Luna Queen's Fury

34 House of Cards

The two days following the funerals pass in a blur. Emotions swamp me from every direction and in my run-down, raw state, I'm overwhelmed.

Chris stays with me when he can, but there are so many structural repairs that require his attention and people counting on him. The Guardians have been working non-stop to make sense of what happened and try to make sure history never repeats itself.

Ethan spends a lot of time with me, watching movies while I sleep mostly. Whenever I wake up, there's always someone watching over me though. Jude and Willow are here the most.

On the second day, I finally feel more like myself. I stir, hearing Chris and Jude talking in the living room, their voices hushed as they're deep in discussion.

I slip out of bed, still wearing the yoga pants and Chris' hoodie, my bare feet scrunching the plush carpet. Jude notices me first, being in sight, but Chris turns around a fraction of a second later. Instantly, he's on his feet, closing the gap between us.

"Did we wake you baby?" he murmurs, coming over and collecting me in his arms.

I smile up at him, reassuring him that I'm okay. "No, I think I just finally got enough sleep," I say with a soft laugh, caressing his cheek.

Chris turns and places a tender kiss on my palm and smiles at me. "Hungry?"

He keeps an arm wrapped around my waist and leads me over to the couch where Jude holds out a throw for me. I hear Chris rustle around the kitchenette and he comes back a moment later with some reheated penne for me.

"So what did I miss?" I ask between bites. Jude automatically shifts his attention to Chris, leaving this to him, making me frown.

"It's not like that, beautiful," Chris coos, sitting down next to me and draping his arm over the back of the couch. "It's been a lot of clean-up. Mira and Sasha were able to seal the breach in the mountain, and pretty much everything else is just a matter of repairs. Percival took care of trades and everything but there's still a million questions and decisions to make."

He sighs and looks tired. I can't help but feel guilty that I haven't been up to helping right away. Willow healed me the same day but my body needed time to recover. Even now, there's still a small ache in my leg.

"Jess," Jude calls, frowning at me. "You are doing exactly what you need to do. I can only imagine what you must feel right now. Hell, even I can feel emotion hanging heavy in the air and I don't have your gift."

"Doesn't mean I don't feel like I should be doing more to help," I mumble.

"Baby look at me." Chris' tone is demanding but soft, matching the concern I see swirling in his eyes. "Knowing that you are here, safe and taking care of our family is everything."

I roll my eyes and look away. I know he means well and means what he's saying but he should know how much I hate not pulling my weight.

"Jess," he chides, cupping my cheek to make me look back at him. "Doc says you need to listen to your body. If you need to sleep, then that's okay baby. I have lots of help. Besides, Ethan is enjoying being part of the rebuilding process."

Hearing Ethan is involved instantly makes me smile. Much like me when conflict happens, he needs to do something. I see how he looks up to Chris. That he's taking him along and teaching him the ropes will mean everything to Ethan.

"So how are you feeling?" Jude asks, changing the subject.

"Other than a sore back, good," I reply with a shrug. Truth be told, my back's been sore for at least a solid month now. Almost every night before bed, Chris rubs my feet or back as we watch TV before bed.