Reflections of Light

Home Visit

"Mummy, Nibs' curled up 'sleep wif Big Tiger, an' it's sooo cute an' adorwable!"

"Aw, really? That's sweet.
Just make sure Big Tiger doesn't loose an ear again, I don't know if I'll be able to re-sew him a second time."

"Nah, dat won't happen 'gain, Nibs' better behaved now, an' he knows not to do dat."

Luci smiled, shaking her head in amusement, as she flicked through a pile of paperwork resting on the table.

"Are you and Nibs playing in the lounge?"

"Yeth. Since 'Bastian's not dere, we've got all da space!"

"Yes, well." Luci muttered, obviously a little put out by something. "He hasn't been back since last night, so..."

"Imma goin'a go back 'n see Nibs now. Come quickly, 'fore he moves!"

"Okay, Sweetheart. Could you please do me a favour? Since you're in there with the big front window, keep an eye out for Sebastian for me, would you? Let me know when he comes back."

Billy nodded, scurrying away eagerly into the front room, to play with his puppy and his toys.

A while later, he was back, tugging on his mum's arm for attention in his urgency. "Mummy, mummy, mummy! Dere's a man comin' to the door! Come 'n see! Dere's a man, mummy, come look!"

"... As you can see, my son is completely fine."

Jace felt somewhat uncomfortable under Luci's gaze, as he sat across from her in the lounge. She was obviously ticked off by his arrival at her house, but was masking it under almost sickly-sweet pleasantries in order to not escalate the situation.

"It's very considerate of you to check up on him, but I assure you, the running away was a one time thing. An adverse reaction to the new place. He didn't handle the sudden change well, unfortunately. I think it overwhelmed him a little.
He's much better now he's settled."

"We... Can see that." Alec commented from where he was seated, as Billy charged up and down the hallway outside the lounge door, in the midst of some imaginary game or other, Nibs bounding enthusiastically after him in a blur of white.

Luci chuckled. "Well, boys will be boys, eh?" She said, taking a mouthful from the mug in her hands.

"I'm a Minotaur!" Billy loudly announced as he charged into the room, fingers on his head for horns, running circles around the floor.

"Hey, hey, HEY!" Luci said, snagging him as he rushed recklessly past. "Calm down, okay? You're going to hurt yourself. Running games are better in the garden."

"Hey." Jace said, leaning forwards slightly to speak to the young boy. "You remember me?"

Billy nodded, surprisingly enthusiastic. "You was da man I meeted when I runned away!"

Catching his mum's communicative look, he actively calmed his eagerness. "Runnin' away was vewy naughty of me to do, 'cause et's vewy silly an' vewy dangerwous." He recited, involuntarily smiling at himself with pride as he finished, the words obviously something that had been hammered into him after his little 'escapade'.

"Well, yes, that's true." Jace agreed, nodding. "Hey, what was your name again?"

"What you mean ' 'Gain'? I didn't say da first time!"

"Okay then, what's your name?"

"Uh... You can call me... Umm... Stormaggedon, Dark Lord of all."

"Or William, as that is your name." Luci said from the armchair, suppressing a grin at his antics.

"Mummy! They didn't know that!" Billy hiss-whispered at her, leaning on the arm of her chair.

"Something tells me you were unlikely to get away with it." She chuckled, tweaking his nose fondly.

"So..." Alec said, looking around the room. "Is it just you two in this place?"

"Currently so, yes."

Billy looked up at her, confused. "But what about 'Basti..."

"Oh yes, and Nibs. Don't worry William, we're not forgetting him." Luci said in a placating voice, smoothly cutting him off. She reached over, fondly ruffling the dogs scraggly coat, Nibs' eyes lighting up and his tail going crazy at the attention.

"William." She said, turning her attention back on her son. "Why don't you go play? You can, I wasn't stopping you, just warning about the running."

Billy looked reluctant to leave, leaning on the arm of his mums chair, looking pointedly at Jace and Alec across the room.

Jace stood up off the chair, coming over and crouching in front of the boy. "Come on, I bet you've got some awesome toys. Why don't you show me?"

This was originally meant to have more, but I decided it'd make it way too long, and split it up. So, the rest should be coming in the next part!