stabbed by his display of twigs. He managed to keep Robbie entertained by telling him all of the ways possible one might avoid the Winter Wizard known for reaching into houses with his long, bony fingers and stealing gifts from evil children. Robbie became very polite and helpful after that story,

It was harmless fun, but Jackie was right. Father Christmas was so much easier.

Now he stood in the McGregors guest bath, staring at his reflection. He closed his eyes and imagined Nora rubbing his cheek whilst rolling her eyes. Howie's trim aside, Sam Addis was the only person who'd appreciated his facial hair. He checked his reflection and cracked a half-hearted smile. If he had to face a  human Dalek, he'd do it looking like the man who created him.

He grabbed the can of shaving cream and his shaving kit. Nine weeks of cultivating his personal statement of defiance against the world fell with the first swipe of a blade. Five minutes later, beard gone, Daniel wiped the last of the shaving cream away to see a new face. They were right, the lack of a beard took ten years off his face. His dimples and the cleft in his chin were back. He used the eyebrow comb Howie had given him, trying to neaten his brows and ran his fingers through his hair.

"You're lookin' good," her voice whispered in the back of his mind. He sniffed hard. Maybe, Fergus was right; maybe she was somewhere, smiling down at him. He hoped she liked what she saw.

He finished dressing, slid his suit jacket on and checked his reflection one last time. He missed his blue suit. He liked that suit. He liked wearing a coloured vest under an Oxford that showed off his slim physique instead of a tie. The suit Don brought was a half-size too big, making him look a bit on the gaunt side.

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to calm the rising tide of nerves. "Breathe and then breathe again," the tiny psychiatrist had said. Daniel took a ragged breath. "Get it together, it's not like you're stopping an invasion. You fought battles in space, and changed nappies, you can do this," he muttered.

The problem with that statement was he didn't want to face Ian Filson in court. He wanted to bind him in chains, shove him into a stasis cube and throw it into a black hole. For a moment, he revelled at that picture, watching the forces of nature rip apart the man he hated more than any human alive or dead.

"Hey, Cousin, it's time to go."

Daniel's eyes snapped open at the intrusion and turned to see Don standing in the doorway. "Hey," he answered back hoping his thoughts didn't show on his newly clean face. He flashed a wan smile.

"I'll be a son of a bitch," Don said.

Daniel feigned an innocent air. "What?"

"You said, you didn't care what anyone thought; you weren't shaving."

"Well, I thought ...."

"She'd prefer the clean, wholesome look? " Don finished grinning. "I have to say if I were a woman, or -- on the wrong bus, I'd chase ya."

"Oi, that's just -- rude." Daniel reached for his overcoat and slipped it on. "They ready?"

"Yeah. The boys are going to meet us at the courthouse."

"So, onwards?"

"Or as the Americans say; let's kick ass."

Daniel frowned and arched an eyebrow in disapproval. "You will watch your language in front of Robbie, eh?"