Time Heals?(open to Airtia and Gawain)

[Madeline Cauthon]

It had been nearly a year since Madelines beloved Jonothan gave his spirit to her so she may live. She had been through a lot since that faithful night. Some good some not so good. There were days she got up out of bed and days she didn't. The one thing that was constant was she blamed herself. If she had left well enough alone and not tried to attack Benjamin that night. Her Jono wouldn't have to save her sorry arse.

There wasn't a day that went by thatMadeline didn't wish she could go back in time and change her actions of that horrible night. Maybe if she would have Jonothan would be alive today.

When ever Madeline was missing Jono she would take a walk in the gardens. It was a place that always made her feel at peace and closer to Jono. Today however it didn't. Maybe it was because of all the stuff going on with her family. Or just guilt for trying to move on. Whatever the reason when she entered the garden that day she fell to her knees and cried her heart out.

For the first time in a very long time, she wanted her daddy. She also, though she would never admit it, needed something close to a mother figure. ~Daddy! Please, I need you!~

[Tyger]

Now it just so happened that Tyger was lazying around in the garden as currently he had nothing better to do. Well, that part wasn't exactly true - he had his 'assignment' but right now completing it would cost more energy than he was willing to give. And besides, there was no immediate need for him to be about it anyway as there was no immediate threat and his charge was surrounded by her family.

Speaking of family . . .

As the cat was sitting up in the boughs of one of the trees, his tail hanging down and his front paws folded under his head, he saw one of the Cauthon's enter and walk about. From what he could tell of how she moved her mood wasn't the best. She even had the tears to prove it. With a stretch he swished his tail from side to side as he contemplated whether or not he should involve himself, in the end he decided that he should for it could possibly gain him useful information on the people and events that have gone on here.

Tyger jumped down from the tear and landed silently on his paws before he stretched again and sauntered over to her. "Mew... the Weeping Willow is over there." He said as he came closer, the cat even lifted his front paw to motion to the tree which was a bit of a ways behind him and to the left, near one of the garden's corners. "I shall show you to it, meow, and listen to your tears."

How's that for a deal.

[Madeline Cauthon]

Madeline was crying so hard, she like not of head Tyger when he first spoke to her. She took a minute to pick up her face, so she could try to compose herself. Which by now would take something short of a miracle. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were blood shot. She tried to do a glamour to cover up something was wrong, but there her nerves were too bad to concentrate on the energy required to do so.

She dried her eyes on her sleeve and sat up. She tried to play off something was wrong, but that was something she was going to have trouble doing. She gave him a half hearted smile. "Hey Tyger, I didn't know you were here."

Madeline knew the cat didn't care much for her father, and she assumed he felt the same about her, just because of her who her father was, and well because she wasn't really any blood kin to Airtia, so he had no real reason or obligation to have anything to do with her.

Madeline stood up and looked into the direction Tyger was pointing. "It's okay Tyger, you don't have to. I'll be fine. I'm sure you have better things to do than listen to me belly ache."

Maddie started to walk off to where Tyger had pointed. The last thing she wanted was to lose it in front of Airtia's cat. She stopped and looked over her shoulder at Tyger. "If you would though, next time you speak to Airtia, tell her I need to talk to my father. And if she sees him tell him that I do."

Maddie went from looking back at Tyger to looking up to the sky. ~Where are you Dad. I need you now!!!!~

[Gawain]

Gawain was having quite the busy night. He had spent a great deal of time speaking with De'Ryanna, and now, he heard what seemed to be a tortured scream in the back of his mind. He had had little time to prepare himself for the next challenge...it seemed, sometimes, as if his life was a series of them...before he found himself, almost by a second nature, forming a Gateway. He knew where to find Madeline, because her summons had come with a vivid after-image of the garden, but what he couldn't fathom was why the cat was there.

As he stepped through, and out of, the Gateway, he let it close behind him, almost cutting the heel off of one boot doing so, much to his consternation. He was supposed to have better control than that! Still, he didn't allow it to ruffle him. Instead, he headed to Madeline's side, bending to her level and settling himself beside her. "Nothing like a nighttime stroll in the garden, eh? What's going on?" He looked over to Tyger and shrugged. "Could you ask Air to walk out here for a second or two? There's a plate of trout in it for ya...."

[Madeline Cauthon]

Madeline leaned over so she could rest her head on her fathers arm. She started crying again. "Oh Dad why didn't Jono just let me stay dead. He should be here not me. It's not fair he had to give up his life for me. I don't deserve to be here. He does. Light my heart hurts sooo bad!"

[Tyger]

The cat had followed after Madeline when she had gotten up and started moving towards the tree and he thought to himself that if anything she was good at listening. She tried to hold up a strong visage but he could see and hear all the cracks in her make-up. Even when she asked him to relay a message to his Master. Why was she even trying to hide it when it was painfully obvious that all she wanted to do was break down and cry?

Now, Tyger would have laughed at this if it were not for the fact that a rather large ball of partially shaven fur waltzed into the picture. Gawain's presence caused this cat to flick his tail across the ground and let out a dissatisfied huff before deciding on an over elaborate yawn. He was perfectly content and wanting to hop up in that Willow tree and watch what he considered to be an unfolding melodrama and snicker . . . until Gawain asked him to do what Madeline had asked just moments before.

He rolled his eyes and proceeded to the tree. "I'm not a dog. Meow." And he jumped up into the boughs of the tree. His statement meant that he wasn't one to go fetch just for a treat. While a plate of tuna could be appealing, he wasn't tempted. "What need is there, mow, for her here?" A low rumble in his throat. "She wanted you and now you're here. Mew."

"I'll enlighten you, mur, young Cauthon." Tyger crossed his paws on the branch before laying down his head over them. "Don't waste your life, meow, with grief."

Advice from the cat.

[Madeline Cauthon]

Madeline lifted her head a little and glared up into the tree. She really didn't like the way the cat was talking to her or her father. Even though she couldn't change forms like most of the members of her family, she still preferred the company of canines to that of hairball-coughing, catnip-eating, litterbox-sniffing, sofa-scratching felines.

Madeline, for a brief moment, regained what little concentration she needed to bring Tyger down a peg or two. She fixed her gaze on Tyger, then quietly spoke a short phrase infused with power. "Sepulchrum puteus!" No one, not even one who could fly, could escape a sudden upsurge in gravity.

Much to her delight, and hopefully to her father's amusement, the cat found himself headed for the ground at a high rate of speed. "I hope for your sake cats really do land on their feet. "Honestly, do I look like I feel like taking smart-assed lip from a cat?"

[Tyger]

Good thing Tyger was not one of the felines that Madeline was use to dealing with. This cat was older than her many years over and he was anything but average. He wasn't one that should be underestimated simply because he was in the form of a cat.

After he had said his peace Tyger watched the father and daughter. He had suspected some sort of reaction from his words, but what he did not expect was a magical attack. This cat had been around magic in its various shapes and forms for all of his life (look who his Master was) and in the life he had before this form, it was no stranger to him. He felt the trickle of magic before he heard the words and he felt himself being pulled down from his rest spot atop that tree. However, probably to Madeline's charing, Tyger didn't fall as she wanted for the cat had a counter and as he whipped his tail around to his front the spell was deflected just as he fell off said branch. Fall he did but it was with grace and he landed with soft thud on the ground.

After he landed Tyger raised his left paw and brushed it against his face. "Amateur." He said with a grin. Paw back on the ground as he headed to the trees trunk. "Mew, you look like you, mrow, need reality. But I'll leave you, mew, to him." Meaning Gawain. Tyger jumped back into the tree. "So he can keep telling you, meow, that the world is full of gumdrops."

[Gawain]

Gawain had followed behind Madeline, obviously concerned for his daughter. He had learned long ago to discount anything the cat said, simply because Tyger was usually trying to have fun at someone else's expense, ruffling their feathers, so to speak. However, he wasn't a big fan of someone being made fun of when they were obviously hurting, so he lifted a finger, pointing at the cat, and channeled Fire. The flow wasn't very strong, so it would probably only singe Tyger's tail, which was what he was aiming for to begin with. He turned to look at Maddie, winking to her, and gestured to a nice soft spot beneath the willow tree.

"Madeline, I know you're hurting, but think of it like this. Gareth died by my own hand, but, in the end, he came to his senses for a moment and understood why I had to do what I did. People make choices for the ones they love sometimes, and we don't always get to pick and choose what those decisions are. I met Jono, and he was a good kid. I felt sympathy for him after he told me his story, and grew to like him. He seemed to be the type that would do whatever he could to make sure someone he loved was well, no matter the cost. He reminded me a little of myself....remind me to tell you sometime exactly how hard it is to crawl out of Hell." He would chuckle then, obviously going for a mood-lightener with that last bit. "All I can say is something my master once told me, waaay back when I was training in the martial arts and sword. 'Young one, yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today...today is a gift. That may be why it is called present.' He was a wise man, and a kind master. I told him how much in awe I was of his knowledge, and he just said hey, I didn't say it first, the credit goes to a man who lived many, many centuries ago." He slipped his arms around her then, smiling as he hugged her. "It'll be fine. Just remember that he loved you, and don't forget him or what he did for you. I owe the lad a great deal....he gave me my daughter back."

[Madeline Cauthon]

Madeline giggled at what her dad did to the cat. It did make her feel a little better.

She followed her father to the spot he pointed to. She listened to him, knowing he was right, as always. She could always rely on him to put things into perspective.

She sighed at the last comment. She too owed someone for giving her father back.

"I guess that makes two of us then. I owe Airtia for bring you back to me. I..I just don't know how to tell her."

Madeline let out a giggle, and gently nudged her father. "Of course she'd have to be to put up with you huh?"

[Sponsored content]