Like a Family

Yor Forger glanced at the clock, gnawing on her lip. It's 10 'til 6, she mused. I wonder what's taking Loid so long... Oh, I hope he wasn't in an accident! He did say his patients can get very violent. With a shake of her head, Yor resolved to calm down and finish dinner so Loid could at least have something hot to eat when he got home. And if it takes longer than an hour, Anya and I will go looking for him. She put her roast in the oven and began to chop potatoes, carrots, and onions. Thankfully, her cooking skills had continued to increase since the start of her lessons with her coworker, Camilla.

By the time Loid stumbled through the doorway at 6:47, over an hour later than he usually came home on weekends, Yor had finally admitted to herself that she was worried.

"Oh, Loid! You're home! Wh—" Yor stared in horror.

Loid had slumped against the wall, blood streaming down from a cut on his forehead. He sported a few other cuts and bruises on various parts of his face and had lifted a hand to his side. His pants had been ripped on the left side. A grimace overtook his face. Underneath it all lay a sort of heaviness, as though it took all his energy to stand.

Yor rushed to his side. "Where are you hurt? How can I help?" She peeled off his blazer and took his bag from him, laying it on the floor.

Loid's eyes opened slightly. He shook his head and then, seeming to think better of the action, lifted a hand to rub at his temples. "I'm fine," he sighed. "Just a rough day at work." After a moment's hesitation, he added, "A patient had a rather violent outburst, and it took a few of us to calm him down."

Yor nodded and wiped the blood on her husband's face. "Do you need anything?"

Loid groaned, "Just a shower." He paused and sniffed. "Do I smell pot roast?"

Feeling her face begin to heat, Yor grinned. "Yep! Dinner will be ready whenever you are."

The blond nodded wearily. "Give me a few minutes. I'll be back soon."

"Take your time!" Yor waved to Loid's retreating back. Good thing Anya's show is on, she thought to herself. She shouldn't mind waiting too much longer to eat.

~\*/~

As Loid pulled off his tie, he resisted the urge to moan. At least the drug cartel has been stopped for the moment... along with the terrorists... and the Twins of Treason.

When at last the soothing warmth of the water spraying from the shower head fell on him, Loid almost let himself relax. He could feel the tension in his muscles ebbing away. He let his eyes drop closed and then snapped them back open. No. Now wasn't the time for that. He would simply eat dinner and then retreat back into his room to check on his wounds. Once the house had settled down, he should still have time to survey the layout for the next mission, or side-mission, as it were. And then he could go to bed.

Technically, he was only supposed to be on one mission at a time, but so many agents had been captured recently, and there were a few with personal issues that prevented them from working on the field at the moment. The agency was stretched thin. Twilight couldn't remember the last time he had taken a vacation, let alone one without him actually having to work some kind of mission on the side.

He muttered an oath. And yet, it was all to make the world a better place. He could live with that.

When he stepped out of the shower, a wave of exhaustion hit him. He struggled through it and managed to make himself presentable for dinner, ever thankful that his wife had been the one to do the cooking that day. He was positive that preparing the meal would've been too strenuous for him.