Extended Family

Chapter 78: Definitions of Family

Takes place during chapter 73

Babe?"  Tracy knocked on the door.  "Are you okay?"  She started to panic a little, hearing Daphne cry.  "I'm coming in."  Tracy pushed the door opened and walked swiftly to Daphne, wrapping her arms around her.  "What's wrong?"

Daphne shook her head, trying to stem the tears but melting into Tracy's embrace.  "It is...it..."

"Don't say it's nothing," Tracy said firmly.  "You're really upset and we know that only one thing makes you lose your composure like this.  What happened."

Daphne coughed fitfully.  "He...he already started."

Tracy's blood ran cold.  "Already?!"

Daphne nodded miserably.  "He summoned me home to inform me," she spat.

"No, no fucking way.  Abso-fucking-lutely not!"

"I agree," Daphne shuddered.  "But...he...he said some dreadful things and can make things horrid."  She swallowed.  "He said it is my duty and because he allowed..." she made a weak gesture at herself and Tracy, "...we must...we..." she dissolved into more sobbing.

"That absolute bastard," Tracy hissed.  It showed how upset Daphne was when the woman did not chide Tracy's use of words.  "We can't let this happen.  We swore we would never let this happen, ever."

"What can we do?" Daphne whispered.

"Harry.  Harry swore too."

"We...cannot involve him in this.  He has done so much for us already."

"When it comes to Harry, we know the one thing you don't mess with is his family and Heather counts."

"So do we," Daphne whispered.

"Right.  Come on, we have to fight this with everything we got."

-0-

Harry's smile slid off his face when he saw them at his door.  "Hey, what's wrong?"  He took Heather from Daphne who had held her arms out to him.  "Is everything okay?"

"Not really," Tracy said weakly.  "Can we talk?  It's unfortunately really important.  Probably best if Katie's here too."

"Of course."  Harry kissed Heather's cheek.  "Dally?  Do you mind watching Iris and Heather and Lucas for a little bit?"  After making sure the two little girls were happily playing in the sitting room, and Lucas napping away, with Dahlia there too, he and Katie joined Tracy and Daphne in the kitchen.  He made them cups of tea and waited for them to sip.  "What's going on?"

"My father summoned me for a meeting," Daphne said.  She looked wretched.  Her hair was limp, her eyes red rimmed.  Her hands shook as she clutched the cup of tea.  "He informed me that he was in negotiations."

"What kind of negotiations?" Katie asked, feeling her stomach sour.

"For Heather's...betrothal," Daphne whispered.

"What the absolute fuck," Harry gasped.  All the women looked at him with surprise, unused to hearing him talk like that.  "Heather is still a baby!  Tell me you're kidding."