Burn Like Stars

[Winter Brocar'do]

"So do I have the gig?" Aran managed to ask in between two difficult breathes as he was gathering his scattered clothing and putting them back on. Winter flashed him a sultry grin as she had been quicker to get dressed again (http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/pc/Lzzy+Hale+Lzzy+Hale+Drops+Sirius+Radio+Station+Vi4 YBsQWRD8l.jpg). "You already had it before coming in, but now let's say that you're welcome to stop by my office after said gigs, handsome." The Black Moon had been earning its stripes as an entertainment establishment for the past three years on Gala; and the co-owner wasn't going to pass up on musicians like Aran. Hell no. And his other skills made him a good asset for lonely nights. The redhead enjoyed her singleness but it didn't mean she had no needs. Hot blooded, she liked to have a bed warmer every once in a while, even if said bed warmer didn't make it to her actual bedroom.

"Now shoo, get ready to go on stage in fifteen minutes. You have one hell of a crowd tonight. Better make sure they're as satisfied as me." She patted him on his butt and nodded towards the door, not caring he was still barely clothed. He laughed like a happy pup and did as told. She normally liked them edgier and more mature, but he'd do well enough these days. Part of her longed for being on the Black Moon's stage and her old dreams never faded away. Yet, Luna and her had been working hard to make this place what it was and they weren't going to be on stage themselves. They did some performances here and there in less known bars with their band, but they weren't material for a place like the Black Moon. At least, Winter didn't believe she was.

When Luna and her had decided to open it, she had jumped on the entertainment manager position right away, given her background. The same way, her sister had gone for her favorite one, and right now, Winter could use her sister's magic. Grinning from ear to ear, she strutted into the reception hall, eyeing all details out of habits, making sure that everything was perfect. She was a tigress when it came to the Brocar'do territory that was the Black Moon. Once she was good with what she saw, she headed towards the bar, looking for Luna. She could use a strong drink right now.

[Luna Brocar'do]

Winter and Luna (http://media.santabanta.com/gallery/global%20celebrities(f)/taylor%20momsen/taylor-momsen-10-h.jpg)... Sisters that could not have been more different if they tried. Where Winter was very...hmmm... promiscuous, Luna was not. She was a party girl. Loved the euphoria of dancing and flirting, but anything more than that was a no-go. Winter just liked to bed them all. Who was it this week that had her eye? Arnold? Aran? Whatchyamacallhim? Whatshisface? Luna gave up remembering the names. She was too busy minding the bar, making sure everyone got their drinks and...on the odd occassion, have a drink herself... non-alcoholic though... she had very good reasons to not drink the alcohol at the bar anymore. The last time she drank herself wild, she had no memory of what she'd done for weeks. All she remembered was waking up with one hell of a hangover and a handsome guy next to her that she couldn't recall the name of. Afraid of what would happen if she remained, she managed to escape without waking him up. When it finally hit her that she may have had sex with him, Luna panicked and secretly took a pregnancy test in the hope that, even if they did do 'the deed' so to speak, she wouldn't be suffering from the consequences of that liaison. Unfortunately, that test came back positive and she had to face the fact that her wild partying had to come to an end. She kept her pregnancy secret for nearly six months, covering her rapidly growing bump with outfits that flowed over her abdomen and didn't hug it. It was Winter that finally discovered the truth Luna had kept so well hidden and hoo boy was she mad, not about the fact that her younger sister was pregnant, but the fact that she'd kept it from her for so long. Their parents weren't too happy either, but that anger grew to acceptance and excitement as Luna finally gave birth to a little girl Luna had named Lilly, and promised her she'd raise the girl right and hopefully not fall into the same situations Luna had put herself into by the time she'd grown up.

That had been just over three years ago and Lilly (http://iv1.lisimg.com/image/2246178/696full-alisa-bragina.jpg) had grown into an adorable little munchkin that followed Luna everywhere... even the Black Moon. When she were a baby, Luna would often have Lilly strapped into a carrier on her chest so that she could continue to work at the bar while looking after her precious cargo, taking her back to the very well sound proofed apartments above their establishment, though as Lilly has grown older, Luna often left Lilly with her live-in nanny, Azshara, or 'Nanny Azzy' as Lilly calls her, during times when the more adult gigs, such as this one, took place and as Winter's latest conquest ran out of Winter's office barely clothed, Luna was thankful Lilly was not in the establishment right now. A few weeks previously, Lilly had caught another one of Winter's conquests running out with nothing but underwear covering his dignity. Under normal circumstances, Luna would've actually cheered him on, but the fact that Lilly was nearby at the time had left the young woman mortified, especially when Lilly pointed and exclaimed loudly, "Mummy! Look! Dat man has no clothes on!" the blonde haired woman bundled her child into her arms and took her back to the upstairs apartment, where Azshara was, left the girl with her, and going back to the establishment barely able to keep her composure as she politely asked her sister, once the pair had stopped laughing to at the very least make sure her leaving conquests had their trousers on if Lilly were downstairs. Thankfully, thanks to Luna setting a time for when Lily were to go back to the apartment had resolved much of these moments and... so far at least, Lilly has not seen once of Winter's conquests naked since.

As this last conquest left for the backstage, Luna couldn't help but chuckle and shake her head at him as he left as another patron caught her attention to order a whiskey. After an exchange of credits, Luna provided him with the whiskey and turned to find her sister at the bar. A mischievous grin crossed Luna's face as she approached her sister. While Lilly saw her soft, gentle side, when the girl was in bed, Luna was much more playful and teasing. "So... what's the marks for Whatshisface over there?" she asked in a playful tease. "Is he cocksure? Did he curl your toes in ecstasy?"

[Winter Brocar'do]

Winter was wild and outright crazy in certain ways, but she was fiercely loyal and loved her sister and their family to pieces. That had been why she had been so hurt when Luna hadn't told her right away that she was pregnant and had hit it for months. It had hurt her in several ways, including one she still kept secret. If she was honest with herself, she didn't really blame Luna for keeping secrets, because as close as they were, the redhead did the same. She knew the reputation some gave her because of how many men she jumped on, but she didn't care. She had grown up dreaming of a good job and a family of her own. Heck, her dreams had been pretty boring by the standards she embodied now. She had the awesome career, but the rest had been torn to shreds on several accounts.

While Luna knew that she had been close to a man during her bodyguard years, she had never told anyone how close she had been to the late love of her life. She could have moved on and got into another steady relationship and she still wasn't against the idea, but it was easier not to get attached anymore, especially since she would never make Luna an aunt either, since there was a faint percentage of chances that she could ever conceive even with medical help. That second part was another dark secret. She could have invested all her savings into medical treatment and surgery to try to fix her condition that made her unlikely to ever have kids, but instead she had just put all the money into the Black Moon. Being the crazy tigress was who she was and that was fine by her. Most days it was at least...

She grinned to Luna as she reached the bar and planted herself on one of the stools. "Hey sis." She waggled her eyebrows and ordered a double Core Reactor. "Aran's an eight out of ten. That's the best I've had in a while. So he's definitely gonna spend some time in my office, or me backstage." She howled in laughter, because frankly that amused her. She had chosen her life and liked it. "I see the bar's been attacked by tons of patrons tonight. Did you try out that new cocktail you were planning to?"

[Luna Brocar'do]

Luna couldn't help but smirk as Winter described her new conquest before turning to make her sister's Core Reactor cocktail. When her sister asked Luna to join forces and help establish the Black Moon, it had been around the time Luna discovered she was carrying Lilly. She'd wanted to tell her sister about it at the time, but seeing Winter with her heart set on creating this place, Luna agreed to help her, provided she was able to run the bar. Luna had been a party girl all her life to that point, so was an expert at creating cocktails. They were a huge hit at the Black Moon, even back when they began. The talent the girls shared, however, was their love of music. Metal in particular. Who knows? Maybe one day Luna could persuade her sister to perform here together rather than other bars and underground concerts. For Luna, it would be easier to not worry about being away from Lilly too long, with her being so young, but she understood Winter's concerns. She didn't feel ready to promote her songs here, so until she felt confident enough, Luna would have to contend with the odd days of touring.

As she finished making the Core Reactor cocktail for Winter, Luna was suddenly struck by how weird things had changed. Four years ago, she hardly had a care in the world and would jump at the chance to tour around Gala, yet since Lilly came along, Luna's mentality changed completely. Lilly may have been an accidental creation, but Luna had no regrets with regards of having the little munchkin in her life. The girl unlocked a side of Luna that was often covered by her heavy makeup and gothic clothing. A gentle, nurturing and compassionate woman. Of course, only Lilly and on occasion, Winter and the rest of her family saw that side of her. Luna was also highly sensitive to the noises Lilly made. At three years old, the girl was able to communicate most of her needs but if her baby was hurt or scared in some way, Lilly still struggled in explaining what caused the upset. How was it that one little creature changed one's whole way of thinking, or of life in general?

Putting the cocktail down on the bar for Winter, her wondering thoughts were snapped back into the moment when Winter asked if she had tried out the new cocktail she'd been planning. There were, in fact, several ideas she had and rather than answer that question right away, Luna turned to the bar and decided there and then to create something (http://www.drinklab.org/jedi-knight-cocktail/) for Winter to try. After three minutes, her creation was ready and she placed the glass in front of her sister. "One Jedi Knight, just for you, sis." she said with a smirk, leaning over the bar as she waited for her sister to taste it. "I'm working on a Sith equivalent. Something all red and dark, but this blue beauty should hit the spot."

Luna also had another idea she wanted to run by her sister and get her thoughts on. "I was also thinking of creating a menu of mocktails, non alcoholic versions of some of the cocktails we have on offer for those that may want to enjoy themselves without the threat of faceplanting on the floor or if they're the poor soul designated as drivers for the party. What do you think?"

[Winter Brocar'do]

The Black Moon was becoming a trendy place on Gala and Winter was damn proud of all the hard work Luna and her had put into it. Her sister had always had mad skills when it came to bartending and she hadn't hesitated once second when she had wanted to take care of the bar when they were setting the place up. They were partygoers but they had their heads on their shoulders and were proving to be really good at managing the place and making it grow. The money had been tight at first but over a year, they had been able to pay back the loans they had taken to add to their own funds. It had been a huge relief because Winter hated depending on someone. Only her sister was someone she could rely on truly and it was why she would have never done business with anyone else than Luna.

She quirked a brow at her sister working on something in silent answer to her question about the new cocktail. When she was presented with the blue beauty, she beamed and took the glass. "It smells divine." She purred before taking a long sip, appreciating the different blend of tastes on her tongue. It was a slow burn with a fruity aftertaste, but not too sugary. "Oh, this is going to be the new hit! You've outdone yourself, Luna!" She squealed with feral delight. "Blue and red will make for catchy holo posters for promotion too. It'll go well with the decoration as well." She winked to her sister and shifted on her stool, crossing her legs.

"I love your idea. Do it! I think that it would be great. And you remind me of something I've been pondering on for the last while." She chewed on her lip and felt a bit silly for being the one to bring up the new idea. "I was thinking that maybe we could also have a small kid's place near the entrance? So people who don't have a babysitter or someone to watch over their kids could still come have a good time? I mean, you have an epic nanny for Lilly, but not everyone does. It'd also allow people to make last minute plan and show up too, kids or not kids." With the right sound proof walls and finding the appropriate workers to look over the children, that was a bit of a twist for a place like the Black Moon, but they aimed to be different and to be better.

[Luna Brocar'do]

Luna beamed with pride as Winter gave her seal of approval for the Jedi Knight cocktail. Luna often consulted with her sister with regards to drinks and promotion and thanks to this collaboration, they've managed to keep the Black Moon going. They were constantly evolving, constantly changing to meet the needs of their patrons.

So when Winter came up with the idea of having a kids area for people that couldn't get a sitter, Luna's eyes widened with surprise, not at the idea -which she loved- but Winter even suggesting it shocked her. "I'm all for the idea but...You do realize that it will mean you will have to make sure your conquests leave your office slash bedroom with all clothing on, don't you?" Luna warned. "I can deal with Lilly when it comes to explaining why they rush out with little more than underwear on, but other patrons aren't going to be so tolerant if they see a half naked man sweating after 'fun time' ended...and you know what kids are like when they see something they shouldn't..." she winked playfully to her sister, subtly reminding her of the last incident a few weeks ago, when she exclaimed loudly that there was 'a naked man' running around. Lilly didn't care if she'd said something embarrassing, she said what was on her mind, a trait that was so Luna. She was most definitely her mother's daughter in that department.

Once she allowed Winter to ponder on this, Luna gave her honest opinion. "Personally, I love the idea of having a creche here. It'll give Lilly a chance to make friends and also patrons and staff a safe place for their kids if they're stuck without a sitter." she said. "If you really want to go through with it, I'd suggest maybe a set fee per child that would cover any food, drinks and help pay for the staff to look after them...thoughts?"

[Winter Brocar'do]

Luna was the perfect business partner and Winter didn't just think that because she was her sister. Their skill sets complimented each other and they were able to address every issue and seize every opportunity that fell on their lap as they continued to develop the Black Moon.

She laughed at what Luna said about her flings leaving her office lacking clothes. "That's not really going to change, y'know. And on some nights, some patrons are worse than me. I said I'd be careful when Lilly is around, but we're not going to make that creche with direct access to the main section of the place. Not happening. That'd be too much mess."

She meant it and wasn't trying to be difficult, but as much as security was tight to make it a safe place for their patrons, she wasn't going to make that place uptight either. "We still have space in the building, so we could make another entrance and keep the section its own thing, so kids won't be exposed to inapropriate behavior." She sipped more of the new fancy cocktail. "I like your idea about the whole standard fee per kid. That sounds good to me."

[Luna Brocar'do]

Luna nodded, satisfied that any kids that did visit the Black Moon wouldn't be exposed to what goes on within. There were a lot of things they needed to get planned before any sort of building work could get set, but now was definitely the wrong time to be discussing such things "Hmm... We'll need to sit down and discuss logistics tomorrow. We've got some partying to do tonight, sis!" she said, a grin forming wide as she put the thoughts of a creche aside and looked at Winter's conquest, who just got started with his gig. As she absent mindedly bopped to the beat more ideas came to mind. Oh this place stirred so much thoughts! As the beats started to change, Luna decided to have a little bit of fun while tending to the bar. For the past few weeks, Luna and her bartenders had been practising the art of flair bartending, another of Luna's marketing ideas. Now was a good time to put on a show. Pushing off the bar Luna, grabbed her newly acquired headset microphone and set herself up before lightly clapping her hands together, looking at the developing crowd. "Alright everyone. Welcome to the Black Moon. You all have the privilage of meeting my lovely staff here." she said as her hands gestured to the male and female bartenders. "This lovely man (http://freeday.by/images/img/aktualno/fleir/6.jpg) right here is Joel Caderra, while this lovely lady (http://i1.dainikbhaskar.in/thumbnail/655x588/web2images/www.dailybhaskar.com/2015/03/30/cover_1427705052.jpg) is Amira Stan." Luna then put her right hand in the air, her fingers clenched in a tight fist while her left remained at her side. "And I'm your lovely host, Luna Brocar'do people, and I have something special for you all, because tonight we're bartending in style folks. Order yourself a cocktail at the bar and you'll get more than your standard drink. You'll get yourselves an individual performance with flair." she listened as the crowd cheered before adding one last little bit on the fly. "What's more folks, if you're getting a little tired of your standard drinks and want something new to try, you get your backsides over to me for tonight's special cocktail, the Jedi Knight, recently created by yours truly and selling at seventy credits for one night only. Hurry over while they're still flowing, because come one am folks this bartender goes to her bed. Order your drinks either at the bar or from one of our lovely waiters and waitresses that dot around the Black Moon. Also tonight we have ourselves the lovely Aran on the stage, who will be rocking your socks off with his set. Enjoy your time here and once again, thank you all for making Black Moon your number one party stop."

Luna switched off her microphone and playfully winked at her sister. This was certainly one way to get the credits flowing. By interacting with the crowds, she'd gotten them interested and the more interest they got, the more credits that flowed. When her first Jedi Knight cocktail had been ordered, she put on a flair of her own, enticing the crowd for more. After ten minutes, Luna finally caught a moment to spend with her sister once again, leaning over the bar to speak with her. "Not bad for 'On-the-fly' bartending huh? Figured I'd keep the flair bartending as a surprise and the crowd certainly seemed to enjoy it. The Jedi Knight cocktail seems to be a hit with them too."

[Winter Brocar'do]

Luna and her had already toyed with other building work ideas before. Winter had always made sure to get notes and even had some quotes done for certain types of projects, so that should help them figure things out better for that creche idea. "Let's do that." She raised her glass and finished the rest of the Jedi Knight. "I'll have another one." She winked to her sister and grinned with pride as she watched her sister do her bartender number. That was always on the fly and it made the Black Moon more lively and genuine too. It was likely why the Brocar'do sisters had quite a reputation in business. They knew how to do it and involved themselves in the establishment's life.

She briefly eyed her latest conquest on stage too, but was more interested in watching the patrons' reactions to Luna's speech. Men came and went in her life, but family remained. "That was great. I think that when people never knowing when we're going to do something, you at the bar, me on stage, makes it a lot of fun." She always made sure to introduce special guests or bands when they were starting to play at the establishment but every once in a while, or rather more often than not with her personality, she stopped by the stage and said a few words about the crew.

She saw Lara, one of the Twi'lek bouncers make her way to her. They went back to a few years when working security together. The look on Lara's face made Winter uneasy but her own expression didn't change. "Yeah, Lara? What's up?" She inquired right away. Her employee and friend shrugged. "Ash Broll is making a mess outside again. We brought her to the security office to minimize the ruckus with the other patrons." Winter really needed another drink right now. "Thanks, I'll be there in a minute. Did you already call law enforcement?" Lara shook her head. "I thought you'd rather do it yourself." Winter nodded. "Good thinking."

After Lara left, Winter sighed. Ash was a certain late someone's sister and she still held Winter responsible for her brother's death, although there was no reason. Winter had filed a restraining order against the woman, but every few months, Ash didn't care and come cause trouble. "You hold the fort sis. I'll be back."

[Luna Brocar'do]

Luna sighed as Lara arrived and while Luna was busy serving customers, she did get an idea of who was involved in the latest ruckus. This 'Ash Broll' woman had been a pain on and off since her brother's death, blaming Winter for whatever reason. All the times she encountered the woman, she was always drunk and hurling abuse at Winter. For the most part, Luna tried to keep out of it, more for the sake of Lilly than anything else though there was one occasion where Ash had stormed in and started hurling abuse at Luna in front of her daughter. A very big no no in Luna's books. After ensuring Lilly was safe, Luna literally knocked the woman unconscious, stashing her in the office until the authorities picked her up. She then warned both the woman and the authorities that if she ever tried it again and she was the one to deal with it, the woman would likely leave in a body bag. At the moment, however, Luna bit her tongue, fuming inside that this debacle was still ongoing and when Winter went to deal with the latest issue, she called Lara over to talk to her after she served another customer their drink. Once she'd served the drink, she leaned over the bar to speak to Lara over the noise of the band playing.

"Lara.... inform the rest of the security staff that if that woman ever comes within one hundred metres of this establishment again the authorities are to be called and she is to be dealt with accordingly." she said, her tone angered by this latest intrusion. "Send a guard to wait outside Winter's Office....and once Ash is gone, I will get into contact with our lawyer again to report this."

Lara nodded and ordered one of the male bouncers to follow Winter and stand outside. Luna didn't like being involved in Winter's business but whatever happened to create this situation was going too far. It was but another thing on their list of things to discuss. As Lara returned to her job, Luna went back to serving drinks, easily able to interchange from annoyance to welcoming so the other customers didn't get suspicious of other things going on. The bartending job was often like a show. Put on your best face so no one could see what was really going on. Luna was a master at such acts of deception. Giving people what they want to see or know, lacing truth with lies. Life had made Luna very complicated to read and know because she had so many facets. To the public, she was a party lover, a carefree show woman. To her friends, she was loyal, friendly and kind. To Lilly, she was her Mummy, her guardian angel that kept her safe, warm and loved. A protector ever watchful of threats to the little girl's safety and a warrior to defeat them. To Winter, she was both her sister and business partner, ever willing to bounce ideas from, ever protective of her sister's emotional well-being, yet not afraid to tell her when her actions are affecting the family or business. She was also protective of her sister's physical being, hence why the guard was now planted at Winter's door, listening for any cues that indicate Winter was being threatened or attacked. Had she been able to, Luna would've gone in with Winter to ensure none of them did anything stupid.

Instead, Luna continued to interact with her customers, making small talk and laughing and joking with them while keeping an ever watchful eye at the guard by Winter's door. If he moved, so would she.

[Winter Brocar'do]

Winter was tired of that crap. She couldn't take it anymore. As if Toran's death ripping her heart out every time she thought about him wasn't enough, his frelling sister still blamed her for his death five years after. Winter had ended at the hospital trying to save Toran during the job that had gone wrong where an admistration meeting had been attacked by terrorists while they worked security for the company. He had died on the job, and she had almost done the same trying to prevent him from dying. In the end he had done that in her arms, while she was dripping blood all over him from her own wounds. And this Ash brat was still on her case after all this time. In her wrapped mind, Winter was the worst thing to happen to her brother.

When she arrived at the security office, she found the woman cuffed to a chair, yelling at her as soon as she entered. "Shut the eff up." She snapped at Ash. "I'm going to have that restraining order extended to a larger perimeter. Don't make me make your life hell." Ash continued to howl and hurl insults at her. Winter had no patience left and she just wanted to pound the woman until she was a gooey blob on the floor. She slapped her and grabbed a scarf that was hung on the wall and gagged the woman.

She had already contacted law enforcement and was hoping that they would show up soon enough. This evening had just turned into crap and she couldn't pass out in bed before a while because it was a good night for the Black Moon and she never went to bed until the place had closed and everyone had left.

Right on cue, as whenever her stress skyrocketed, she felt a deep pain in her lower side and winced. She hated how her stress took its toll on her body like that. And she was stupid enough to be close enough for Ash to kick her hard in the knee, hoping to make her fall. It didn't happen but that brat had nasty shoes. She couldn't wait for the cops to show up and take her away.

[Luna Brocar'do]

Luna continued to serve drinks like she didn't have a care in the world until the blonde saw the guard move. Alarmed, she told Joel that she'd be back momentarily before making her way through the crowds to the office, where she saw her sister in pain and the woman gagged, screaming at the top of her lungs, though that instantly stopped when she saw Luna show up, her eyes filling with fear at her presence. Seemed she did remember the last beating she got from Luna and feared another coming. Instead, Luna gave Ash a cold stare. This was one side of Luna no one really wanted to see or find out and Ash had already seen it once. This was her 'You're threatening my family. You'll pay for that.' side. The side where Luna could be so very dangerous if she didn't keep her cool. "Winter, go...have the rest of the night off...I'll secure this place tonight. Get on the phone to our lawyer about this latest incident. I'll deal with her from here." She hoped that Winter would take it as her cue to leave, spare herself anymore stress. She'd check on her condition later. For now, her attention was turned to Ash as her anger rose.

"Didn't I warn you the last time that if you ever lay a hand on any of my family or enter this establishment again, you'd be sorry." Luna said, her tone cold and foreboding. She approached her. Stood in her space as Ash drunkenly hurled more abuse, only for it to go quiet the closer Luna came. She tried to kick out and attack only to find Luna had grabbed her and pressed her right arm at Ash's throat, restricting the woman's airway, not enough to kill her, but enough to bring fear and keep within her memories. "Feel that..? That is death being so very close...and if you ever cause trouble for me, my sister or the rest of my family again, you'll be begging for death to take you by the time we're done. I don't ever want to see your face here ever again... understand?"

Luna let go, allowing Ash to breathe. She watched as the woman coughed and heaved for air. "I know you've lost your brother and you have my condolences, but your brother would not want you to be the bitter woman you are." she said in more kinder tones as law enforcement arrived to take her away once again. "This is your last chance. Get some help. Only when you've learned to speak with calm rationality will you ever be allowed back here."

She watched as the guards unshackled the woman from the chair and arrested her for trespassing and breach of the peace along with breaking the restraining order. The woman remained silent, cold eyes meeting Luna's silver daggers and suddenly turning to defeat. Thank God it was almost one am already. Another hour to go till closing time.

[Winter Brocar'do]

Winter would have told anyone else to get lost if they had told her to take it easy, to take the night off. But she knew that Luna was right, as much as she hated that. In a way, keeping up with her wild persona was too tiring at times. Her bad ass always on top of everything behavior was exhausting. Sure thing she was responsible and could cope with a lot in her life as she had proved it over the years, but sometimes she was too drained. She gave a look at Luna and nodded. She left her office with her head high, but inside she was a wreck all over again. Why on Gala, had fate taken Toran and not his stupid as a womp rat sister? Back in the day, Winter had even tried to help her get a better job, get help for her addictions. She had supported Toran when he had dealt with his sister's antics, and all she got for that was an insane girl threatening her family.

She took in the loud beats and the lights of the Black Moon atmosphere as she left her office. For a moment, she closed her eyes and took deep breaths, remembering that the Brocar'do sisters always came out winners. For this time, she let Luna handle the pest and she quietly made her way to the upstairs apartment where the family lived. She saw Lilly's nanny in the living room and just gave her a faint smile before heading to her suite. She couldn't put up with being social right now.

Reaching her bathroom, she gave herself a nasty stare in the mirror. She didn't want to walk down memory lane. For the most part, she had accepted Toran's death. She had moved on to a new career and her personal life was nonexistent from a stable point of view. That was easier for her not to keep a man for too long. It wasn't as if she could have a family of her own anyway.

It was just that she hated how Ash reopened the old can of worms. Sighing, she took some painkillers as she was mature enough not to discard her body's reactions to the stress and went to take a long shower.

[Luna Brocar'do]

An hour later and finally it came to an end. As the last of the stragglers left, Luna locked up the place and said her goodbyes and thanks to the staff. When she was finally left alone, Luna put a hand through her hair and sighed with relief. She was so very tired now and while she could've readily gone to her bed to sleep, Luna had a lot of calls to make, paperwork to do. Credits to transfer to their staff for their nights work. Normally, when she finished at one am she'd use that time to get it done, but unfortunately, she hadn't the time. Parking herself in her office, Luna activated her terminal and brought up a list of employees that had worked tonight, ensuring all of them got paid and took note of the profits they'd accrued.

Exhaustion took the woman not long afterward and Luna's heavy head dropped to the desk fast asleep.

Six hours later, Lilly woke up, expecting to find her Mother nearby for their usual cuddle and snooze together, only to find she wasn't there. This change in routine frightened her. Where could Mummy be? "Mummy? Muuuuumy? Where are you?" she called out, yet there was no response. With no idea what to do, she did the only thing that gained an adults attention so readily and cried loudly, tears flowing down her cheeks. "I want Mummy! Where Mummy?" she said as panicked emotions seeped through her. Having no idea Luna was still downstairs, passed out at her desk.

[Winter Brocar'do]

It took Winter a long time to finally fall asleep with all that had happened. Mental and physical exhaustion didn't always help falling into slumber. When she finally passed out, faceplanting into her pile of pillows, she had nightmares. That wasn't something to be surprised with though. At least, she got some degree of rest.

She was waken up by the screams and shrieking coming from her niece. She groaned into her pillow and almost had a heart attack with that special alarm clock. On auto pilot, she got up and headed for her niece's room. Not finding Luna made her ponder what might have happened. Her only guess was that her sister was at the office, probably asleep. It made her feel bad because she should have helped. It normally happened to her to pass out at her desk, because she often shooed Luna to go back to their appartment so she'd be ready to take care of her daughter in the morning.

"Shhh, sweetie. It's okay. Mummy's not far." She spoke quietly, her eyelids still only half opened. "Do you want to go see Mummy?"

[Luna Brocar'do]

Lilly's cries for help had finally caught the attention of Auntie Winter. A sleepy zombie kind of Auntie Winter. Having worked herself up into a panic, Lilly continued to whimper, even as her Aunt tried to soothe her by letting her know Mummy wasn't far away. When she asked if Lilly wanted to go see her Mother, the little brunette nodded, lifting her arms up so she could be carried. Once resting on her hip, Lilly laid her head on her Aunt's shoulder, still whimpering as they left the bedroom.

Downstairs in the office, Luna began to stir from her enforced slumber. Sitting up at the desk, the sleepy blonde didn't know how much time had passed but once she were aware of the fact she was still in the office, the blonde groaned, immediately chastising herself for not going to bed. "Urgh! Luna, how many times do you need to remind yourself to go to bed after work?" she said as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She took a moment to look at her desk and reach out for her makeup wipes, wiping away the smudged makeup from her face. Her sleepy brain had yet to realize the time, nor if Lilly was awake. She was just functioning on autopilot, not really aware of anything at all.

[Winter Brocar'do]

Winter was relieved that while Lilly continued to whimper for a while, she calmed down a bit. She smiled even in her sleepy state as her niece snuggled against her. She loved the little one to pieces and was so happy for Luna that she had had her daughter, even though the pregnancy hadn't been planned. Still soothing the toddler in her arms, she easily maneuvered them downstairs, heading straight to Luna's office. She knew that they were basically the only people in the building at that time.

As she entered the room, she gave a kiss on top of Lilly's head. "See? Mummy's here." She was concerned as she saw the zombie look on her sister's face but she walked up to her. "Hey, I found a little princess who wanted her Mummy." She handed the little girl to Luna, before she sat on the edge of the desk.

"After you're done cuddling for a bit, we'll all go back upstairs. You take a shower and get changed, and I'll bring you breakfast in bed. I'm sure your cuddle warrior will approve." As sisters they took turns to watch over one another and this morning, Winter was up to take care of Luna.

[Luna Brocar'do]

The sound of footsteps suddenly brought the blonde Brocar'do to life. Finally looking at the clock, Luna was actually quite surprised so much time had passed as the office door opened. Looking back, she saw a sleepy Winter holding an upset Lilly in her arms. Standing up, Luna smiled at her sister as Lilly immediately reached out to her for attention. Taking the girl from her sister's arms, Luna sat her down on her lap, gently wrapping her arms around the girl and stroking Lilly's long brown hair to soothe the girl back to calm as Winter spoke of her plans to make breakfast in bed.

"Thanks sis..." she said, planting a kiss on her sister's cheek before looking down to Lilly who was rapidly relaxing in her arms now that she knew she wasn't missing. "I managed to get the staff paid and we've made a good profit from last night." Luna then yawned loudly as she added, "I'm afraid I didn't get much further than that."

Feeling Lilly shift in her arms, Luna looked down at her precious bundle, allowing her to get comfortable before gently placing a kiss on the top of her head. The poor girl had managed to make a mess of her face with drying tears. Taking one of her wipes from the table, Luna wiped the girl's eyes and cheeks, much to the girl's protests, who just wanted to sit quietly on her lap. "Now now, Lilly, a face covered in tears just won't do..." she said gently as she put the wipe on the table. "What brought on these tears sweetie?"

Lilly looked up with her sad silver eyes. "I fought you gone. You no in bed...Me got scared."

Luna held her daughter tighter in a reassuring hug. "Aww sweets, I'm sorry." she said apologetically. "Silly Mummy fell asleep down here and only woke up a few minutes ago. Auntie Winter needed to go to bed early so I stayed awake to make sure no one stole our furniture. Can't have a party palace without party furniture can we?" Luna unwrapped an arm from Lilly's body and wiggled her finger in the air in an attempt to make Lilly smile. It instantly worked as the girl curled up into a ball, trying to protect her tickle sensitive areas and giggling in anticipation of a play session. Luna then found an area Lilly hadn't protected and tickled her. "That's much better! I see a big smile now!" she said as gales of laughter now escaped her. She didn't take the tickle session too far, however, so once she got a smile that stayed fixed, Luna gently kissed the girl's head once more before standing up, lifting the little girl with her and resting her on the hip as she looked toward her sister, using a free hand to rest on Winter's shoulder, concern filling her eyes. "Speaking of which...are you okay after last night?"

[Winter Brocar'do]

Winter couldn't help smiling as she watched the interaction between Luna and Lilly. She nodded to her sister's words about the previous night. "Hey that's a good point to go. Thanks bunches for taking care of that. I appreciate it." She knew Luna had been right to tell her to take the rest of the night off but she was an overachiever by nature and throwing herself into work was also a way to validate herself when obviously she didn't have personal ways to do it. Or so, she believed for she had always been there for her loved ones and treated her employees well.

When Luna approached her and asked her how she was, she tensed a bit, not wanting to think about that. "I'll be perky tonight, no worry." She knew she was kind of dodging the question but it wasn't as if it was the moment to talk about all that crap again. "Come on, let's go upstairs. I'll watch over Lilly and prepare breakfast while you go get a shower and relax a bit."

[Luna Brocar'do]

Luna looked at her sister with sad eyes when she noted her sister dodging the question. "That's not what I asked...." Luna said quietly with concern, though with Lilly with them, Luna decided to drop the subject for now. She knew pushing it further would cause upset for all involved and she was too tired to cause an argument. Luna had noticed that Winter was closing herself off. In fact, she'd noticed it since the attack and while Luna had tried to encourage her and help her get passed it, Ash was literally throwing her backward every time. It was all the more reason for this debacle to end so she could finally move on. Walking with Lilly on her hip, Luna sighed and gestured for her sister to leave the office, following behind her to shut the door. Moving up the stairs to the apartment, Luna planted a kiss on her daughter's forehead and spoke softly to her. "Hey sweetie...can you stay with Auntie Winter for while? Mummy has to go for a shower and get out of these icky clothes. Then when I come back we can all sit on Mummy's bed and eat breakfast together. You, me and Auntie Winter. Sound like fun?"

Lilly smiled and nodded at her Mother before unlocking her little legs from Luna's waist, allowing her to set the girl on her feet. Lilly then ran over to her Aunt clamping onto her leg as Luna waved at the two and moved toward her bedroom, grabbing some light loungewear and a towel from her cupboard before moving to the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind her. Stripping off her long worn clothes, Luna stepped into the shower and activated it, relaxing and washing all her stress and anxiety away for a short time. That time was cut short, however by a voice call directed to her. Activating a panel on the wall inside the shower it turned out to be the lawyer she'd been meaning to contact last night. "Ah, Drake... I take it you heard about what happened last night?"

"Yeah, the police sent a report over last night. Ash at it again?" a male voice responded as Luna continued her shower. "Are you... busy at the moment Ms Brocar'do?" he asked.

"Its alright to talk, as long as you don't mind me showering while we do so, Drake..." Luna said. "And yes...that woman came back again last night. She also attacked Winter during her 'visit'." Luna then let out an exaserpated sigh. "Its getting ridiculous Drake. Every time I seem to be making progress in helping my sister get back to some relative peace, Ash comes back and ruins all that progress. I won't stand for it anymore. I can't..." Luna banged her head against the back of the shower, angry tears threatening to fall, but Luna somehow managed to keep them in check. "If you can get that restraining order to be widened, that would be great." Luna finally said after a moment. "I've also ordered my security guys to prevent her entry again, but the woman needs help or put in a secure facility to treat her addictions. They're affecting the whole family now...it has to stop somewhere."

"She'll be heading to court tomorrow." Drake responded. "Given her recent 'visits' to your establishment, and the fact that she threatened your daughter, I'll try to persuade the court to send her to a psychiatric facility for rehabilitation. Neither of you need to attend court though so try to put it in the back of your mind. I'll let you both know by tomorrow evening what's going on."

Luna pulled a half smile at the thought that, hopefully, the courts would do something. "Thanks Drake. I'll pray that something gets done soon..." The call then disconnected allowing Luna to relax in the shower once more, washing away her stress and trying to get the incident out of her mind as she scrubbed off the excess dirt and make up she didn't clear downstairs. After twenty minutes, the woman stepped out of the shower, wiping off the excess water on her skin before tying her hair into the towel briefly while she changed into some loungewear. She then towel-dried her long blonde locks before allowing them to rest on her shoulders. She usually allowed her hair to dry naturally rather than use a hair dryer to dry her hair. She was in no hurry to make herself up so could afford to look 'frumpy' for a while. As she opened the door she walked with quiet footsteps to where Winter and Lilly were, watching them from a distance as they interacted with one another.

[Winter Brocar'do]

Winter knew very well it wasn't what her sister had asked, but she didn't want to have the discussion now, and knew that with Lilly present, Luna wouldn't press on. She was proven right within the next moments. When her sister accepted her offer to go upstairs and get showered and changed while she prepared breakfast, the redhead was relieved. "Come here, I'll need your help to take care of breakfast." She smiled at her niece and held out her hand that the little girl grabbed at once, leading her towards the kitchen.

She loved cooking and preparing breakfast was always a treat as it was her favorite meal of the day. While the food was getting ready, Lilly helped her bring extra pillows to Luna's room, so the three of them would be able to sit on the large bed while they munched on the different items Winter had picked for breakfast. Being reassured, the toddler was fine waiting for her aunt while the redhead went to gather everything and bring it on a large tray. She made sure to leave room to her sister on the side she preferred, and some space for Lilly to be next to her mother.

Winter sat cross-legged on the large bed, next to the table she had dragged to put all the extra items and dishes for breakfast, to make it more accessible to hand everyone what they needed. She was making faces at her niece who giggled when she heard Luna leave the bathroom. "Feeling better?" She asked, ready to hand drink and food to Luna once she would be all set.

[Luna Brocar'do]

As soon as Lilly locked onto her Mother's presence, the little girl immediately scrambled to her side, knowing Luna would immediately pick her up to snuggle. On cue, Luna did just that, planting a kiss on the girl's lips before resting her on her left hip as Winter asked if she were feeling better. A small smile passed her lips as she immediately said, "I'm fine. Much better to be with my best ladies, big and small."

She could've said something about their lawyer getting into contact with her, but chose not to. This was a family moment to share and not something to be ruined by conversation of what happened last night. She already voiced her fears to Drake and there was no need to voice them again at this time. Moving to the bed, Luna made her way to the right side before lifting Lilly off her hip, holding her with one arm under the girl's arms and putting her free arm under Lilly's knees. The sound of her giggling instantly took away Luna's worries as she flopped onto the bed, rolling as she dropped Lilly into the middle and leaving more than enough room for Winter to join them in a group snuggle before breakfast. It were always the simple moments that gave Luna much satisfaction, more so since Lilly entered the scene. It was nice to not have to be on her guard all the time. It was nice to not be so overly protective and not see everyone other than her sister and Azshara as potential threats to her family. It was also nice to not care if her bedding was going to need a change or if she'd need to change by the time Lilly was done with breakfast. At three years old, Lilly could largely feed herself but she still made a mess from time to time. Luna didn't really care. When Lilly was a baby, Luna was always horrified when the girl made any kind of mess. Finding her feet as a new Mum was a very steep learning curve and wild hormones often left her driven mad with despair. Now mess was of little concern to Luna. As long as Lilly was happy, Luna could contend with bits of food on her bed and toys scattered across the floor, even the odd bit of paint. Luna did on occasion try to encourage Lilly help tidy some of her messes, offering a rare treat if she did what she'd been asked.

Luna laughed as Lilly's little tummy started growling with hunger. "Hungry little lady?" she said as she sat up from the family snuggle. Lilly nodded in response as Luna looked over to her sister, "So what did you and Auntie Winter make for breakfast? Hmm?"

[Winter Brocar'do]

Lilly had been a blessing to her whole family. First of all, she had been a gift to Luna, even when raising a child was a challenge. Their parents now had a grandkid and Winter was happy they got this opportunity because that wasn't going to be her who made that happen, so thank the maker her younger sister was a mom. And winter had to admit that she adored her niece to pieces and she was very happy living with her and Luna. Some were shocked when learning about the living arrangements given Winter's personality and especially her persona, but the redhead loved that. It gave her stability and joy.

She jumped straight into the group snuggle before it was time to eat. She wasn't going to miss that for anything. She knew that worries would need to be addressed later on but for now, she just wanted to have a good time with her sister and niece and not bother with anything else. She bursted in laughter when Lilly's stomach growled. "I'll take the blame! She helped me prepare everything and I asked for her opinion so I'm sure I made her even more hungry!" She chuckled and winked to Luna. "We made a couple (https://store.3brothersbakery.com/Assets/ProductImages/3BB_1775_Breakfast_Pastry_Tray_Large.png) of different plates (http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/assortment-different-breakfast-cereal-dried-fruit-berry-berries-horizontal-closeup-63041628.jpg) for us to share."

Beaming, she passed the plates to her sister so she could fetch whatever she wanted. "I also made sure to make the Cerana tea that I know you love, especially in the morning. And I pressed the favorite fruit mix the young lady like."

[Luna Brocar'do]

"Oh wow! You two spoil me with choices! Thank you!" Luna said as she took one of the plates off her. The blonde haired sister took a bowl of fruit and a muffin for herself before picking a small bowl of fruit and nuts for Lilly to eat, handing the plates back to her sister, much to the girl's disappointment as she wanted something sticky. "If you manage to eat most of your fruit, you can have something from the sticky plate. Okay?" she said encouragingly. Lilly sighed a little as Luna put the bowl in front of her though she did start to munch on it quite quickly. Whether it was the promise of something sticky or the fact that she was actually hungry, Luna wasn't sure. However, the blonde didn't mind as long as the girl actually ate something. There were some days when she was picky, but the girl had learned quickly that if she didn't eat what she was given, she'd go hungry for a while longer. It took Luna a long time to stamp her authority as a parent and to actually ignore the cries of tantrums whenever she tried to get her own way. It was hard work getting her past those terrible twos but at three, she wasn't so bad now. Bribery helped a bit, but perseverance helped more. As Luna ate her own fruit, she watched Lilly eat until there were two bits of fruit in her bowl. The girl then picked up the bowl to give to Luna. "All done!" Lilly proclaimed.

Luna couldn't help but grin as she praised the girl for eating most of her fruit. "Good job sweetie!" she said as she picked out one fruit for herself and gave the other to her sister. She then placed the bowl on the bedside table beside her and looked to her sister. Luna did promise to allow her something sticky, despite knowing how much of a mess it would create and there was no reason for her to renage on her promise now as Lilly had done what was asked of her. "Alright missy..." she said as she looked at Winter with a grin, nodding at her to bring back the 'sticky plate' before looking down at Lilly. "What do you want from the sticky plate? Remember, you can only have one so choose carefully..."

Once the plate was in Lilly's reach, the girl decided on a croissant to munch on. Realizing it was quite big, however, Lilly looked over to Auntie Winter, her little hand containing the croissant raised up to her. "Auntie Winter... can you bweak for me pwease?"

[Winter Brocar'do]

"That's what family is for." Winter chuckled and then ate in silence as she watched Luna work on getting her daughter to eat some fruit so she could have some of the pastries. The redhead got herself one large epic serving of fruit. Not only had she always been a fruit fiend, but she also knew it could set an extra example for her niece, so that was killing two birds with one stone in her view. She grinned when the toddler was done and ready to jump on the real prize.

Without hesitation, she presented the plate to Lilly, waiting for her to pick the one piece her mommy let her have. Winter believed it would be a croissant and was proven right within less than a minute. She knew that girl well! "Lovely choice, missy." She put the plate back on the tray. "Sure." She said when her niece asked for her to break the croissant. She did as asked, and put the five pieces - having mastered the art of pastry breaking over the last years - on the plate. "Ta-da!"

Leaving Lilly to the sticky munching, she picked one for herself. "I'll need to run errands end of morning, but will be back by mid afternoon. Is that okay with you, sis?"

[Luna Brocar'do]

Luna was happy that Lilly was able to ask Winter for help rather than rely on solely her. It meant Winter could interact with the girl more and, with luck, allow her to become more sociable. She was at an age where she often suffered from separation anxiety so was forever clinging to Luna's leg and following her like a shadow. In one sense, Luna didn't mind. It meant that Lilly would not wander off far if she took her eyes off her (which she rarely did anyway). On the other hand, Luna wanted Lilly to be social. She wanted her to go say 'Hello' at her own accord to others, not to always be shy or clingy. Luna had to remind herself, however, that she was forever learning to be a parent to the child. There was no manual that came with her when she was born. No one could teach her how to deal with everyday matters. She just had to learn from every moment spent with Lilly... and who knows... maybe one day, Luna would find a stable relationship and Lilly could become a big sister to another child and many of the lessons Lilly taught her would go to raising the next child...if she ever were so lucky again.

And as she watched her sister and Lilly interact, it brought a contented smile to her lips. Winter would make a great mother, if life gave her the chance to be. If it did not happen, well, she'd still be the galaxy's greatest auntie to Lilly. No one knew what the future would hold, and things that seem so certain in life can suddenly throw up a curveball when you least expect it. Luna knew it well and perhaps Winter will too in time.

Listening to her sister as she spoke of needing to run some errands, Luna gave her nod of approval, not that Winter needed it anyway. "It's fine sis, you don't need my approval though you know." she said with a small smile. It was their one day off in the week so was a great time to get any outstanding errands done. Luna would need to assist and supervise the clean-up from last night but that didn't need to be till later. Luna could plan a mother/daughter day for Lilly, once Luna had cleaned her up of course. That sugar cream croissant had covered the munchkin's hands already so it wouldn't be long before it would cover her pyjamas, hair and face. "Lily and I will be fine for a few hours. Though we...may get up to some mischief while you're gone... eh Lilly?"

Lilly looked up and giggled while her face was still stuffed with croissant. She then looked at her Auntie and nodded, giggling with glee. Mummy was going to have a mischief day...that was something she could definitely get behind. Luna placed a gentle hand on the back of Lilly's head, stroking her hair lovingly as she looked at her sister. "We'll tell you all about it when you get home."

[Winter Brocar'do]

"I know, but you've already done a lot." Winter admitted with a sheepish smile. She had the tendency to overexert herself with everything. While she wouldn't admit it, she felt she had to overcompensate since she didn't have to juggle motherhood and work. So she felt she had to do everything twice as much, even to the point of passing out certain times at her office. She had been trying to work on that but when stress skyrocketed again like with Ash showing up her ugly mug again, she could drain herself even more because she felt she had to prove herself, not to anyone but her own person.

"I'm pretty sure you two can get up to a lot of mischief. That's why we're related." She stuck her tongue out at Luna before bursting into laughter. "I'm sure you will." After finishing up breakfast, she grabbed fresh clothes and jumped into the shower, hoping that she would be able to just get outside of the house without needing to have a discussion about the last night with her sister. She just didn't want to do that now, and she had got the confirmation message from one of her doctors for an emergency appointment. With more pains cropping up because of stress, she wanted to be checked out just in case, despite knowing she exhibited a lot of her stress and anxiety through physical reactions.

[Luna Brocar'do]

Once Winter had finished her breakfast and went to get washed, Luna couldn't help but sigh quietly. She'd hoped Winter had learned to talk to her by now, yet it seemed she was drifting further away. Had Lilly not been around, Luna would probably have had a sulk while Winter was gone. Be as it may, however, Luna's attention was solely focused on the girl and she wouldn't allow her Mother to sulk at any time. Luna just had to hope that, one day, Winter would stop bottling up her stress and talk to her...preferably before that bottled stress killed her.

Taking another croissant from the plate, Luna continued to watch Lilly eat her breakfast, while eating her own, ready to pounce on cleaning time when necessary. Thoughts came and went before an idea came to mind. Looking down at Lilly, Luna decided to let the girl in on the idea. "Hey Lilly..." she whispered, quietly gaining the girl's attention. Rolling onto her belly so she could look at her daughter eye to eye. "Auntie Winter has been feeling a little sad lately and its up to us to make her feel better. Think you could help me?"

Lilly looked at her Mummy with curiosity. "Why is Auntie Winter sad?" she asked, her features frowning as she listened intently.

Luna paused for a moment, trying to find words to explain what was wrong without worrying her too much. "Somebody said some bad things that hurt her feelings yesterday. It made her feel sad..." she watched as the girl frowned sadly and stroked her cheek a little, pulling an encouraging smile. "But I've an idea that will make her feel lots better...want to help?"

Lilly's eyes lit up as she nodded eagerly. "Yes! What we do?"

Luna's grin grew. "Well....first of... let's finish our breakfast and get you washed and dressed..." Luna looked toward the door, trying to see if Winter was coming out of the bathroom. Satisfied she was still in there, Luna looked back to her child and continued laying out the plan. "Then...you and me are going to go to the craft store and we'll buy some things to make her something nice...and then we'll go to the flower store and buy a big bouquet of flowers just for Auntie Winter. Then when we get home we'll decorate Auntie Winter's bedroom with the flowers and things we made for her before she gets home from her errands... what do you think?"

Lilly clapped her hands and eagerly nodded to her Mummy. "I love it! Auntie Winter will too!"

Luna nodded and noticed Lilly had finished her croissant. Her child and bed were covered in pastry pieces but the blonde mother didn't mind. It was time to hatch out the plan. "Remember...It's our little secret okay? No telling Auntie Winter..." Luna said as she picked her daughter up, carrying the child into her bedroom. Still holding the girl in her arms, Luna sat Lilly on her left hip, freeing her right hand to pick out some underwear and a white dress and blue denim jacket for her before sitting the girl on her bed. "Come on...let's get you out of your jammies and get you washed in your bathroom eh?" she said as she stripped the girl of her dirty clothes, turning it into a game so Lilly wouldn't get all fussy. Once stripped down, the giggling girl was chased into her bathroom by Mum as she ran a lukewarm bath for her to step into. Once settled in the bath, Luna quickly washed her from head to toe, getting all the food particles off her body and hair while the girl played with her toys. Once satisfied that Lilly was clean, Luna pulled the plug and lifted the little girl up and out of the bath before setting her on her feet and wrapping a warm towel around her, rubbing her down to dry her body off before vigorously rubbing dry her hair with the towel. She then proceeded to get the girl dressed (http://www.listal.com/viewimage/3408594) for day ahead.

"You look gorgeous Lilly!" Luna said as she planted a kiss on the little girl's cheek and lifted her up for a snuggle. Sitting the girl on her hip, Luna looked at her precious child with a grin. "I'm going to quickly get changed and then we'll go out, okay?" the girl nodded eagerly to her mother, excited about the day ahead. "Do you want to walk or ride in the stroller?"

"Walk!" Lilly said excitedly. It was only recently that Luna decided to give girl the option of walking or riding in the stroller, mainly because Luna knew Lilly was growing up and needed to build up her stamina. Of course, this also meant that Luna would have to carry her should Lilly decide she was too tired to continue. Luckily, Luna had become an expert at shopping with a sleepy child in her arms. She'd carry a large backpack on her back so that any shopping she did buy didn't hinder her. Not as glam as a stroller but that was okay with Luna.

"Alright. Walk it is!" Luna said as she snuggled her child once more before putting her into her feet. "Go see if Auntie Winter is still around. I'll be five minutes okay?" she said. The girl nodded and turned to run into the lounge area before Luna called her back. "Lilly!" The three year old turned around and looked at her mother as she whispered. "Remember...no telling Auntie Winter what we're up to..." Luna put her index finger to her lips in a 'shh' pose to remind Lilly not to tell Winter, something the girl understood. Nodding in acknowledgement, Lilly ran to find Winter while Luna got dressed (http://www.listal.com/viewimage/4806456).

Once Lilly had found her Auntie, she immediately clamped into her leg, snuggling it before looking up at her with glee in her eyes. "Hewwo! I wuv you! You vewy pwetty! Hehe!

[Winter Brocar'do]

Oblivious to what her sister and niece were plotting, Winter took a longer shower than she had first planned. Too many thoughts were swirling in her mind and she refused to just leave home behind Luna's back, like a thief. She didn't feel ready to have a huge talk with her sibling, but she still respected the family and didn't want to behave badly. She eventually stepped outside of the shower and dried her hair. She heard her comlink beep and checked the message. It was her doctor saying she'd have a thirty minute delay due to an emergency. She messaged back, saying it was no problem. Heck, she already appreciated getting a last minute appointment, so she wasn't going to be a pest about having to wait thirty more minutes.

Finally getting dressed (https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/17/ce/2b/17ce2bc3affeb0d27e398ed27912795f.jpg) for the day, Winter headed back inside the bedroom and heard footsteps in the hallway. She opened the half-closed door fully and didn't have time to call out for her niece that Lilly had already clung to her, which made her smile. "Aaaaw, thank you sweetie. You look beautiful too, like a princess. Can I be your royal bodyguard?" It was a game they played either when playing with the little girl's toys or pretending just the two of them. It amused the redhead and her niece liked it too, so that was what mattered.

"I see you're ready to head out with mommy as well. Where are you two going? Somewhere nice?" She needed to get going soon but she could stick around a few more minutes.

[Luna Brocar'do]

Lilly nodded her head when Auntie Winter asked to be her 'royal bodyguard'. "Yes!" she said before giving her Auntie another hug. "All time! Hehe!"

When her Auntie asked where she and Luna were going, Lilly knew she couldn't say anything big about what they were going to do. She couldn't tell Winter of the big surprise she and Luna had planned...so what could she say that would satisfy her Mother and her Auntie? "We go out!" Lilly replied as Luna appeared. The girl was relieved to see her so she didn't need to elaborate more on where they were going. Unlike Lilly, Luna was a master at weaving truth in lies to keep secrets so Luna stepped in to fill the gaps.

"I figured it would be nice for Lilly to get out of here for a while so I checked the holonet for any fun things to do. Bee-crafty are holding a craft fair in their store for kids today so I figured it would be something fun to do while you're away." Luna said, covering for her little girl. "We're also going to pick some flowers for potting. They'll help me teach Lilly about plants and how they grow."

Luna smiled at her sister, wondering if Winter bought her words. There was truth in her words, yet she omitted that they had a surprise for her. "How long do you think you'll be gone for?" Luna asked.

[Winter Brocar'do]

"Good, love you sweetpea." Winter said with a warm smile, returning her niece's hug. "Oh you go out, uh?" She was intrigued now, because normally Lilly would be happy to say more about what she was doing. She quirked a brow and looked at her sister when she appeared. "That's neat of Bee-crafty to do that. I'm sure it'll be a blast."

At the mention of flowers and potting, she made a mock-terrified face. "Better you than me!" She stuck her tongue out, for Luna knew how anything gardening was her worst nightmare. Winter hated that with a passion. She had tried to like and learn it but it was punishment to inflict any sort of gardening on her person. Good thing that Luna was able to take care of such things as the redhead wasn't going to. She was fine doing a whole lot of other things, but not that.

"I should be gone about three hours. I might make a pit stop at the Decadent Bakery on the way back. I could eat something fancy besides my usual fruit salad for dinner."

[Luna Brocar'do]

Three hours... if she played her cards right, three hours would be all Luna needed to plan the surprise for Winter. The plan was still forming in her mind, but if she could get as much time as possible, it was all the better. "Cool. We'll be back by then." Luna said. "You'll get to see our creations upon your return." Luna then looked down at her daughter and winked playfully to her. "Go find the shoes you want to wear sweetie while Mummy speaks to your Auntie. I'll help you get them on in a minute."

"Okay Mummy!" Lilly responded before giving Winter a hug and racing off to find her shoes. Left on her own with Winter, Luna looked to her sister, unable to hide the concern in her eyes. Something needed to be said, even if Winter didn't want to discuss it.

"Sis, I know you'd prefer me to stay quiet and let you deal with crap on your own, but I need you to listen for just a moment...please." she said as she sat down on the bed beside her sister. "You won't remember this...or maybe you do...but when you were in the hospital after that terrorist incident... I sat with you the whole time you were unconscious, not knowing if you'd live or die... I took your hand into mine and whispered into your ear, 'I'm right here...and I'm not letting you fall. Whether you like it or not, you're coming back, even if I have to drag your sorry ass kicking and screaming in the process.' It hasn't changed. I may be a busy bee juggling the business and Lilly, but I'm still right here. Ready to give you a hug, an ear...a shoulder to cry on, or even make you laugh...you don't need to shut yourself out from me."

[Winter Brocar'do]

When Luna mentioned talking to her, Winter got on flight or fight mode, but managed to keep her composure. She loved her sister and part of her wished she had confided in her on more accounts than she had, but when years of keeping things inside took over, it was hard to break the pattern. And she had always felt as if she was the one to be the caregiver. Luna was fully capable of taking care of herself and of her daughter, but Winter was fiercely protective and taking care of others allowed her not to dwell on her problems too much.

She chewed on her lips as she listened to her sister. She had vague and fleeting memories of Luna being there when she was recovering. What was most vivid was the last moments before she slipped into a coma due to her heavy loss of blood. She remembered being on the ground, clinging to Toran's lifeless body, not caring about her own wounds, wanting to be there for him until his very last breath. "I know you were there. I know you still are, Luna."

She didn't know how to say it, nor was certain if she wanted to reveal all of her dirty secrets after all these years. It was easier not to mention them to anyone. It hurt a lot, but she was used to that. And honestly, she wasn't sure that burdening Luna with any of them would make things better.

"There's a lot I never told you." She admitted with a sorrowful sigh.

[Luna Brocar'do]

Luna smiled softly as it seemed maybe... just maybe, Winter was finally letting her in. She didn't hold her breath though, knowing that Winter was likely panicking inside, judging by the look in her eyes. Luna knew she had to tread lightly, in the hopes that she didn't retreat again, but if she were willing to talk now, then Luna had to be willing to listen, even if Lilly were outside impatiently waiting. Luna had a promise to keep, one that not even Lilly could break her from.

So when Winter said that there were a lot she never told her, Luna sat back on the bed slightly. Her sister had her undivided attention now. "I know we all have our secrets... I mean, I kept my pregnancy with Lilly a secret from you... even though it was silly to hide it." she shuffled herself to sit beside her sister, raising the woman's chin up to look at her directly in the eyes. "Secrets have their way of eating into you in the end though.... you saw how fragile I'd become when I collapsed after six months of hiding my pregnancy. I know how lonely it feels when you carry such big secrets alone. Secrets catch up to you in the end... hurt you more than they ever did to begin with. I poured my heart out to you in the hospital once I came round...and I can't tell you how relieved I was to tell you. Its hard.... I know, but talking does help, even if you think it won't."

[Winter Brocar'do]

Winter remembered how angry she had been at Luna when she had found out about her little sis's pregnancy. She had been mostly scared for her and all the stress she had added on herself. She knew how hypocritical it was coming from her. And at that time, she had come out of her coma and been back to work for a few months, so she had felt partially responsible for this. Winter easily blamed herself for a lot of things.

After Luna had her hold her gaze, the redhead rested her head on her sister's shoulder, trying hard not to cry. "You'll probably hate me for having not said a word for years." She admitted, because of how big and ugly her secrets were.

"I can't talk now. I'm not saying I won't, but I do have medical appointment, I managed to get in emergency."

[Luna Brocar'do]

It was amazing to Luna how her mothering instincts were easily transferred from Lilly to Winter as her elder sister rested her head on Luna's shoulder, saying she'd probably hate her for not saying anything after so long. Shaking her head in disagreement, Luna sought to ease her sister's worries. "No...I can't hate you for not telling me." she said, stroking her sister's hair subconsciously in the same way she did with Lilly. "You're my sister. The last thing I can do is hate you. I can be sad and disappointed but I'll get over it. I'd rather know what is troubling you and find a way to make you feel better than be shut out for reasons I don't understand."

When she spoke about having an emergency medical appointment, Luna couldn't help but be concerned. Inside, Luna may even acknowledge being hurt by not knowing all of what was wrong, but her years of being in the entertainment industry and her ability to be calm and rational allowed her to hide most of her actual emotions. She couldn't hide the concern in her eyes, however. "Okay..." Luna said quietly. "Please let me know how it goes..." she could've said more... a lot more, but Luna bit her tongue, knowing any attempt to demand an explanation on what was really going on now would end in failure. She was disappointed, not only in her sister for not telling her what was going on, but disappointed in herself for being blind to how serious it may be.

"Mummy! I lost dem!" Lilly called out from her bedroom. "Mummy help?"

"I'm coming sweetie..." Luna responded shifting her body slightly to break connection with Winter. As she rose to her feet, Luna looked to her sister once more. "Let's talk more when you're home and Lilly's down for her nap."

[Winter Brocar'do]

Winter wasn't so certain that Luna would take all her revelations well, but she felt decided to break the silence at last. She hated the thought of doing so and it was bloody scary, but she had to make some changes in her life. Truth was she was tired of maintaining her persona. Sure thing, she had a wild side and was downright protective and dangerous to any threat to her employees and family, but she used to be much more than that. She knew one couldn't change the past, but maybe just maybe she could fix a few things now. She didn't bet much on that but she'd do what she could.

"It's nothing new, really." She murmured regarding her medical appointment.

When Lilly called out from her bedroom, Winter welcomed the distraction. "Sure thing, I'll see you then." She said before getting to her feet, and heading to the door.

[Luna Brocar'do]

Luna sighed quietly, sealing up her concerned adult persona to switch to the carefree, protective Mummy so that Lilly didn't see her feeling sad. Protecting her daughter from the adult world was important to Luna, no matter how hurt she herself felt inside. As she approached Lilly's room, she watched as Lilly fearfully searched for her shoes to no avail. Drawing another sigh, she pulled a soft smile as she knelt to Lilly's level. "Hmm... now where did those pesky shoes get to huh?" Luna said, turning the search into a small game. Sometimes Luna just had to remember that Lilly was a little girl and sometimes it was harder to find things than it were as an adult and by going down to Lilly's level, she was gaining both perspective and lessons. "Are they... in the wardrobe?" she asked as she waddled on her knees toward the girl's wardrobe, Lilly following close behind. This particular wardrobe was on a slider so needed to be pushed aside. Another opportunity to get Lilly involved. "Hey Lil'. Come help be push this door away." she said, beckoning her daughter to come over. Standing the girl between her and the door, Luna counted for them to push the door together. "Three... two.... one... push!"

As mother and daughter pushed the door aside, Luna spotted Lilly's shoes right away and cheered to her daughter. "Yay! Good job Lilly!" she said, clapping enthusiastically before planting a kiss on her little girl's cheek. She then pointed to Lilly's shoes. "Look! There's your shoes! We found them!"

"Yay! Fank you Mummy!" Lilly said gleefully as she picked them up and handed them to her mother. "Help me?"

Luna chuckled and took the little shoes from Lilly. "Thank you sweetie... and sure. Lets get them on you, shall we?" Switching positions so that she was cross-legged on the ground, Luna waited until Lilly had sat down and proceeded to put the girl's shoes on, feeling where the girl's toes were and canted her head a little as she realized that Lilly would need new shoes soon. "Well, I'll be. Time for Lilly to get some new shoes again!" she said as she buckled the shoes to the child's feet. "We'll get to the children's store while we're out." Once she made sure the shoes were secure on the girl's feet, Luna stood up and held a hand to her daughter. It were a nice enough day for her to go without a jacket, though Luna did grab a jumper to put in her rucksack in case Lilly got cold. As the two moved to the kitchen, Luna packed a couple of drinks for Lilly along with a small box to take some leftover croissants for them to munch on should they get hungry. "I think we're ready to go now, sweetie." she said to her daughter before calling out to Winter. "We're heading out Winter! Shall catch you later!"

"Ta ta! Auntie Winter!" Lilly chimed in. "Luv you Auntie Winter!"

Slinging her rucksack on her back, Luna took a hold of Lilly's hand and left the apartment, heading out for a little bit of Mum and daughter time.

[Winter Brocar'do]

Winter was on her way already when she heard her sister and Lily behind her. She waved at both of them with a smile, before heading to the garage to take her speeder. The private medical practice where she had her medical appointment was far enough that she wouldn't walk there. She blasted the music too loud while driving, but she didn't care. Everything was playing heavily on her mind and keeping herelf together was no easy feat. She didn't know how to feel about being willing to reveal her secrets to her sister. She was torn between wanting to proceed with her promise and bailing out, retreating back into her secret hole. It was ironic how highly functioning and responsible she was, and yet hid so many wounds so well.

She absentmindedly played with the necklace (http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c68/Aruna7/Winters%20necklace_zpsmhdav8mc.jpg) she had worn for years after parking at her destination. She took a deep breath and then left the speeder to get to the reception desk inside the building. She hoped that just a simple readjustment of her medication would help.

***

The appointment last way longer than expected becaue of tests to be conducted. It was satisfying to know that her condition hadn't worsened, but the stress she had been under had triggered worse reactions. Her doctor was always surprised of how her body responded so strongly, despite years of medical practice with a multitude of different patients. The specialist had also inquired whether Winter would consider going through the experimental treatment, but the redhead had declined. There was no reason for her to do that and the insane money it would take would be better used to the betterment of the Black Moon.

Winter had no qualm with bedding men for short-term affairs, but she had been growing tired of her collection. It had nothing to do with what people might think or say, because truth be told she had always done her own thing, regardless of the matter at hand. She believed in freedom of choice for all as long as it hurt no one. She just felt hollow about it and she knew she had likely overdone it as well to feed the wild persona that participated to her success as an entertainment manager and co-owner of the Black Moon.

There was much on her mind as she was making her way to the Decadent Bakery as she had promised her sister and niece.

[Luna Brocar'do]

It had been a very productive morning for Luna and Lilly as the two spent time wandering around Bee-crafty and spending time crafting gifts for Winter (http://freakify.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Picture-342.jpg) before going to the shoe shop to buy Lilly new shoes (http://i00.i.aliimg.com/wsphoto/v0/1258898336_1/2013-New-girls-shoes-boys-shoes-kids-shoes-children-shoes-child-canvas-single-skateboarding-casual-children.jpg). Lilly had picked them out herself, with Luna readily supporting her daughter's decision. She felt that, despite only being three years of age, she should be allowed to make small decisions on her own when able. Plus Luna thought the shoes looked really cute on her. Once done, Luna then took the girl to the flower shop, where Lilly seemed to have a wonderful time looking at all the flowers for Auntie Winter. Together, Mum and Daughter chose a colourful bouquet (http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/colourful-flower-bouquet-27510117.jpg) of flowers to take home. There was enough darkness in their lives so Luna decided to add colour to it with the flowers. Perhaps it would help to bring a smile to Winter's face once she got home?

As expected, on the way home, Lilly had begun to grow tired and wanted to be carried home. Luna obliged and lifted the girl into her arms, wrapping the bag the flowers were in around her wrist and holding on tight to the little one with both arms as she rested her head on Luna's shoulder, close to her heart like always. She could feel her daughter relax in her arms as she walked home and by the time they arrived back at the apartment, Lilly was on the cusp of falling asleep. Of course, Luna had to disturb her by setting her on her feet so she could drop her bags to the couch. Lilly whined and cried sleepily at the disturbance and wouldn't settle as Luna quickly put the flowers in water for Winter's bedroom. Once she'd done that, she lifted up her daughter once more. It was definitely time to settle this irritable soul for a nap and she had just the thing for it. Her years of being in a band and singing had not gone to waste when she left. Instead of the hard metal songs, they were soft, sweet lullabies as she sang 'Baby Mine' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhyWnOx9Icg) to her. Once Lilly had fallen into a peaceful sleep, Luna gently laid her down on top of her bed and took a light blanket from the chest of drawers to cover her with before leaving her to rest. Luna then stuck their craftwork on Winter's door and moved toward her bedroom, picking up her acoustic guitar. She then moved to the lounge area and sat down with the guitar on her lap. By the time Winter returned, Luna was lost in her music, singing 'Everybody Hurts' (https://youtu.be/nkp-U36c_wo) to both unwind and express her feelings without the world looking in on her. This kind of music was a world away from what she used to do...but she didn't care. Hard Metal... soft acoustic. Whatever the mood was, that was what she played.

[Winter Brocar'do]

Winter heard her sister sing even before she opened the door to their apartment. It was soft and beautiful but she still heard her, having very good ears despite the loud music heard over and over in their life. She quietly stepped inside and watched her sister sing, not having even made it to her bedroom yet. She leaned against the door frame, watching Luna with love and pride filling her heart. She adored her baby sister - old enough to have her own baby but never mind. Luna was one of the most compassionate and talented persons she had ever met and she felt privileged to be in her life. She didn't care if it made her mushy to feel as such because it was the truth.

When Luna ended the song, she could have said something or gone to hug her. Instead, she silently walked to sit at the piano they had in the lounge area. She chewed on her lips and began to play. Her fingers trembled a little over the keys at some moments and her voice cracked every once in a while. It was a song (https://youtu.be/rjbbXn8SASw) she had been working on for years, inspired by the people who had been closer to her in her life. She had never played it to an audience, having kept it as one of her many secrets.

As always, art allowed her to express herself better than in regular conversation. It was one ice breaker as any other. At least she was trying...

[Luna Brocar'do]

Luna set her guitar down and listened to her sister play on the piano, smiling a little and even shedding a tear or two. It had been a while since they had a musical session together. It was beautiful. One she hadn't heard before. Approaching her sister, she came from behind to give her a hug, a soft kiss planted on Winter's cheek. "That song is beautiful, Winter." she said. "Scoot over..." Luna then joined her sister at the piano. Looking at the keys for a moment Luna wondered if she'd remember the music to the song she had in mind...and whether she should play it at all.

Deciding to just play it anyway, Luna hovered her fingers. This time, she said no words, she just let her fingers do the talking (http://youtu.be/v-ID_kwmsqQ). It was an invite for Winter to join her if she wanted to. It was a song Luna knew would provoke a reaction. Because it were a window to what Luna wanted her sister to know. Music connected them as much as their bond as sisters. Where they found it hard to speak, music helped them relax. Perhaps afterwards, the sisters could really talk, reveal what was on their minds and work together to help them find a solution for whatever was hurting.

[Winter Brocar'do]

Winter shed a few tears as she played the song, because it was hard for her to share it and even more difficult to know all that this song stood for in her life. No matter how she put up with everything thrown at her and how she had kept herself together as much as possible despite all the hardships, she had hungered to heal and get better for a long while but she had never had much faith she would be able to. She felt like too much of a wreck inside. Guilt ate at her more often than not. She smiled faintly when her sister gave her a hug and complimented the song.

She made room for Luna when asked to, and she recognized the song the blonde Brocar'do played. She joined her sister at the piano, finding this natural rhythm of playing music with Luna. While they had always been close, music had been what had connected them beyond the age difference and beyond the blood that flew in their veins.

[Luna Brocar'do]

Luna smiled as she got her sister to join in. Okay so she didn't sing, like she hoped, but the blonde did hope Winter had listened to what they were playing. She wanted her sister to understand that, what she was playing were subtle ways of telling her elder how she felt inside. Right now, Luna felt helpless. She wanted to understand what was going on and not be shut out. Maybe... maybe now she would say something. If she listened enough, perhaps she wouldn't clam up... or maybe she would.

"So... how did it go...? Your appointment I mean..."

She sat quietly, listening. She hoped she wouldn't get the usual 'Oh it was okay' words. They may have worked in the past, but Luna wasn't stupid enough to acknowledge those words now. "What can I do to help you...?"

[Winter Brocar'do]

The moment her sister asked how her medical appointment had gone, Winter felt like clamming up. Her hands fell on her lap and she chewed on her lip. She wasn't sure where to begin but she decided to just answer Luna's question as simply and honestly as possible. "Things took longer than expected as my doctor had to conduct some tests. My condition hasn't got any worse. It's just that because of stress, my body has ugly strong reactions. So she readjusted my medication to ease the pains I have been dealing with for years."

For eff sake, she had just opened a bloody can of worms, that would probably bring more questions than anything else. She pressed forward though, even when she felt like crumbling inside. "I've suffered from a rare condition that affects my reproductive system. The surgery to fix it has a 3% chance of success and higher rates of having bad repercussions on my health generally speaking, so I have always refused to go that road."

It wasn't the whole truth about her options; nor had she said how long she had put up with that, but it was a start.

[Luna Brocar'do]

Luna couldn't help but look away for a moment as Winter explained she had been dealing with the physical signs of stress for years and hadn't said a thing to her. She was rightly upset by the fact that she knew nothing of what was wrong with her sister for so long and it took her a moment of silence before she could bring herself to say something. She felt hurt by the lack of information prior to now, but she couldn't bring herself to shout at her sister for it. "Sis... why didn't you say anything sooner?" she asked as she finally turned to look at her sister. "How long has this been going on..? You didn't need to suffer alone for so long...."

When Winter spoke of what her condition actually was, Luna threw her arms around her sister into a tight hug. "Sis...I'm sorry..." It was all she could really say. However...there was one thing she could perhaps do to help Winter in the future. "Winter... if you promise me you'll work with me in getting you feeling better... and find yourself someone you want to settle down with, I'll carry your child to term for you if you decide you want a family of your own someday. That I can promise you."

She pulled back a little so the two could look at each other. Luna genuinely wanted to help her sister, but the question was...how?

[Winter Brocar'do]

Winter had almost expected to be shouted at, the way she had shouted at Luna when finding out about her sister's pregnancy. She would have deserved it anyway, which made her all the more grateful when the blonde Brocar'do kept calm and didn't yell. She hated revealing everything. Right now, it didn't make her feel any better, but she guessed it was a process.

"I... I didn't know until a year before Toran's death. I mean I had bad periods and stuff like that, but never thought it was that ugly, y'know?" Frak, she'd have to spill it all out. She pointed at the necklace (http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c68/Aruna7/Winters%20necklace_zpsmhdav8mc.jpg) she had been wearing for years. "Do you remember how I got myself that as a self-congratulatory present after a big win for the company I worked for as security? I lied. Again."

She almost burst into tears as she recalled that. "That's my bloody engagement ring. Toran and I didn't want to make our relationship public until the end of our employment term. We were talking about starting a family. That's when I went for a check-up that brought depressing results."

Now that she had started to talk, she was rambling and putting everything out, unbottling at last, even if it made her feel even more of a wreck than usual. "We put money aside for a possible experimental treatment. I blew all my savings into the Black Moon. You were having a baby, Toran was dead. The money was better spent on our project, on our big work, so we could provide to the family."

Eff it, she was crying now, even as Luna said she could carry her child one day. All choked up, she clinged to her sibling. "I'm not even sure it could be my own kid genetically speaking. I'm an ugly mess, Luna."

[Luna Brocar'do]

Finally, everything came out. The lid of the pot had finally burst, releasing the pressure that had been held for so long. All that pain finally brought to the forefront as she held her sister, comforting her as best she could as Winter poured her heart out. "Winter..." she said quietly. With regards to her pregnancy, Luna did keep it quiet for so long...yet Luna had not told Winter completely why she had kept it from her for so long. Fear had played a big factor, but there was a far worse reason why. She'd only discovered her pregnancy the very day Winter was injured. Luna had been in a tailspin. She wanted to share it, but she felt she couldn't because her sister needed her to help her get better. Winter's condition trumped her own and so Luna swallowed her secret. When the waves of Morning Sickness took hold, Luna dismissed it as 'something she ate not agreeing with her' so Winter didn't worry. She did her best to throw up in secret so Winter didn't catch on. When her bump started to show, she kept her clothes loose so it hid the life growing within. While she was aware that she'd have needed to say something, Luna hadn't taken into account the amount of stress she herself had been under until she collapsed.

"I wish I knew sooner... but I'm glad you're talking to me about it now..." Luna said as Winter cried in her arms, her maternal instincts comforting her sister as best they could. Remaining silent while her sister continued to cry. "Sis... the Doctors can do wonderful things if we give them a chance." Luna said. "Any child I bear for you can have your own DNA, it doesn't just have to be my own." Luna let her maternal nature take over once more as she stroked her sister's hair. Since they were letting everything out now, Luna decided to share more of why she'd kept her pregnancy quiet for so long. "Remember when you screamed bloody murder at me for keeping my pregnancy secret for so long...?" she asked. "I told you it was because I was I was afraid of you and our parents' reactions...there was more to it than that. I didn't want to share it with you then because you were still on the road to recovery but... I only discovered I was pregnant just hours after you were injured and Toran was killed. Mom and Dad had enough to worry about with wondering whether you'd make it or not...and the focus was for you to get better. I didn't want that focus to be taken off you...so I buried the secret, ignored my changing body and focused on helping you get better and setting up Black Moon. That collapse reminded me that I couldn't hide it any longer. I took your screams. They hurt like hell, yet even now... I still feel I did the right thing by not saying anything until then. I was glad once the secret was out but... I needed you to be better, so I could focus more on my own needs. Like this is for you, my collapse was the keg that made all my pains and worries explode. It was a healing process, one I knew I had to begin for yours and Lilly's sake."

As for providing for the family, Luna raised an eyebrow. "And Winter.... you do remember I was in the Entertainment industry for most of my life right..? Being in a band and starring in films raked me in a lot of credits...still does even now from royalties and such so we don't need to be taken care of in that sense." Luna looked into her sister's eyes. "Listen to me. You need to look after you. You don't need to worry about me, Mom, Dad or Lilly. You need to worry about you. Focus on you." she pulled a soft smile for her sister. "You and me are a team... we always have been.... so lets work together and get you feeling more like the Winter I remember before all this shit hit the fan... sound good?"

[Winter Brocar'do]

What Luna revealed about why she had kept her pregnancy secret for longer than needed made Winter felt like an idiot. She had a knack to frak things up. She felt responsible for what her sister had gone through now. It wasn't in a way to consider her sister irresponsible or anything. She had solid faith in Luna's abilities to take care of herself and also her daughter now. She just felt that she was failing people and she hated that. She didn't comment on the revelation her sister made, because she would have probably said hurtful things because it was how she was when she felt trapped as she did right now.

As for the whole healing thing, she just shrugged. "If Toran's insane sister is out of the picture, I won't have as much stress, so it's manageable. I'm not sure I want to go through that treatment. It has a very low chance of doing any good change and the price is insane. It is better invested in the Black Moon that's something real. It's not as if I'm going to make a kid on my own or am going to settle down any time soon, regardless of how tired I am of going from one guy to the other, even when they're decent."

She sighed, a headache looming, which wasn't a surprise. "My priority is the family and the Black Moon. I didn't make as much money as you used to do, but I put everything I had because I refused to invest any less than you in this project. As for experimental treatment, it'd probably put me out of commission more often than not and I refuse to leave all the work to you. Being of no use once every few things is something, but I don't want to do that on a regular basis."

[Luna Brocar'do]

A faint smile crossed Luna's lips as Winter spoke of Ash. She hoped that Drake would be able to do something about that woman soon. The stress was affecting both of them and while she was careful, she could sense Lilly getting concerned too. "Yeah...about her. Drake called me while I was showering this morning. He's going to try and persuade the court to send her to..."

Just then, a call came through Luna's holocomm. Taking it out of her back pocket, Luna activated it. Drake was on the other end of the comm, looking somewhat surprised. "Luna, what did you say to Ash last night?"

Luna looked at her sister then back at the comm. "I told her to get her life together and asked her if she believed her brother would want her to live as a drug addict...why?"

Drake smiled. "Well, whatever and however you said it worked. When she finally came out of her drugged madness, she started crying for help. She went to a secure hospital willingly. The court and doctors will decide how long she'll stay there tomorrow. In the meantime, your request for a wider restraining order has been granted."

Luna was actually quite shocked. Maybe their luck was finally turning after all. "Wow...that's...that's brilliant news." she said as she hugged her sister a little tighter. It would perhaps take Luna a while to not be on her guard for her but this was perhaps the first piece of good news they'd had in a while.

[Winter Brocar'do]

Winter didn't know what the hell it would take for bloody Ash to finally let it go. She had been a real plague for the past years, no matter what had been tried. She didn't look very optimistic to what Luna said about the morning call. When the new one happened, she blinked at what Drake said. She didn't know what her sister might have said but it was a sheer miracle that Toran's sister wanted to give up, go get treatment and that the wider restraining order had been granted.

"Oh my gods.... Oh my gods...." That was about all the redhead could mumble for a while, still in shock. She clinged to Luna, still wrapping her mind around the latest news.

[Luna Brocar'do]

Drake looked over at the two sisters, a smirk pulling on his lips as he saw the girls' reactions, though he was concerned about the state Winter was in, watching as she repeated her shocked sentence over again. "Are you alright, Winter?" he asked.

Luna smiled a little. "She will be in time. The stress of all the years this has been going on has taken its toll on her. It will take her a while, but she will get there..." she then looked at her sister, holding her in a reassured embrace. "Right sis?"

Luna was glad that this saga was coming to an end. It was finally time to help Winter to pick up the pieces. With one source of stress gone Luna could focus more on the other problems that Winter had brought up. For moment, all they needed was time to absorb this revelation. Rubbing her sister's back, Luna looked over at Drake, feeling a little more contented. "Thanks Drake. Let us know how things get on tomorrow."

"Will do! Take care ladies." Drake said before cutting off the comm. Taking a deep breath, Luna let out a sigh of relief. "Wow... that was a surprise no?" she said with a small smile to her sister.

[Winter Brocar'do]

Winter had a hard time believing this was actually happening. Truth was that skepticism would probably show up within the next days, until she got confirmation that things were okay. When the shit had hit the fan for so long, it was difficult to understand that things could really get better.

She held tight on her sister and eventually looked at Drake and gave him a thumbs up. "No worry, I'm not losing all of my effin marbles yet." She laughed and after Drake had ended the communication, she looked at Luna again. "No kidding. Don't know what you did but wow. After so many times that she came back in our life to stir her crap, I didn't think she'd let go."

[Luna Brocar'do]

Luna grinned as Winter expressed her disbelief. "I guess she finally saw some sense..." she mused. Luna didn't like using the tone she'd done with Ash. Threatening someone was not in Luna's nature. Yet Luna knew from experience that making someone feel like they'll die if they continue on the path they're on often had an effect. She had that same treatment herself during her touring. Wild nights of partying, high on Spice such as Red Sand. Before Luna quit the entertainment industry, she was heading down that destructive path too. Lorien set her straight by pinning her against a wall, and using his arm to put pressure on her throat. It was terrifying for Luna to experience, and even after her own rampage, she remembered that experience clearly. It was catalyst of change for her and, with luck, it had become a catalyst for Ash too.

"Sometimes a little bit of tough love and a reminder of what's important to you can change the way you see things." Luna said with a small smile. "Please don't make me use the same on you. I'd rather be the nice, kind, mumsy Luna Brocar'do than the biggest bitch in the galaxy Luna Brocar'do." she winked playfully to her sister and tickled her in the sides.

[Winter Brocar'do]

Winter had never touched drugs. She had got drunk too many times at a certain era in her life, but maybe it was due to the military years she had under her belt, but drugs were something she had always refused to touch, even during her wildest partying. She had had more male conquests than she cared counting and downed too much rum, but well, that was life. Everyone had their own vices and if they were clever they eventually grew out of them, or at least made their best efforts so they didn't get out of hand, she guessed.

"You can try to tough love me, sis. I'll have wrapped you into a nice little bow before you know it." She grinned to Luna and hugged the blonde. "I think we do good at biggest bitches of the galaxy. Probably why most people feel the Black Moon is a safe place where to have fun." It might sound like a joke to some but she meant it. People' security was something that mattered a lot to her.

"I guess that some might find myself boring though since I'm just effin tired of having a male suitor collection. I... I don't feel like a lesser being because I did what I did, but I'm tired of my effin persona I've used for so many years." She still had a wild enough side but she had felt the need to keep up with what she displayed because it was part of the trademark of the duet of owners.

[Luna Brocar'do]

As the sisters embraced, Luna couldn't help but chuckle as Winter spoke about being tired of having so many male suitors and maintaining a persona of being a maneater. "Sis, you have acting skills that made me blind." she said, elbowing her sister in the ribs and making light of the revelations Winter had thrown at her. "However...I'd rather you have a life you feel you can be happy with. If you feel you're tired of being a maneater then change it. Lilly and I know how wonderful you can be. You're beautiful, caring, sensitive and you know...even if you decide you want a family of your own someday, know this. Any woman in the galaxy has the potential to create a child, but being a Mom to a child doesn't need to be genetic. There are kids out there that need someone to adopt them. To teach them about life, love. Help them get over whatever happened to them in the past that led them to needing adoption. I know you well enough to know that whatever child gets the privilege of calling you 'Mom' one day will be an incredibly lucky child."

Luna smiled a little. As Lilly was growing up, she did wonder about whether she too should settle down and actively seek a father figure for her. Maybe even let her have a brother or sister someday. Luna had days of when she was broody so another child would definitely be on the cards one day. For now though, Lilly was enough to keep her busy.

Drawing in some breath, Luna smiled at her sister. "So...whose up for some cake? I know Lilly will be and I'm definitely up for some. You want some Winter?"

[Winter Brocar'do]

"Not saying I didn't have some great times, but I just had become that to many, so I felt like I had to entertain, y'know?" Winter replied with color rising to her cheeks. She did feel embarrassed to admit that. She had pretended on so many accounts in the past years that the thought of not doing that anymore was terrifying in itself, way more than the dread of continuing the show.

"I know that being a mom isn't just about biological children and I have nothing against adoption but I want - need? - to be a biological mother to at least one child. Maybe it's weird or selfish, but I need that, Luna." She chewed on her lip. She hoped for that so badly. In a weird way, she had faith she could find another man to have a good life with but it was the whole motherhood matter that scared and worried her to pieces.

At the mention of cake, her eyes lit up. "You bet I do!"

[Luna Brocar'do]

Luna understood the notion completely of having at least one biological child. The personal, ultimate sense of achievement that you created something so precious. Putting a hand on her sister's lap, Luna smiled at her big sis. "Well, one step at a time my dear." she said. "Best thing about life is that anything can happen. No two days are the same." she said as Lilly toddled into the room, rubbing her sleepy eyes. A soft smile pulled on her Luna's face. "Hey sweetheart." she said as the girl came over for a hug. Lifting her on her lap, she planted a gentle kiss on Lilly's head and wrapped her tight for a hug. "Mommy and Auntie Winter are going to get some cake... want some?"

Lilly looked up at her Mom, her eyes, once sleepy, now lit up eagerly as she nodded at her. "Uh huh!" she said before suddenly remembering what the two had done during the day while Winter was out. "Mommy... does Auntie Winter know our secret...?" she whispered into Luna's ear, to which, Luna grinned at her little girl.

"You know... I don't think she does...." Luna responded. "Why don't you go show Auntie Winter what we've been doing before your nap while I go get the cake?"

Lilly grinned eagerly and looked at her Auntie with glee as she jumped off Luna's lap, taking her Auntie Winter's hand. "Come on!" Lilly said. "Come to your room! Look at what Mommy and me got you!"

As Lilly and Winter went towards the bedroom, Luna got up and moved to the kitchen and got some chocolate cake out from the fridge, listening to Winter and Lilly converse as she did so. "Look! Mommy and me made dat card for you!" Lilly said to her Auntie, pointing to the card on the door. "And we gots pwetty flowers too! Come see!" The little girl pointed to the door handle, urging her Auntie to open it.

[Winter Brocar'do]

"Well, it's not as if much is going to change. I spilled my beans and am probably going to be labelled boring by some of our patrons and musicians now, but well...." Winter shrugged, knowing that she wasn't going to go through the experimental treatment for her medical condition anytime soon. She refused to throw money in there rather than the club and she also didn't want Luna to have to take care of all the work, as this treatment would likely put her out of commission on a regular basis and could last for a while. She'd do her best to stop bottling up but she wasn't going to give up on her responsibilities.

She smiled when Lilly joined them, still sleepy. "Hey sleeping beauty!" She said with fondness, before arching a brow, giving a quizzical look at her sister. "Secret, hmmm?"

She wondered what her sister and niece had been up to but she was very curious to see what it was about. "I'm following you, missy!" She replied, getting to her feet and walking after the toddler. She smiled as she saw what they had made. It warmed her heart. "I love it! It's beautiful." Then, she went inside and saw the gorgeous flowers, some of her favorite in the bouquet. She picked her niece up and gave her a big peck on the cheek. "You did well. Thank you so much!"

[Luna Brocar'do]

Luna cut three slices of cake for everyone and put them on three separate plates before making her way to Winter's bedroom, laughing as she saw her sister lift Lilly up, giving her a big kiss on the cheek. "Me happy you like it, Auntie Winter!" Lilly said gleefully as Luna stepped into the room, her waitressing skills put to the test as she balanced one plate on her left arm, another in her left hand and the third in her right.

"Chocolate cake for all!" Luna declared, as she handed a plate to Lilly, who was sat in Winter's arms, one the girl had taken her plate, she lifted the plate off her arm and offered it to her sister. "We thought a little colour would help lighten the mood. And a reminder that, no matter how bad things seem, we're still around to remind you that we love you." Luna then looked to her daughter and said, "Ain't that right kiddo?"

Lilly grinned and nodded as she turned to look at her Auntie. "Yep! Love you millions Auntie Winter!"

[Winter Brocar'do]

Winter hadn't seen this coming and was touched by her sister's and her niece's kindness. She grinned to Luna as she arrived with all the plates. "My favorite!" She replied joyfully before accepting the plate, still not having put her niece back on the floor, enjoying having her in her arms a little longer.

"Hey, I like color! You know I love blue and red!" She teased. "I love you two as well. You're my family." She said with a warm smile.

"And if we want to gobble on this cake, I'll put you back on the ground, princess." She chuckled and without dropping her plate, bent to place her niece back on her feet.

[Luna Brocar'do]

Lilly's grin grew wide as she saw her Auntie smile. Like her mother, Lilly always wanted her family to be happy. It was why Luna was so protective of her innocence. She wouldn't necessarily sugar-coat bad stuff, but at the same time, she wouldn't tell her daughter everything. Lilly knew that her Auntie was feeling sad, because Luna told her so, but Luna wasn't going to tell her the whole reason why. Luna was content in allowing Lilly believe that whatever troubled her Auntie had disappeared by adding flowers and cake. In truth, flowers and cake were a start. There was so much more to change to help Winter regain a true sense of happiness again. There were things Luna and Lilly could help with, but others...they had to come within Winter. Luna and Lilly could only do so much to ease Winter's pain, but her sister had to want to heal. Only then would she truly heal her soul, rather than mask the pain. Luna knew from experience that healing often came from purpose and having a reason to heal.

Somehow...a potential idea came from Luna's little princess, Lilly. "Mummy... Auntie Winter... Can we get a pet...pwease?" she asked as she munched on her cake. "I'd really, really love a pet."

Luna raised an eyebrow at the suggestion and looked to her sister for a moment before kneeling down to Lilly's level. "A pet would be very cool to have around, but they are a great responsibility too." Luna said. "You'll need to feed them, love them, take them out for walks and make sure you help them heal when they get sick or injured. That could mean taking them to the doctor when we can't make them better on our own..." Luna looked at her sister again before looking to her daughter once more. "We would all need to work together to help the pet stay happy and well. I would be willing to help look after the pet...what about you?"

Lilly nodded enthusiastically. "Yep! Me help too!" she said, clapping her little hands.

Luna then looked to her sister as she ruffled Lilly's hair. "Well, you still need to ask Auntie Winter if she would be ok with having a pet in the apartment." she said to the little girl while she took a bite out of her own slice of cake, watching as Lilly gave her Auntie the biggest, most adorable 'please don't say no' eyes she could muster. As far as Luna was concerned, a pet was a great companion to have and help heal souls, so she would welcome the opportunity to have one in the apartment, though ultimately, that decision lay with Winter, even as Lilly adorably asked, "Auntie Winter.... is it ok for us to get a pet? Pwease?"

[Winter Brocar'do]

When Lilly suddenly asked for a pet, Winter almost choked on her bite of cake. She should have seen it coming though, but she still hadn't expected it right then and there. She closed her mouth and managed to swallow the food. Watching the discussion between her sister and her niece gave her the opportunity to give the question some thought, which was needed. Just as her sibling pointed out, you didn't get a pet not to take care of it. So it had to be a decision they all made together, since they lived in the same house.

And it seemed the kid was adamant about getting the pet no matter what. She didn't want to be the buzz killer especially when Luna seemed on board with it and Lilly was putting on her deadly puppy eyes of doom. Darn they were good at that in the family. "She already got your acting and charming skills, sis," she jested, winking to Luna.

She then looked at her niece. "Why don't we get two pets? I know it's more work for all of us, but your mommy is more of a pup person and I'm more of a kitty one. We should go to a shelter and find them there. It might take us a few visits to find companions we click with, but it's a delicate choice and we should take it seriously."

She then looked at her sister. "You walk the pup, I clean the litter box, deal?"

[Luna Brocar'do]

Luna laughed as Winter commented on Lilly's 'Puppy Eyes of Doom'. "What can I say? She's her mother's daughter, eh Lilly?" she said as she looked to her daughter, ruffling Lilly's light brown mane before looking to her sister with a grin. "Come on, sis, a pet or two would do us all the world of good, don't you think?" she said, backing her little girl up as she knelt down beside her, looking up at Winter with the same 'puppy eyes of doom'. Such naturals they were at it too!

Finally, Winter looked to her little niece and agreed that they should get a puppy and a kitten, a statement that make the little girl all excited with glee as she nodded at the deal, dancing with pure happiness. Luna smiled in approval. "That sounds like a reasonable option doesn't it? It'll be a blast having one of each here." Luna thought her little one had made a good suggestion, especially for Winter, hoping that, by focusing on caring for the pet, it would help her relax and work through her issues. Time would tell, however as Lilly excitedly looked to her two favourite people. "Can we go see them? Pwease?"

Luna chuckled before looking at the clock. "I don't know... the shelter might be closed right now....How about we go tomorrow?" she suggested. "That way, we can think about all the things we need to get before they arrive." Luna then looked to her sister to see what she thought. She didn't mind either way, but it was a family decision. Luna knew her little girl would want to go there and then, while Luna herself cautioned patience. "What are your thoughts sis?"

[Winter Brocar'do]

Winter loved her family to pieces but she still felt both relieved and exhausted of having confessed so many things to her sister. The news regarding Toran's crazy sister were still playing on the back of her mind and she really hoped that the woman would stay away from them now. She felt like curling up under the blankets and disappearing for a while, although knowing herself, she might just go back to work that evening as if everything was normal. Luna had managed to send her to bed earlier than the norm yesterday, but overall Winter was kind of her overachiever and she loved her professionalism.

She chuckled at Luna and Lilly. "She sure is her mom's daughter. We wouldn't want that any other way, right?" Gods, she hoped she could have a kid at some point, but right now that wasn't even an option and as she had told Luna, she didn't know whether she was willing to go through a treatment that would exhaust and sicken her at times, and that had very few chances to work.

When the pet matter seemed to be settled, she grinned. And she chuckled at her niece's eagerness to go right then and there. She was grateful for Luna's encouragement towards patience. "We should go tomorrow. I'd better be prepared as well. After all, we all want the pets to be happy, don't we?"

[Luna Brocar'do]

Luna watched as Lilly seemed crushed by not being able to go to the shelter there and then. Rubbing her shoulder in reassurance, Luna expected this kind of reaction when she wasn't allowed to do something she really wanted. "Now, now... Turn that frown upside down. The sun won't shine without a smile." she said gently as an idea came through. "You know...there might be another way of seeing what pets they have at the shelter..." she watched as the three-year-old went from sad to happy in an instant as Luna whispered to her baby girl, "Go get Mummy's holotablet from her bedroom, then you and Auntie Winter can sit in the lounge and look for pets while Mummy cleans up and gets dinner."

Lilly nodded and raced out of the room, heading to her mother's bedroom for the holotablet. Watching the girl leave, Luna chuckled as she rose to her feet and looked to her sister, winking playfully. "I'm thinking of vegetable broth soup for dinner tonight. Fancy it or something specific?"

[Winter Brocar'do]

Winter had always been in awe of how her sister had come out as such a great mother to Lilly. She knew how unplanned the little girl had been but Luna had proved so gifted at parenting. She knew it wasn't always easy but she admired her sibling's skills. While it was by no mean a competition, she had no idea whether she would prove even half as good as a parent, if a miracle was ever to happen and she managed to have a child.

She raised a brow when she watched Luna whisper something to Lilly whose expression lightened up moments before she scampered off.

She looked at her sister and nodded to the question. "Dinner sounds good. Now what did you tell Lilly? What? Yes, I am curious!" She chuckled and got up to her feet to give her sister a hug.

[Luna Brocar'do]

Luna grinned as Winter asked her what she'd told Lilly while in embrace. She didn't really need to say much about it as the rambunctious little girl raced back into Winter's room with the holotablet in hand, raising it up high above her head to give to her bestest Auntie in the world. "Auntie Winter! Come look at pets wif me! Mummy say we can see dem in here!" she said eagerly, bouncing with excitement.

Luna couldn't help but chuckle at the girl as she pulled away from her sister's embrace. "I may have told Lilly that you and her could see what pets were at the shelter through the holotablet while I make dinner and change the beds..." she said as Lilly looked up with her big dark grey eyes at her auntie. Stroking the girl's hair, Luna added, "It saves a few tears and means that you two have the opportunity to find out what they have available for adoption without the trek there, only to leave empty handed."

She then looked at her sister and daughter with a playful expression. "Just... don't go adopting the whole shelter now, okay ladies?"

[Winter Brocar'do]

The answer indeed came very quickly and Winter laughed at her niece's eagerness to check pets out. That was no surprise really and her sister's idea made sense. The redhead fetched the tablet from the little girl in one hand and ruffled Lilly's hair with her other one. "You have a deal, missy. Let's do it."

She headed towards the living room with the child and she flashed a teasing grin at her sister. "What about half of the shelter?" She was very much kidding of course as more than two pets would be way too many for her! At least they had enough room and a lifestyle that should allow for good living conditions for their upcoming pets. The place would turn into some kind of mini zoo but that was the natural state of the Brocar'do home regardless.

[Luna Brocar'do]

Luna swatted her sister playfully on the shoulder as Winter commented about adopting half the shelter. "No, sis. Unless you want to turn the Black Moon into an animal shelter..." she said before grinning and covering her little girl's ears with her hands. "What am I thinking..? It is an animal shelter!" she teased, winking playfully at her sister as Lilly squirmed in response to having her ears covered by turning around and mischievously ramming her mother with a crash hug. Luna let out a 'Umph!' as the girl impacted on her leg. Luna's brow furrowed slightly at her daughter but instead of telling her off, Luna wrapped an arm around Lilly's little waist, lifting the giggling child and tucking her under her own waist. "Rawr! I got you! Mwahahaha!" she said playfully as legs and arms flailed in an attempt to gain purchase for escape.

"Aah! Put me down Mummy!" Lilly pleaded while in fits of giggles. Luna looked to her sister and smiled before gaining some momentum to pass the squirming child to Winter. She would keep a hold of Lilly until Winter had her grip on the child. As the child realized what her mother was about to do and helped by reaching out to her Auntie and clamping on to Winter's waist when the exchange was complete.

Luna grinned at her two favourite girls before shooing them out of the room. "Now get yourselves parked in the lounge ladies. Let me know if you two find anyone to adopt." she ordered with a playful wink. "Go on...Shoo!"

[Winter Brocar'do]

The last few days had been a mess - and she wasn't out of the woods by any means, which made Winter even more grateful for her sister and niece. She stuck her tongue out at her sister's remark about the place already being an animal shelter. "Glad you finally got the memo!" She teased, waggling her eyebrows. It was weird because in that moment, she wanted to plop down and work on future plans for the Black Moon and other things she had been meaning to do. She was full of ideas and being able to relax was making her even more ready to jump into things. Yet she knew that this precious time with her family was to be enjoyed and that taking time for herself would keep her more productive whenever she got to work.

She retrieved Lilly when the little girl was handed out to her. It was funny how she had yearned to have kids for so long and had yet been terrified she had no skill with them whatsoever, until her niece came into their lives. She grinned and held tightly on the child, nuzzling her briefly, making Lilly burst into a fit of giggles. "Ready to be full of mischief, darling? Let's go check pups and kitties!"

She winked to Luna and grinned at her one last time before heading towards the lounge.

[Luna Brocar'do]

Luna chuckled as Winter and Lilly left the room, watching as the two disappeared into the lounge. Once out of view, Luna took in a deep breath and let out a long, yet quiet sigh. It was a moment for Luna to take in all that happened in the past couple of days. Realizing how sick Winter had been with stress had been a wake up for Luna and while she wouldn't openly admit to it, she felt disappointed, angry even that she didn't pick up on it sooner. With the two out of sight, she let her 'I'm calm...everything is alright' persona slip. She shook her head and pursed her lips as those thoughts plagued her mind. Luna...You can't be everywhere... she thought to herself as she stripped Winter's bed. Throwing the sheets into the hallway and following the same ritual in her own room as well as Lilly's and Azshara's rooms, taking Lilly's jammies also for washing. She then gathered all the sheets and proceeded to the kitchen to throw them all into the washing machine.

With that task out of the way, the former entertainer made her way to the fridge freezer to collect the ingredients needed for the soup and settled herself to the preparation of dinner. She would also make dessert for them to enjoy afterwards.


While Luna set about with dinner and other bits of housework, Lilly gleefully held onto her Auntie as they made their way to the lounge. Once they were sat on the sofa, the little girl nestled herself into Winter's side, resting her head on her Auntie's chest as she waited for Winter to show her what the shelter had, quivering with excitement at what she could potentially see.

There was, however, one burning question Lilly just had to ask and it didn't have to do with the shelter animals. "Auntie Winter.... did our presents help you feel better?" she asked. Lilly may have been too young to understand what was causing her Aunt so much strife, but since Mummy had told her that she was feeling sad, Lilly wanted to hope that she felt happy again and she was determined to watch both her Mummy and Auntie closely to Sr if they were sad, and find some way to make them feel better.

[Winter Brocar'do]

There was a part in the back of Winter's mind that nagged at her about a lot of things, including how she had both let her guard down with her family but also kept up all her issues to herself. The ambivalence made for a lot of negative inner chatter but she did her best to just ignore it for the time being. She would have to face all of this and assess it to work towards feeling better and moving forward through healthier healing, but it was not the moment. She wanted to bask into the support and love of her sister and niece, and not worry about her health issues.

She brought up the current selection of pets the shelter had available. She made sure to have both young ones and older ones, as she knew that the adult ones weren't so lucky to have owners express interest as the babies. In a way she wanted to give love to ones not loved as much.

"Do you see any you like, Lilly? Even though we'll just get a dog and a cat, we can check multiple of them and then make up our minds." Her attention was very much caught by a three-legged cat who seemed like she had a lot of spunk to her.

When her niece asked whether she was feeling better, she nodded and kissed the top of the little girl's head. "I am, sweetie."

[Luna Brocar'do]

Satisfied that her Auntie was feeling better for now, Lilly snuggled down beside her, resting her head on Winter's lap as the two looked at the pets the shelter had and it wasn't long before the little girl found one incredibly cute puppy (https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2015-12/15/14/enhanced/webdr03/original-24875-1450207540-5.jpg?downsize=900:*&output-format=auto&output-quality=auto) that she'd fallen for. The little girl's eyes lit up as she pointed to the screen, a gasp escaping her lips before looking up at her Auntie.

"Oooh! Auntie Winter, she's sooooo cute!" she gushed. "Can we take her home? Pleeeeease?"

Those big puppy eyes of doom returned as she awaited her Auntie answer.

[Winter Brocar'do]

Fine, it was a very cute puppy. It was even a freaking adorable one, even though she was more of a cat person. Winter tried to keep a straight face, but she ended bursting into laughter at her niece's puppy eyes of doom.

"If your Mom is fine with it, I have no problem."

She waited for Luna's reply and eventually moved on to look through the cats. It was alright if they got a puppy, but there should be a cat added to the mix.

There were lot of adorable cats displayed but her eye got caught by a lovely 2-year old and 3-legged cat (http://orig02.deviantart.net/e125/f/2011/314/f/3/takkun_the_amazingly_adorable_three_legged_cat_by_ deviouselite-d4fpyrk.jpg). She liked outcasts, and this rascal looked like one of her kind.

"I think your puppy just got a friend, Lily."

[Luna Brocar'do]

Lilly bounced with joy as she saw the kitty and puppy photos side by side, letting out a squeal of delight before turning her head toward the hallway. "Mummy! Mummy! Come look!" she called out as she jumped off the couch and ran into the kitchen. Turning to face her little girl, Luna knelt down to her, stroking the back of her brown locks as she did so and smiling broadly.

"Did you find the puppy you want?" Luna asked softly.

Lilly nodded excitedly before taking Luna's hand and leading her back to the lounge. "Yep yep yep!" she responded as they went down the hallway. "Come look Mummy! Auntie Winter found a kitty too!"

Luna chuckled as her daughter's glee. It didn't matter how bad the blonde mother was feeling, just the sheer energy of her little girl made those bad feelings dissipate. Whatever would I do without you, little one? she thought to herself as Lilly let go of her hand, running to jump back onto the couch with her Auntie. Luna moved to the back of the couch and leaned forward between her sister and daughter to take a look at the pictures. "Awww! They really do look so cute, don't they?" she said as she wrapped one arm around each to give them both a hug, watching as Lilly looked up at her with her sweet puppy eyes of doom.

"Can we go get them tomorrow, Mummy? Please?" she asked. "I promise I'll be a very good girl and take care of it!"

Luna decided to play on it a little. In reality, Mummy Brocar'do was due to be on shift at the Black Moon and while technically, so should Winter, but with all the stress lately, Luna started hatching a plan, one that Winter couldn't get out of so easily. "Well, Mummy needs to take care of the Black Moon tomorrow, so I can't take you there myself." She watched as Lilly looked horrified for a moment before Luna continued. "However, Auntie Winter doesn't need to for a couple of days. If you ask her really nicely, maybe she will take you there tomorrow."

Lilly looked at her Auntie with pleading eyes. "Please Auntie Winter...can we go pick them up tomorrow? Pleeeeeeeeeeease?"

Luna looked toward her sister and playfully winked at her. "Don't worry, I can hold down the fort for a few days while you and Lilly chill." she said softly, yet knowing full well that Winter saying no now would upset Lilly greatly. Luna didn't use that kind of 'enforced holiday' trap often, but it was either that or whack her sister over the head and knock her out for those few days.

[Winter Brocar'do]

Watching her niece scamper off to retrieve Luna, Winter felt a mix of joy and sadness. She still wasn't sure what to do about having told her sister about all the mess that had gone down, including health issues, over the last few years. As much as she loved and trusted Luna, she had always felt she had to hold it together for everybody, even when it was honestly not necessary. It was surprising she hadn't simply crumbled under the overwhelming grief and stress of all that had happened. In a weird way coming clean to Luna had been a necessary thing, but she didn't have to like it. She also didn't want Luna to start dotting on her, or even be too protective. No one could come between them and they always had each other's back, but this time it felt different to Winter, likely because she had kept up her sabacc face for way too long, and now it was past this time, she wasn't sure what to do. Hell, she didn't even know what she wanted to do, less what she ought to do, besides taking care of business as usual because the Black Moon was still the Brocar'dos baby, not matter what.

She smiled as her niece hopped back on the couch, by her side, and she glanced over her shoulder as Luna joined them, approving of the puppy and kitty, much to the redhead's expectation. She learned into her sister's hug, but couldn't hide the brief frown that showed on her face when Luna came up with her plan to force her to rest. If it wasn't for Lily's presence, she might have started a fight with her sibling, regardless of how right she knew Luna to be on this matter. She hated being told what to do, and being told to rest was about the worst. Keeping herself busy, to the point of passing out due to overexertion, was her way of dealing with stuff. It wasn't healthy, but it was her thing.

Her sabacc face was back on point by the time Lily looked at her. Luna knew that there was no way she'd break her niece's heart. And she was totally using that at this time. "Of course you can hold the fort for a couple of days," Winter was willing to accept a couple of days off beyond this one, but more wasn't going to happen. And she could get her point across without ruining the moment for Lily.

She looked at her niece and her smile grew warmer. "What about we go get those two tomorrow morning? We can go buy stuff for them on the way. I'll message the shelter so they know we pick them up tomorrow. What do you think, Lily?"

[Luna Brocar'do]

Lilly's eyes widened and her smile grew wide as she squealed with glee at her auntie's answer, nodding vigorously and throwing herself into Winter's arms, snuggling deep into her chest. "Fank you Auntie! You're the best!" she said happily. The ball of excitement building with anticipation.
They were getting new pets! It was definitely something for the livewire kid to get excited about.

Luna was also happy that, for once, Winter would stop and take a break. Going to visit pets with the potential to adopt would take her mind off the crap that's happened of late while also allowing Winter to form closer bonds with her little neice. She was sure Winter would say something about it later when Lilly was asleep or at least out of earshot, given the frown she caught from Winter or if the corner of her eye. She had gotten the message loud and clear from her sisters words but Luna, like Winter was able to keep up pretense so Lilly didn't catch on that there were bigger issues at hand. After ruffling her daughter's soft hair, Luna embraced her sister from behind, planting a gentle kiss on her sister's temple and whispering into her ear, "Thank you..." as she moved back towards the kitchen. Those words were genuine and she hoped that they'd ease some of the annoyance of being on 'enforced rest'. Hell, Winter --would've-- said exactly the same thing when Luna ran herself ragged to the point of being ill, something she often did at her final stages of pregnancy and after Lilly's birth. Maybe it was a Brocar'do thing to run themselves into the ground than face the issues at hand? Luna learned to stop doing that to herself, especially as Lilly needed her more as she grew. Perhaps Lilly will get Winter to see the same? To show her that she's needed by Lilly as much as Luna was?

Back in the kitchen, Luna smiled inwardly at her small victory as she finished preparing the soup and throwing the ingredients into the pot while Lilly interacted with her Auntie more.

"What name will you give your kitty, Auntie Winter?" she asked gleefully as she bounced on the sofa next to her. The excitement was building within her, knowing that, tomorrow was the day they'd get the puppy and kitten.

[Winter Brocar'do]

Winter didn't like to stop. She hated it. She hadn't stopped since her partner's death. She hadn't really stopped since even before she left the military. Had she ever really stopped for crying out loud? Frak no. She burned life from every thread and all the more when self-destruction was so natural. She was utterly successful professionally and could keep up pretense with everyone except her sister. Hell, she had even fooled Luna on certain things for years. She wasn't proud of it, but the big sister in her was just like that. She couldn't help it, or maybe she didn't want to. She just wanted a drink now, or sleeping pills and get knocked out and wake up the gods knew when. No, she was okay to be out to a degree.

Luna's embrace brought a pause to her rabid train of thoughts and anchored her in the moment. She felt cornered although she knew her sister meant well. And she would have probably behaved at least as Luna had done with her. So she couldn't blame her sister. They had always been a team and being honest was key to that.

She smiled a little and let her sister go back to the kitchen, her attention soon drawn back to her niece. The little girl was such a joy. She was intelligent and too curious, too energetic at times, but Winter was happy to have the little one in their lives.

"His name is Ink. What about your puppy, sweetie?"