Healing Hands of Time

"As most of us do under the right circumstances... Of course... I was really helping much."

Curious, Alex grinned, "What'd you do?"

"Made a spider," he said simply. Or the image of one. But it was real enough to scare her half to death..." He grinned, remembering.

Alex laughed, "Everyone has a weakness."

[[And Aislin agrees!]]

{{*nodnod*}}

"M-hm..." Thatch nodded distractedly, putting the last bits of glass in place. "And... there. Done. I think." He screwed up his eyes, tilting his head to the side. "Good enough, you think?"

Alex nodded. "None shall be the wiser."

"Good." He dusted his hands on his pants and grinned good-naturedly. "Home, then. Care to join me? I'm sure no one would mind... much."

Alex nodded, standing, "I should probably go back into that church, but I'm not up to facing all this at the moment. Let's go."

Door paced, fretting to herself. "They should be back by now," she murmured. "What's taking so long...?"

The twins shrugged, sitting next to one another on the sofa.

"Maybe they're having a good, long, soulful talk." Aislin suggested, to which Ariel smiled.

"And maybe Mum and Dad will welcome us back with open arms," Door muttered under her breath, sitting in a disgruntled position near the window.

The twins cast her skeptic looks, "It's probably not as bad as all that." Ariel noted.

At that moment, a knock sounded on the door.

Door nearly fell off her seat in her haste to get to the door. Opening it, her face broke into a smile. "You're still alive!"

Thatch laughed. "I told you he would be."

Alex nodded. "And with all my teeth, at that!"

Door smiled, her mood lifting. "I was worried," she said, biting her lip.

"That's an understatement, I'm thinking," Thatch muttered, grinning at his brother.

Trem nodded.

Aislin laughed, "Freaking out, she was."

Ariel nodded, "Ready to organize a search party, no doubt."

Alex grinned sheepishly, patting Door on the shoulder. "No worries."

"I didn't lay a finger on him," Thatch reassured. "We just had a... talk."

Alex nodded. "Man to man. About manly stuff. Because we're men."

{{XD}}

Door nodded, trying her hide her smile. Alex and manly just... didn't mesh, in her mind. "I'd bet."

"You'd lose that bet." Ariel muttered. Aislin snickered, "But effeminate men need love to."

Alex cast them an ever-patient look, sighing. "At any rate, we're back now, and in one piece...all of us." he half-smiled at Door.

{{Amen, sistah!!}}

"And not bleeding," Thatch put in.

Door smiled. "I saw that. Thanks."

Alex nodded. "And what an ordeal this whole experience has been..."

Door nodded, smiling, suddenly very glad that everything was over and everyone was safe and--

She had wrapped her arms around Alex in a tight hug before she even knew what she was doing. Her face was buried in his shoulder, and she swallowed hard to keep from crying.

Thatch blinked, raising his brows in surprise, but didn't say anything.

Alex looked down at her, surprised, but laid a gently hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"

She nodded, voice barely audible. "...Yeah... I think so... I'm just glad it's over, and that you're okay..."