A Moment of Respite (Brennan)

[Abigail Faraday-Brennan]

Brennan chuckled and gave Lily a reassuring squeeze.

“I’m sure she understands. She’s a crafty one, my mother. We’re lucky she only uses her powers for good.”

It was true that Lillan Brennan always seemed to know just what her daughter was thinking or feeling, and always seemed to know just what to say or do in response. Before Brennan had started hunting, they had been very close, and the two still spoke with each other often. Brennan knew hearing from her helped allay the elder witch’s fears while her daughter was on the road, and Lillian’s council always proved valuable if Brennan was having difficulty with something, no matter the cause.

Knowing now that Lillian had been watching over Lily from an early age, Brennan had no trouble believing the same was true for her self-appointed ward. And if Lily was anything like Solphi, then she and Lillian were already closer than she realized. If she could get the hunter to relax a little and open up to her, there was no reason that Lily couldn’t have a similar relationship with the elder witch.

Pausing, Brennan smiled at the direction of her thoughts.

“Honestly, I probably would’ve acted the same way if I’d had to meet your mother,” she confessed. “Growing up hearing about all the amazing stuff she and Sastre did, all the daring escapes, all the impossible hunts…”

Brennan shrugged, grinning at her companion.

“Can’t say I wouldn’t have been just as nervous and awe struck. I’m sure you would’ve had a good laugh.”

Taking Lily’s hand, Brennan gave her a gentle tug.

“C’mon. Let’s get this over with so you can stop acting like she’s some big, scary monster. I’ll be right behind you.”

Grinning, Brennan once more led her companion toward the main shop area, hoping this time things would turn out a little differently.

[Sastre Quicksilver]

Lily carefully controlled her expression.

It wasn't that she didn't like talking about her birth mother, or hearing about the things that she and Sastre had accomplished together, it was just that the stories and everything would have meant more to her if she'd actually had the opportunity to get to know Solphi. Instead, the woman was just a character in some grand, sweeping story that Lily herself was barely a part of.

It hurt, really, though Lily was too proud to ever admit it.

Smiling, Lily brought Brennan's hand up to her lips and kissed it softly, following her through the the residential part of the building and back toward the shop. As they went, Lily couldn't help but wonder if she'd ever come to think of this place as home, or at least as a place she could come to to relax, and to heal up. Home was a sort of abstract concept for her, and since her parents had been killed and she'd been taken away by Carlisle, she'd never stayed in any one place for more than a day or two, a week at the most. The thought of having a place to stay indefinitely, a place where she was welcome to come and go on her own?

It was strange for her to think about.

"So, you don't think I ruined everything?" Lily asked, holding tightly to Brennan's hand and fighting down her nervousness. "I mean... Ya know, first impressions and all that?" She chuckled a bit, knowing she was probably overreacting, but still unsure nonetheless.

As the pair made their way back into the shop, Lily forced herself to relax. Brennan obviously knew her own mother better than Lily ever could, and if she said it was going to be okay, then Lily would believe her. So, taking a deep breath and smiling, the young hunter prepared herself for round two.

[Lillian Brennan]

Lillian’s mind wandered as she bustled about her spacious kitchen, mulling over the events of the morning.

She was afraid she had come off rather too personal to Lily and had scared the poor girl off completely. She mentally berated herself as she set out a stack of plates and silverware, chiding herself for treating Lily as if they were old friends. Lillian, of course, had known the girl most of her life, but Lily had always been an independent soul, and of course she wouldn’t have known Lillian from Adam. Of course it didn’t help that she so resembled her long-dead mother, further increasing Lillian’s misplaced sense of connection. She suspected she’d come on more than a bit too strong, and as the minutes flew by and the girls remained absent, her anxiety increased.

But the witch knew there was little she could do to salvage the situation at present, so she resolved to give the girls their space for awhile and occupy her mind with less pressing matters. She had already laid out a table cloth on one of the patio tables and was almost finished whipping up a light lunch for everyone. The sun was shining, the air was crisp and clean, and the girl that helped out part time in the shop had shown up a few minutes ago to take over for the two older women. Izzy would just be finishing up now, and there was no reason to let such a beautiful day go to waste. Lillian was one who never dismissed the simple pleasures in life, and there were few better ways to relieve stress than preparing and enjoying a good meal.

Just as Lillian was putting on the finishing touches, she heard the library doors open, accompanied by the soft murmur of voices. Smiling, she poked her head out of the archway into the hall, catching the girls just as they were heading downstairs into the shop.

“Izabel and I are having lunch out on the patio in a few minutes," she called after them. “Would you care to join us?”

[Sastre Quicksilver]

Lily hadn't really realized how hungry she was until Lillian mentioned lunch.

Despite the nervousness that twisted her stomach still, Lily found her mouth watering at the thought of getting something to eat. It had been a long time since breakfast, and honestly she'd hardly eaten then, as she was so nervous about meeting Brennan's mom. Now though, she was just hungry enough to push her worries aside.

Squeezing Brennan's hand, Lily forced herself to try and relax. She knew everything was going to be okay, and that she'd overreacted big time, but it would still take a little while for her nerves to settle down. Hopefully a nice meal with Lillian would help, and not make things worse. Though, honestly, she didn't think things could be any worse than they were earlier.

"Uh... food actually sounds really good right now," she answered honestly, smiling a bit at Lillian. Lowering her eyes and biting her nails a bit, she decided an apology was probably in order as well. "Hey, about... how I acted earlier. I'm sorry, I just... I dunno, I've never really done this before, I guess. So... sorry."

Sighing, Lily found that she felt a bit better, getting the apology off her chest. She'd really wanted to make a good first impression, but since that was out the window now, she'd opt for just trying to make a good impression in general. Despite her nervousness, Lily did find herself relaxing a bit in Lillian's presence, as the older woman just had that sort of feel about her. The young hunter hoped that, with time, the feeling would fade altogether and that she could really feel at ease with Lillian.

It had been a long time since Lily had had any sort of mother/daughter relationship, and though she didn't really realize it at the time, she missed it...