Reunion and Resolve

[Theo Chulainn]

Heading back was a hard choice. He could get killed the minuet he got off the plane. He could be lift in jail to rot. neither sounded very appealing if he had to be honest. Though death was more preferable his family and Ran ere waiting after all. The comforting noise of his earrings in his slight movement was enough as he toyed with the reminder of Ran.

He had learnt from Ran...leaving things with Gavin could leave him with more regret on his person if he continued to run. He owed so much to Ran and Keade...at least he was able to thank the other. Keade was a good friend for someone so shit scarily tall and bulky. But he had made him laugh at least.

As the plane landed he managed to step down and head to customs without being jumped. The heavily make up fake smiles did his head in as he walked past flight attendants. Heading to customs he faced the officer taking in a breath and handed the officer his passport before holding his hands up in peaceful surrender.

To be fair this time they had been gentle maybe appricating his lack of resistance as he was cuffed and taken to the slowly repairing high security prison. Sat down and told to wait they had even given him a can of relentless on request. It was odd behavior but he just nodded and sipped his beverage, he was going to need the energy boost.

[Gavin Etheridge]

There was a request placed, by the king himself, that should Theo Chulainn be caught that he be retrieved and held gently and with as little force as necessary to keep him confined. At the time, the federal courts were furious, and people wanted the man's head on a plate for murders that Gavin knew he didn't commit and a treason he'd never plan. Things all pointed to him, at least on the surface. It took weeks and weeks for forensics to prove conclusively that it wasn't the King's cousin, but by then the young man was long gone. Nobody knew where he was, not even Gavin. Family members, servants, even neighbours were all pulled into question for the whereabouts of a man who was now harder than Waldo to find.

The search was persistent, for a few months, until it slowly dwindled. The throne was safe, and innocent or guilty, Theo was gone. Even as chaos ran amok across the mainland, there was no word from him. The rumour mill went nuts. Gavin had wanted Theo's sister's hand, and upon her father's consent, Theo had murdered them both and plotted to kill Gavin. Theo had killed them all in his sleep. An underground assassin from the riot groups had doppelgangers of both Theo and Gavin and needed them all dead in order to take their place. Really, some were pretty creative and worthy of their own B+ action movies. But slowly the whispers had died down as the country had more important things to worry about, and everyone had accepted that Theo Chulainn was gone. Gone, and never to return, ever, ever, never. Not in a million ye-

The call that Gavin had gotten that lovely morning was short, the man on the other line just as surprised as the King had been. Theo was in custody, and per his standing request was being detained in a rather friendly way. To say Gavin rushed to the prison was a mild understatement; his appointments could hardly be reset fast enough before he was on his way. There was some hesitation from the officers around, which Gavin understood, and incredible surveillance, which again was understandable; the fact that Theo had practically walked out the front door last time was only slightly embarrassing. Guards posted outside the door, Gavin insisted he go in alone. He wanted to speak with Theo alone. Hesitantly, the King was granted inside.

Just as before, Gavin stood there, looking at his cousin, shocked and looking slightly emotional. But there was one key difference; the faintest twitching of a smile tugged at Gavin's mouth. Theo was alive, and home, and alive. Gavin looked nearly breathless, not sure if the repeating scene was happening. But Theo was there, sipping at his drink, and there were no bloody photos of horrible things that shouldn't have happened. Slowly at first and then with the utmost haste Gavin rushed to his cousin, arms rushing around Theo's shoulders tightly. This wasn't a murderer or traitor. This was Gavin's childhood playmate. This was family. And in the ferocity of Gavin's hug silent words were expressed that he hoped Theo would understand. Slowly he let go, pausing to hold Theo's shoulder's a moment more and look at him, just look at him and make sure he were really there before letting go to sit at the table across from him. The speech aid was pulled out, Gavin typing quickly.

"Theo," the mechanical voice stated, far less enthusiasm than Gavin would have liked. "Theo, I missed you. Are you alright?" If Theo had come back, surely he knew that there would be some steps that had to happen to clear things fully, but Theo was a smart man. Surely he would be able, this time, to explain what he could and what made him come home.

[Csilla Angelis]

{BUMP}

[Theo Chulainn]

The calm aura was disturbed with the loud slam as the cell door flew open revealing a extremely flustered Gavin. One who had rushed almost at the speed of sound to see him. Confirming any questions or doubts the other may of had about him. Suddenly the air was choked out of him as he choked on the mouthful of liquid as the other hugged him so tightly he was sure his spine would snap.

Gasping and spluttering for air as the other seated himself and started typing things went a bit hazy for the other. As all the stress and build up had lifted Theo's body finally felt aged... fatigued once more. "Theo,"

FWUMP!

Forehead crashed into the table with force that made the guard outside wince. And for a moment silence filled the room...only to be broken by a quiet snore.

It was half an hour when the other stirred in his small puddle of drool looking weary and a tad confused. "Ah...did I crash again?" Memories of falling off horses or out of trees due to his condition sprung to mind as he chuckled. "Like old times."

[Gavin Etheridge]

There was a lot that could be said for familial love and the extreme lengths people often find they'll go to for family. Some were willing to fight, kill, and die to protect their family, and others were willing to do what they could to be always there when they were most needed. One didn't sound as extreme as the other, but where it counted, it was just as important. Since his initial capture Gavin had attested to his cousin's innocence, even though at the time it couldn't be proved. All through his absence, Gavin had made sure investigations continued and that any attempts to find and retrieve Theo were done peacefully and without hurting him. In the end he had come home and surrendered himself, and Gavin was right there, watching and waiting for his cousin. He would help prove his innocence and the murders would be laid to rest... after the man woke up.

Gavin sat quietly in the holding room, not leaving for a moment as the narcoleptic young man snoozed at the most inconvenient time, the King taking the quiet time to sign off on forms that had been sent to him for review. Finally, Theo stirred, rising up from a small puddle of drool and looking a bit dazed. Gavin couldn't help but smile lightly, holding a napkin out to him across the table as one hand tapped the screen of his aid. "Very attractive," he teased as Theo looked around, seeming to get his bearings back as the sleepy fuzz lifted.

"Ah...did I crash again?" Gavin nodded and poured a fresh glass of water for Theo. "Like old times." Gavin couldn't help but give a silent chuckle, fingers tapping keys quickly.

"I still think we ought to pad the surfaces of your furniture." Something from when they were children surfaced; a young prince teasing that he'd have someone pad all the tables, chairs, counters, and floors for Theo so it would at least hurt a bit less when he crashed suddenly. the present seeped through memory, though, and weighed Gavin's mind with questions that he knew Theo probably could guess were coming. He was quiet, collecting himself, wondering which to ask first and if he even wanted to ask them, even though he knew he had to. Finally, his fingers moved again, carefully. [b]"Things have been busy here... I never thought I'd see you again. I missed you, Theo... What brought you back?" With Theo's training it wouldn't have been hard for the man to stay hidden elsewhere in the world the rest of his life. Even if he'd been cleared in Carraig, that wasn't news that would make it overseas, and there were still people looking for him. So why had he come back if he'd known there was danger in doing so?

[Theo Chulainn]

"Things have been busy here... I never thought I'd see you again. I missed you, Theo... What brought you back?" Theo sighed softly ruffling his hair slightly. "Lot's has happened.... It would take forever to go over every detail..." He chew his lip for a moment wondering how much detail to reveal to his cousin. "But...I lost someone important to me...I wasn't there and when i got there...they were gone..." He sighed softly and took a moment to calm his pained heart.

Shaking his head feeling the earrings of his brother chime. "It made me realize if i wasn't careful....the same would happen to you." A silence covered the two of them. "So..Even if i'm throw in a cell or killed.... At least I have no regrets... I rather that then come back to find you gone from this world..." He held his jaw tight to the point his teeth ached. Worried on what would happen to him but he would be strong. He would hold his resolve through this.

[Gavin Etheridge]

Seeing Theo here with him was like Gavin was daydreaming; he'd really never expected to see his cousin home again. After losing all his kin and being pinned for it, who could blame him? gavin knew the cost of the crown meant that all were his to sacrifice if need be, but the king really didnt' know if he could live with himself or even continue to live if he'd lost the people he needed so much in life. Hell, he'd gone so far as to keep his guard from fighting an unholy monster because he couldn't fathom her being hurt, and she was his guard, trained to kill for him!

Theo was quiet, lost somewhere in thought as he tired to explain himself, Gavin waiting patiently for him. Theo was his family and childhood playmate; he'd always wait for him. "...I lost someone important to me...I wasn't there and when i got there...they were gone..." Oh, Theo... "It made me realize if i wasn't careful....the same would happen to you. So..Even if i'm throw in a cell or killed.... At least I have no regrets... I rather that then come back to find you gone from this world..."

He'd come home because he didn't want to never see Gavin again. That... that was almost painfulto hear. Wordlessly, Gavin's chair scooched back as he rose, moving slowly over to Theo. If the guards were watching, they'd deal with it, and as King, Gavin was well-within his rights. He paused, standing tall over his cousin before bending down, almost kneeling to let his arms encircle Theo once more. Wordlessly he would promise that he was okay and that things were fine, even if the outside world hadn't been hearing about riots and tensions mounting. Quietly he would tell Theo that it was okay and that he'd been sorely missed. Silently Gavin would promise that he wouldn't let anything happen to Theo and that sad memories were behind them, even if Gavin knew that dark times might be coming.

Slowly, Gavin let go once more and reached across the table for his aid. "Actually, you're home just in time," the voice churned out quietly. Gavin paused, collecting his thougths, and then tapped a few more keys, lowering the volume. "Things have not been easy, and right now... I do need you here, by my side, and on my side." The world couldn't care less what happened on a rocky island where nothing grew, but this was Gavin's whole world, and he knew he could only keep the people happy so long. He needed help and would need help, and Theo was someone that could help if push came to shove.

[Csilla Angelis]

{BUMP}

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