Carried Away on a Moonlight Shadow [Semi-Open]

There was a thought of reluctance, before Leo let the mother hold the child. His eyes did not leave Shepard as she began to speak. He was silent, normally bright eyes seemed dimmed with grief. The emotions in the room forced Leo's head to drop to his chest, he bit down on his bottom lip. No wonder Keirsta had started showing so early, and how much she had begun to ate so quickly. Blue eyes flickered upwards at the mention of Aleta's name. A middle name. How funny, a sibling who would hate Keirsta had her name as one of the child's. For a long moment, he sat in the chair. His hands gripping the armrests until his knuckles were white. It wasn't fair that they didn't live. Their brother got to live, why didn't they?

A sob escaped his lungs. A hand was brought to his chest to grip at his aching heart and another to his mouth. Leo didn't want to cry in front of anyone. He knew there was nothing wrong with crying. Yet he had had to be strong for a while, he didn't feel like he could do it. Standing quickly up, he brought his hand through his hair and stared up at the ceiling. "Annabelle and Mackenzie huh?" His voice was barely above a whisper. Shepard would probably feel like he was missing something his whole life. Leo realized, his eyes landing on his son, then turning back to Mikaela. She had seen a lot of this from him.

Quickly, he brought his hands up and forced away the tears, a wavering long sigh made it out. What had the two girls done to deserve such a thing? Shepard too. He'd grow up without people who he was supposed to, he was-- Another sigh, and a handing head. Tears fell like the droplets on the window-- glittering until hitting the floor where he stood. Why?

Keirsta's arms wrapped snugly around the infant whom was now in her arms. A soft smile pressed against her lips as she kissed the boys' forehead, rocking him gently in her arms while he slept. Looking at Leo, she saw the grief cover him instantly. She watched him fight back the sobs, before he finally broke. Having to look away to keep her own tears from spilling, she shook her head before keeping her eyes partially on Shepard, and partially on Leo. Even if she couldn't truly hear Leo, she could read his lips- those were two names she would never forget.

"Yes." That was all Keirsta could say, her frame slowly relaxing as it turned more caring the longer Shepard stayed in her arms. It was hard not to smile when she looked at him, seeing the features of both herself and his father reflected in him. But how could she have the right to? Leo had to juggle the life taking care of this boy--while she didn't. A thought crossed her mind, but would Leo accept it? Would the headmaster accept it? Shaking it away for now, she took a deep breath. How were tears not spilling down her face right now? There was a hole in her heart that would never be patched, and grief would cover her forever with the mention of them.

But right now, she- no, Leo -had Shepard. Leo had already told her that he didn't want her raising Shepard. Keirsta herself didn't feel she was a suitable mother- she had no example to even remotely feel what should be correct. Walking over to the crib that had to be Shepards, she gently placed him down within it, making sure he was comfortable before stepping away. "Thank you... For letting me hold him."

As soon as Keirsta thanked him, Leo pulled himself together. The angel took a deep breath , held it in, hands wiping away the tears, and head picking up from the chest. Leo mustered up is sorrow and pushed it down. He lost his soulful look, which was replaced with a blank stare. Hands were dropped into his sweatpants pockets. There was no response for a long moment, his eyes staring at the wall on the other side of the room, just over Keirsta's shoulder.

It was fairly obvious to tell that he was still upset, but his face controlled his emotions to the best of his ability. There were slight nods to his head, but he vocally did not respond. Leo didn't trust his voice yet.

Seeing the dead stare in Leo's gaze as he seemed to look right through her, Keirsta herself straightened up. Her nails subconsciously dug into the side of her arm, as she mustered up the courage to speak. Her little trip to Beata wasn't only going to be to see Shepard and leave. It was still night time, with the rain still pouring down around them. Cracks of thunder sounded, some louder than others. Lightning periodically lit the room, too.

Keirsta finally decided she'd just have to muster up the courage to speak. What was she so afraid of? Leo screaming at her to get out and never come back? That hadn't already happened, so it was a slim chance. What else would she be afraid of? Why couldn't she just talk? The one thing she never had trouble with... she couldn't do.

"Leo, I know you're upset, at me. At the world. At me. But I didn't make this trip just to see our son. I came to talk to you, more about why I left Shepard with you and why I gave him up. Yet, it's really hard to do so with you staring straight through me." The last part was spoken a bit softer, Keirsta's teeth nibbling into her lip. If it weren't for the rain, she would've asked Leo to go walk with her or something, to talk in private. She knew there were others in the room, and so it made conversing a bit more difficult. Keirsta's eyes wandered, not truthfully knowing what to say or do. She knew what she wanted to say, but not how to say it. Kind of like Kitty right now with this post.

Mikaela had been silently staring as she watched Leo, Keirsta, and Shepard. She listened to the parents' words. She couldn't find it in her to move until Keirsta finished talking. With wide eyes, she made her way over to Leo, careful not to make any noise to wake up the sleeping child. She reached Leo's side and placed a hand on his arm gently. She just wanted to let him know that she was here. She would've voiced her presence but she couldn't find her voice. The words kept getting stuck in her throat. 'It's okay, Leo. I'm here.' she wanted to say. 'I'll be your rock.'

Mikaela's hand on his arm was enough for him to be pulled out of his thoughts. Like a man suddenly awoken from bed, he placed a hand on her's. Blue eyes gave the mother a level look, a piercing stare. There was a fire to them, a finality that could only be accomplished when the person has set their mind to their thoughts. His hand held Mikaela's the slightest bit tighter. With a surprising amount of ease, the words spilled out. "Talk to me about what? You already made it obvious you did not want to raise him."

The harsh words floated in the air. It seemed for that moment all that was Leo as an angel vanished. Leaving a cracked shell of a utterly human; Leo. A hollow shell washed ashore of the ocean. His voice was low, and hovered just above a whisper. "There. Is. Nothing. Left. To. Say." He enunciated every word as if his last. What more could possibly be said? Was it worth the emotion? The father felt utterly tired emotionally, and physically. Leo felt that there was nothing more Keirsta could offer than suffering.

The words of Leo's lack to speak with her almost infuriated her. Looking at Mikaela, she gave her a subtle nod- as if saying, Then help take care of them for me without speaking. The other girl didn't know her at all, but the pleading look in her eyes spoke miles. All Keirsta could hope for was that she would listen. Turning back to Leo, a fire brushed her gaze. "That I didn't. That doesn't mean I wouldn't in the future. I was unstable, Leo. Mentally, physically, and emotionally. I was in no way fit to take care of Shepard, he arrived early and I hadn't prepared myself in time." Her body had tensed as she spoke, to the point where she was shaking. It was hard to keep her voice low enough as to not wake the children.

Releasing a sigh, her hands rose beside her head. "I'm not going to fight you though. I won't ask you to get along with me, but all that I will ask is that you allow me to still be a part of Shepard's life." Those final words were all she had to say, before she traced her finger along Shepard's cheek one last time. Wrapping her cloak around her as she had entered, she crossed to the door. "I still love you and Shepard, Leo. But I don't expect you to do the same." Her words took on a more harsh tone then she had expected, but she didn't bother apologizing.

Opening the door and quietly closing it behind her, she looked at the sky. It was still raining. Sighing, she took her only option- and jogged away from the daycare to find shelter elsewhere. She wasn't going to bother Leo anymore- she got that much from just the short time she had spent at the daycare.

Silence. Hosa's ear flickered as she laid in the middle of the main room, having grown tired of just sitting there. Her eyes were half open, listening to as much of the words between the two as best as she could as there was little else to do. Then, she heard the sound of a door shutting. Her eyes flickered open all the way as she pulled herself to her paws, realizing that whoever it was had just left out the back entrance. On silent paws, she pulled herself forward and glanced into the nursery to see only Leo and Mikaela remaining - Keirsta having disappeared into the stormy night.

"I take it things didn't go well?" she finally spoke after a few moments, stepping into the room as she stretched out her cat limbs. Her piercing blue eyes stared at Leo and Mikaela for a few seconds before at the door that Keirsta had no doubt left thought. "Should we go after her?" she hummed, half thinking for a moment for turning back to being herself but decided against it. She did like being a cat. "Its raining rather hard and she doesn't have a place to stay..."

He didn't respond, an unknown anger in him rose to the surface like a lead balloon. Physically, his face went a pinker hue of scarlet. His chest did not move, as Leo did not breathe. He didn't move an inch. Oh how much he wanted to argue, to get this anger he had never felt before out of his system. The presence of the child kept the father in check. There was a lot he wished he could have responded to within that time. How it was her own fault for leaving, that she would have had more than enough support at Beata. That, he already promised her visitation to be there in Shepard's life. Even how he loved Shepard with all of his heart, and knew that if he loved Shepard there would be some for her as well. Just... Nothing he would ever act on. Simplify the love for his son's mother for bringing him into the world. The smallest portion of him felt like a teen back in a world of only homework and getting to class on time. Yet it was over powered by the weight of another life.

Despite the lack of angelic being in Leo at the moment, any human would know that this life he had been living was brought to an end. That there would be better places and... people in his life. At the thought, he cast Mikaela a slow glance. The pink in his face faded. "I don't know." He responded in a small voice, not shocked in the slightest at Hosa's appearance. "You guys can decide, I- I don't feel up to any of this right now. I'm sorry." Ducking away from the two, he returned to his rocking chair, head aching with emotion