Varian sighed, pushing his goggles back up. "Focus, Varian! You need to focus on your work... How else are you supposed to support your wife and children?"
But he just couldn't focus, not after everything that had happened. Not after Trystan was kidnapped. Not after Trystan was kidnapped, left with the mysterious note and a broken leg. Not after the twins were born. Not after he and Cassandra had taken on this mystery.
And especially not after learning that there would be another Vatter kid.
He clenched his fist, pounding it against his lab table- which, in his opinion, hurt more than punching his desk at home. That was wood. The table in his lab was steel. Big difference.
"Hey there," a voice said, "you okay, Varian?"
Quickly, the young alchemist pretended to actually be working. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks."
Eugene entered the room, dropping a wrapped ham sandwich in front of Varian. "No, you're not fine."
Varian paused before nodding.
"You want to talk about it?"
"You already know most of it: how quickly everything is happening. Trystan being kidnapped. The twins being born... It's all so overwhelming, you know? And I'm still expected to return to work..."
"If you wanted, you could take a break," Eugene suggested, "Rapunzel and I wouldn't mind if-"
"Well, I do mind!" Varian snapped, "it's the only thing keeping me from going completely insane. It's my anchor. I do what I love and end up helping my friends, the kingdom, and, most important of all, my family. What anchors me also puts food on our table, Eugene, and..."
He stopped, forcing himself to take a few deep breaths.
"And?" Eugene gently prompted.
"It's not like it's as easy for me to supply for my family as it is for you to supply for yours, okay? I've got three kids and Cass to provide for- and myself, of course- and I've actually got to work for it. You- you just have to do... Whatever it is that you do for the kingdom. Even then..."
Varian glared at his ham sandwich like it was to blame for everything. Eugene put a hand on his shoulder, but the young alchemist angrily shrugged it off.
"And you can't focus because of everything going on around you," Eugene finished for him.
Varian just nodded, looking at the painting on the opposite wall. The princess had done various portraits for the Vatters: one of just Varian and Cass- before their wedding- next to one of them holding baby Trystan. And then the most recent one, where Trystan sat on Cassandra's lap, looking down at Jax while Varian held Journey. (Trystan and Cass always had a good laugh each time they saw this portrait; Varian had a mildly panicked expression on his face as he looked down at Journey).
He stared and stared at this one, trying to calm himself.
"Hey, if there's anything Rapunzel and I can do to help..."
"There's something else, too," Varian blurted out, "I'm just nervous. We've got this mystery on our hands, and I might end up having to take on more- whether it be babysitting time, or more playing detective..."
"Cassandra is pretty capable of lots of things, kid. Did you see how fast she ran only three months ago? In the blazing heat while expecting the twins?"
"But I don't want her to be overexerting herself like that!" Varian yelled, "especially not while she's expecting again!"
The silence that followed came down hard as Varian realized what he had just admitted and Eugene realized what he had just been told.
"Oh... My... Gosh... Cass is gonna kill me! Oh my gosh... I don't know if she even wanted anyone to know..." Varian kept on rambling, raking his hands through his hair, "oh, gosh... Oh, gosh..."
Eugene reached out, taking hold of Varian's wrists. "Hey, kid. Listen. It's gonna be fine."
