How I met your mother - Stellaride AU story

The Uncle (9)

Kelly's POV

"Kellllyyyy..." I hear in an echoed whisper "kelly" I hear a little louder and clearer as I groan and stretch, opening my eyes seeing Stella looking down at me. "Yay you're awake...was beginning to think you would never wake...I went and got us some breakfast from downstairs" she says standing up from the bed as she walks over to the table.

I sit up and rub my eyes looking over at her as she places the cutlery by the 2 plates "come eat whilst it's still hot" she says as I kick my feet over the bed finding my boxers and pulling them up my legs and standing up.

"Want a hot drink?" Stella asks standing in the kitchen area "erm yeah...sure coffee 1 sugar" I tell her as she pours the coffee into two mugs.

I sit down at the table looking at the variety of food in front of me "I didn't know what you liked so just got a bit of everything for you" she says placing the mug of coffee down infront of me.

"Oh it's fine I'm not fussy" I say picking up my knife and fork as I start to cut into the bacon. She sits in front of me sipping on her coffee before setting it down.

"You're going to need all the energy you can get after last night" she says pointing to all the food on my plate as she chuckles, I chuckle a little too as I take a sip of my coffee "oh that's some good coffee" I tell her as she smiles "make perfect coffees are my specialty" she says as I smile at her "then you need to come home with me and teach my men at the firehouse how to make a good pot of it" I tell her as she chuckles "okay..." she says as I look up at her shocked.

"I'm kidding...you know I couldn't leave this place just yet" she says as I nod "oh yeah...of course" I tell her as I continue eating. "You should definitely think about popping back up to Chicago sometime though, take some leave from working at the hotel" I ask her

"That hotel would crumble without me, not to toot my own trumpet but I'm the reason that hotel is still running, all hell would break loose even if I was gone just for the day" she says as I nod "you do seem to do a lot in that place, how come I don't see your uncle?" I ask her as she shakes her head puttting her fork down and wiping her mouth. "Oh you won't see him, he hides away in his office, he says he's working and having back to back meetings but..." she pauses as she looks down.

I reach my hand over to hers Sensing a hint of sadness "but what...you can tell me" I tell her as she looks up at me "but I know my aunties death hit him harder than he lets on, they were inseparable, they did everything together, after she died he completely changed, like he didn't know how to do life without her" she says as I smile sympathetically

"I couldn't even imagine" I tell her as she moves her hand and continues eating "he doesn't know I know this but I know he turned to alcohol to try help numb his pain, I found out when full crates of beer, bottles of vodka or whiskey would mysteriously vanish during inventory, I looked into it and found the said missing bottles in his office one day when I got curious about why he was a lot more snappy with me and could barely stand" she tells me

"You shouldn't have to deal with that, have you tried speaking to him about it, getting him to some help" I ask her as she nods "yep, I've tried everything, he won't listen just tells me to stay out of his business and so the job I came here to do which is to stop the hotel from going under as it's all he has left of her, my auntie" she says as I see her eyes tearing up.

"Hey...come on, don't get upset" I say moving my chair around next to her as I pull her in for a hug. I hear her sniffle as she buries herself into me tightly.

"I just don't want to let him down" she says her voice breaking a little as I lift her up seeing a tear roll down her face as I wipe it with my thumb. "And I'm sure you won't, I can see how much you put in to that hotel, but don't let him bully you over the edge" I tell her as she nods and smiles at me. "You're the closest break I've got from that hotel, do you have to leave tomorrow" she says chuckling as I smile at her.