Larksong Grotto monster

Gone.

Indra was gone. And Laurel knew exactly who were to blame for it. Their father's new little cretins had surely chased her off. In had always been a sensitive type, and Laurel guessed that she must've been chased off, feeling replaced. Laurel was sure that Indy would never go off without her if she was really leaving forever. She would've taken Laurel along.

With hot cheeks and revenge on her mind, Laurel set off for the den where @Tapat and @Astik were at. Everything was better before they were here. And now the one thing in the world that Laurel loved was gone. Maybe Indy was even dead by now, because why else wouldn't she have returned for Laurel? They had murdered her sister, and Laurel wouldn't let it pass. While snowflakes started to drift down around her, Laurel padded across the frostbitten ground with a clenched jaw and vengeful mind to find her half-siblings.

I hope someone is there to save him... xD

Tapat was a happy little boy. He was starting to babble more and more about mostly nonsense. He knew the area before the den, the rest was still a mystery for him. He couldn't really remember except for the den. He rather liked it, and it smelled of the wolves he knew so Tapat was usually found around the den, or close to his brother. He knew his brother very well and liked to be close to him.

The pale pup was inside the den, trying to play with his brother, or spark some interest to do things together. Tapat was always rather active. He liked to move around. He also really loved to play with his brother so having him around was actually very nice for him. "Tik Tik!," he babbled and tried to jump him in his playfulness. It didn't seem that the weather was nice outside hence why Tapat stayed indoors.

Hiram had been away looking for the last bits of what was necessary for his wife's cleansing ritual. Upon his return, he had yet to know the unspeakable details of Indra's attempt to poison his sons. Such a thing was unthinkable for his calm, sweet-spirited daughter. Yet, this was the Indra he knew before -- the one he viewed though thick rose tinted lenses. But in Hiram's mind, nothing had changed. The family was only going through a temporary rough patch. Today was just as any other.

When the snow began to fall over the taiga and a sharp, winter chill set into the air, Hiram sought his daughters with the intent of sharing the warmth of the family cave. He could smell Laurel nearby. Seeing as his daughters were typically a package deal, Hiram wrongly believed Indra was with her. He set out in her direction and soon found her walking his way.

"Laurel, it's cold out. You and your sister need to come inside," he said. After last time, Hiram worried about bringing Laurel around the boys. But now, it was necessary. After a brief moment, and after not seeing Indra bring up the rear, Hiram asked, "Where's Indy?"

The only thing that Laurel could hope for was that Jhala and Reek were out somewhere else, that they wouldn't return for another while. With the brashness of a child that still clung to her, she didn't even think of anything else that might happen if she would hurt the two boys. For some reason it seemed to make perfect sense that if she would get rid of the boys, things could become like they were before — that Indy would return and that Reek would love them again. At this point, Laurel didn't even really know if her father loved her. He would try to make her believe that he did, but she didn't really have any proof. And the boys were still there, and they got more attention than she and Indy did... 'Because they were little and needed care'. Where had he been, then, to provide said care when she and Indra were little?

But there was something deep and biological stopping her from hating Reek for all of this. She felt like he must hate her, to so blindly turn his back on her and her sister for these new children, to give these boys the care that he had never given Laurel and Indra at that age because he just wasn't there for them. All she could feel was self-depracation because she was not good enough, that she wasn't enough, and that these boys must be better than her if they did deserve Reek's love. She felt a detachment to all of them, for despite her love for her father she felt a stirring and terrifying certainty that he would leave her eventually, because everybody left. Even Spring, Casmir and Laika, who had claimed to love her, had never visited after they had come to the borders with Saena.

It stung when Reek didn't even seem to know that Indy was gone when she ran into him. Laurel looked up at him numbly and defiantly, her jaw clenched and she said: "I don't know where she is, she got lost." Tears started to well up in Laurel's eyes; it wasn't hard to, because she was genuinely broken. She glanced at the den to see that the boys were playing inside and with teary eyes said: "I couldn't find her anywhere. What if she got hurt somewhere?" Ears folded back and she looked pleadingly at Reek as she pleaded with a soft whine; "Please go find her with Jhala... I'll watch the boys." By the time they would be back, it would all be over. They would bring Indra back and then there would be no one to care for but the two girls, and everything would go back to normal, and they could finally start making up for all the lost time...

Tapat heard his father's voice and was quick to scramble to the den entrance. He was always excited to see the wolves he knew. It was comfort for him that he was still in the right place he wanted to be. The pale pup ran outside, realizing that it was rather cold outside. He shivered lightly but then kept on running. "Daaaa, Daaaa," he let out in his excitement. He reached Reek's front and jumped up to greet him with licks. His tail wagging vast. He didn't even realize that his sister was there. So absorbed he was in greeting his father. "Brrr brrr," he hummed.

"No," he whispered, shaking his head. "No. No." She couldn't be gone -- she wouldn't. Not now. Not before the onset of winter. Yet, Hiram remembered how indignant his daughter had been the last time they had spoken. He remembered the rage in her voice. The possibility that she had run away was very real and very frightening.

He stepped forward to embrace his remaining daughter and his heart spilled over with sadness. Like Laurel said, Hiram could not sit idle while Indra was lost. He would need to look for her, but he could not give in to Laurel's demand to watch the boys -- not after their last meeting. "We'll both go, you and I. Jhala will stay to watch the boys," he said.

Then, as if summoned by his father's voice, Tapat appeared at Hiram's side and showered him with affection. "It's too cold to be out son. Let's get you back to Mom, okay?" There, he would be safe in the warmth of his mother's embrace. Hiram looked to Laurel, "You'll come with me, right?" After all, Indra would want to see her sister -- and that could bring her home.

It was almost as if Laurel didn't feel anything at all, as if she was driven by something numb and cold; as if she was already gone. She didn't want to lose again, and Indy was her everything. Laurel fell into daddy's embrace and pressed into it, but she could not find tears anywhere. There was something she needed to do, something to make everything right again.

But her father was not easily swayed, and she clenched her jaw when he denied her the opportunity to watch the boys alone. "But I'm cold," she said and she pulled back from the embrace. "I don't want to —" But she was interrupted by the cheerful shouts of one of the boys. It was Tapat. She looked back to see if Astik was there too but she didn't see him anywhere.

She was easily tossed aside in favour of the child, and Laurel felt anger burn inside of her. She felt like nothing more than a broken husk, something that wouldn't so easily be fixed again. And if she was already broken, what was the point? The only thing she could and should do, was to remove what stood between her and Indy's return. She looked at Reek with a startlingly empty expression when he asked her to go, feeling numb, feeling nothing, which made it all the easier to do what she must.

The time for charades was over now, and after standing still for a moment in the freezing cold just staring at her father, she said: "Okay." But she didn't come; instead, she suddenly came into motion and dove for Tapat when he was nearest to her side. She didn't even think about the fact that Reek could easily kill her once she'd reached the child, that she would never get away even if she would succeed in her mission. But in her youthful mind and her broken heart, she saw only what she had to do and only saw her task at hand, not even thinking about what she would do if she would — or would not — succeed.

So she dove for the child, low to the ground in hopes of avoiding her father's wrath for long enough, aiming for the child's neck so that she could burrow her teeth in it and wrench the life out of him should she succeed.

Tapat's little tail was going fast behind him when his father spoke. He didn't understand much of it but the youngster did know the word mom. He knew who he referred to with that. He liked his mommy and wouldn't mind spending time with her. The pup was quick to be agree to his father. The young boy briefly looked at the other he didn't recognize, before getting his eyes on the den. He knew he needed to go there if he wanted mommy or his bother. And his father said that he had to go there, so the boy did.

He had a playful spring in his step, but that was soon over. Before he even reached the entrance something grabbed him that startled him but he also realized that something else was wrong. It hurt. It hurt badly. Though he didn't know the word hurt yet the pup instantly started screaming in terror. Nothing like this ever happened to him, at least he thought so. He struggled against the grip trying to get out of it. Something inside of him told him this was not good. From the corner of his eyes he could see the light brown color of the female he saw seconds ago.

Tapat didn't know how fast this was all going but for him it went utterly slow, he felt the terror sweep through his body, peeing himself in the process. To be honest the boy didn't even realize the peeing, only the fact that he wasn't able to get the air back he just screeched out. It was really a terror shriek not normal for pups to let out. What could the little pup do against the strong grip of teeth around his neck. His pale fur turning red in a matter of those quick seconds.

Astik wanted to play with Jhala today, so left Tapat before Laurel's arrival, he was still too young to realize that his brother needed a bit of extra watching. his leaving Tapat meant not much to him, he just wanted to bug his mama-- Jhala wasn't having it today though. the chubby child sat on her back, biting at the fur on her cheeks and yanking at it when he got hold. the tired Vicar eventually stood, Astik tumbling off her, and opted instead to see what Laurel was whining about somewhere else in the cave-- her voice carried like nails on a chalk-board, and Hiram's deep tones followed after. 

she moved through the den in time to see Hiram take a step backwards, and her gaze fell on Tapat, who bounced towards her with his usual, cheerful self. she welcomed her baby towards her with a light bow and a warm smile, but just as she did a brown movement caught her attention. it was Laurel-- whom she'd previously ignored-- diving head first for Tapat and latching her teeth to his neck. he let out a sickening screech, and by pure instinct Jhala snapped. she lunged for the brat, caring for nothing but Tapat in this moment. the child was still young and clumsy, and not at all trained (in battle or manners, for that matter), so the seasoned mercenary had like 5 legs up on her. her eyes blazed, jaws parted and saliva falling ungracefully from her lips and they came down on the girl. she wanted the throat, but afraid she'd release a death-snap on her own beloved baby, she went for the neck. whatever she hit, she bit down hard, picking up the girl and waiting for the release of Tapat, ignoring any whines or cries or pleas that came from her disgusting throat. Laurel could die, for all she cared. 

When Laurel accepted his embrace, Hiram felt that there was hope. Misguided as he was, he still held onto the hope of bringing the tatters of his family together. When he pulled away, however, he realized just how wrong he was. Laurel lunged. The Cardinal could see the malicious intent in her eyes -- and for a moment, he was too stunned by her act of violence to do anything. She was evil. This child, his own spawn, was claimed by the Heartless One and Hiram had been too naïve to see it. His heart swelled with anger and paternal instinct. His hackles lifted, and without a word, Hiram surged for his daughter with jaws parted wide.

Jhala, however, was faster. She shot forth from the den and went for Laurel's throat. At the moment, all Hiram could think was to take advantage of the opportunity to grab his son and get him to the safety of the den. But first, he needed to get Laurel off of him.

There was nothing but pain in her heart as she lunged for the child that had taken her father from her. Laurel had been going down a slippery slope for a while now, filled with self-loathing and hate for everyone that had ever left her or taken anything from her. Everybody just left, so something had to be wrong with her. But now it was time to take things into her own paws. Take what she wanted and needed.

As soon as her teeth connected with the child's neck, Laurel was filled with both a compelling urge to retreat and stop this madness, laced with hatred for herself, for what she had been driven to do, for what she had become, and a sickening satisfaction that she was putting the reins back into her own hands. She felt blood drawn and trickle through her mouth not unlike that of prey -- and the stinging disappointment that she felt no better -- but it was not long before something else happened.

When Jhala's teeth caught around her neck Laurel let go of Tapat, not very experienced in battle as she was nor with any real plan in mind. She cried out in pain and then (while, presumably, Reek took Tapat away) flailed to try and get free, teeth exposed to try and grab part of Jhala if she could while she continued to whine as well as snarl. She didn't remember ever feeling this much pain and yet at the same time, driven by adrenaline, it was like she felt nothing at all. If she would manage to get free Laurel would try to run away.

Tapat felt the pressure around his neck release and instantly he sucked in a breath of air to fill his lungs. It felt less like he was in danger but still make himself very small, sniffing. He watched from the corner of his eyes how his momma had a hold of his attacker. This traumatic event was instantly saved into his long memory. Her face being a big blur for him though because of his eyes being watery.

The boy's neck was bleeding, and he didn't dare to move his head because the muscles around it ached. It didn't take long at all before his father grabbed him and brought him to the safety of the den. He let out a yelp in shock when he was picked up though. Especially after the experience he had. He cried out until he sensed that he was inside the den. The pup calmed down a bit more.

He huddled together, making himself very tiny while he already was tiny. His neck dripping blood, making him feel light headed. The boy kept letting out sniffles and sobs. He was mostly confused by what had happened. He didn't understand why he was feeling this pain. He listened to his father and he was happy and now the felt like he shouldn't do that.

Tapat was released, but somehow it didn't feel right to let go of Laurel. it felt right to break her bratty little neck-- right her right now. end all of this bullshit once and for all. she also knew that Hiram probably wouldn't like that, so maybe it wasn't the best of ideas. for once she thought her actions through, and merely held tight, resisting the urge to john cena her dusty ass into the ground and break every bone in her pathetic body. Laurel screeched, squirming and snarling and clawing in a catlike manner at her in an attempt to get loose.

any other wolf, maybe, Jhala would've let down, but this was Laurel. Laurel was young and stupid, and didn't have problem solving skills. she would flee the moment she was set down, and the Vicar knew this. instead she just held her, a growl rumbling fairly constantly in her throat and her eyes welling with tears that the bitchy-kid couldn't see. she prayed-- for the first time ever-- to Raas, that Hiram would come out and not tell her that her baby boy had been killed, or paralyzed. she prayed that Hiram would come out and kill his daughter on his own, though she felt the second one was asking for too much.

regardless, she prayed, holding tightly to the kid by her scruff and waiting. 

This will probably be my only post in this so feel free to pp Astik as/if needed. <3

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Astik had (quite miraculously) managed to powernap through most of the drama happening just outside, though the commotion eventually woke him. He stirred awake, a little groggy, a little cranky, smacking his lips before a large yawn overtook him, his tongue curling as he blinked sleepily at his father's familiar form. For a few groggy seconds Astik struggled to make sense of the cries coming from the pallid form of his brother as his father dropped Tapat off nearby. Though senses were still a little dull yet, the rancid, metallic scent of blood filled his black, leathery nostrils. He sniffed and stretched (still a bit lazy from his quick nap to recharge so that he could play some more) but as he consciously became more awake and aware he realized with a studious quickness that something was wrong. Astik was too young to be able to fully grasp the severity of the situation at hand but he understood that the unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach wasn't good.

He rose and padded towards Tapat, towards his brother's huddled form, making himself seem smaller than he already was. The sniffles and sobs of the pallid boy caused Astik's hackles to bristle along his spine as he drew nearer to his brother, his steps slow, cautious. He sniffed at his brother's neck, where Laurel's teeth had opened the flesh and crimson stained snow-kissed fur. His brother was hurting. Astik's whiskers trembled as his lip curled back unsure where the hot feeling that swept over him came from or even what it was. Protective and eager to soothe Tapat, he fussed over him, and if the other boy would allow it intended to curl close around him: a shield of flesh and bone from whatever horror Tapat had just endured. A silent promise that he did not yet have to words to make: none will hurt you and if they try they will have to go through me.

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When Hiram got his boy back to the safety of the grotto, he held onto him as tightly as he could. Tapat was sobbing, surely stricken with fear after Laurel's unprompted attack, but he was safe now. "Daddy's got you," Hiram whispered into his trembling son's ear. He was beginning to calm down. Now that time felt as if it was moving slowly, Hiram could finally see that Tapat's neck was bleeding from where Laurel's teeth had held him. Instinctivly, he began licking is son's wounds. The boy would be ok, but he had been lucky that his injuries weren't more severe -- they had all been lucky.

From deeper in the grotto, Hiram could hear Astik stirring. As if it were by some extrasensory bond, it seemed Astik could sense that his brother was in pain. He made a beeline for them and settled in beside the trembling Tapat. Hiram wrapped himself around both his boys, protecting them from the evil that waited for them outside like an impenetrable wall. They would not come to harm. Never.

He stayed for as long as he needed to assure his boys that they were safe, but Hiram soon had to rise. "Stay with your brother Tapat," he said as he began to make his way toward the commotion outside. There were things he needed to attend to: Laurel's fate being one of them. Outside the cave, he found her held tightly in Jhala's grip. Hiram's eyes were full of anger. His tempered gaze fell upon his disobedient daughter. "What do you have to say for yourself?!" Hiram yelled. It was the first time he had ever done so to any of his children. His anger, however, was warrented by Laurel's violent intent. Her actions were nothing short of unforgivable.

Laurel struggled to try and get free, but for the moment she could find nothing but more pain as she tugged. She tried however, violently struggling to get free without reprieve, wanting nothing but to get away from the pain in the moment. She knew that her father would be angry and she knew she had done a bad thing, but to Laurel, the boys were the cause of Indy's disappearance and surely death out there alone. There was no other explanation. She continued to struggle and whine for a while, wanting to get away from the pain and the situation she was in, and the reminder of what she had done.

By the time Reek came Laurel had been reduced to a ball of sobs, not used to so much pain — on both emotional and mental front. She thought that she would feel better after the fact, but she felt worse now than ever before. Even more so when she laid eyes on her father's face and saw the hatred in his eyes. It wasn't that she wasn't used to receiving such raw hatred from anyone. It was just that usually it was from herself staring back from the water, or Jhala whenever she said or did anything — but she didn't care about Jhala, because she was used to being hated by her. But to see it reflected in the eyes of her father was a shock effect that she hadn't counted on, and she looked away as soon as she had looked up to get away from it.

The extent of the bad thing she had done was not something Laurel could understand, growing but young still and with the grief of her lost sister. She had given up everything for them, irrevocably so — Silver Creek, their real mother, even if Laurel didn't know her at all — and now she wished she hadn't.

She grew small and submissive because the pain was driving her insane and for now she was biding her time for another escape. There was no real answer to the question she had been posed. She hadn't been thinking — she'd only been feeling, and it needed to get out. A border was crossed. She's lost the one thing that was keeping her in tow. "I'm s-sorry," she murmured, looking away and licking her lips out of instinct while she felt disgusted with herself. She had always hated herself for not being more loveable, for not being more special, for looking like a tan, grey blob — but now her self-loathing was pushed another boundary further by her seeming inability to say, well, anything. She didn't even think ahead to what might be — all she was focussed on now was the pain and how to get away from it.

Last one for Tapat!

His father was with him, and he licked over his wounds. It hurt the small boy but he was too tired to complain or scream about it. His brother joined his side and the pup felt a lot safer now. However his mama was still missing. He wanted her comfort too, but he didn't dare to go outside again. He would not go. He was attacked there. He didn't want to experience such pain again. He huddled close to his brother, eyes still teared up but he wasn't excessively crying.

His father also told him to stay inside. It was clear for the boy. He would stay inside and not leave this place, ever. He could not go outside. The youngster got close to his brother, hiding his small white face. Tapat's tail firmly lodged between his legs. The pain and mental distress exhausted him. Soon the warmth from his sibling got him into a light sleep. He was oblivious to what was happening outside. Though the youngster had learned about fear today. Something that he was unlikely to forget.

Hiram hadn't returned in tears, or with a limp baby boy in his jaws, so she was relieved he wasn't dead... that was at least a good sign. "no you're not!" Jhala seethed through the liver fur she held so tightly in her scruff. she didn't know, truthfully. Laurel could've very well felt bad about what she'd tried to do, but there was no way that Jhala could've known that for sure. she needed to stop talking, because she was just making herself look like a bigger asshole-- though in no way was she at fault here. but she shut up anyway, leaving the conversation between Hiram and the satan-spawn. she just held tightly to make sure she didn't escape, because the vicar still did not trust her to stay put.

Laurel averted his gaze and was reduced to a blathering and sobbing mass in Jhala's grip. A choked apology came was spoken, but Hiram was hardly satisfied. Normally, he forgave the transgressions of his daughters outright -- not withholding apologies (which from Laurel, he had never received). But, this was not his to forgive, it was God's. Something of this magnitude needed to be taken up with the Daystar directly. He would have to pray; Laurel too, if she were to absolve this black mark from her soul. Something was corrupting her from the inside, but in his daughter's guilty eyes Hiram could see his daughter struggling to fight against whatever it was, or so he thought. Still, it did not stave Hiram's anger.

Hiram was rage, but he needed to know why his daughter had tried to commit the unspeakable act. He stepped forward, with an angry growl rumbling in his chest. "What were you thinking Laurel?!" Hiram spat. "That's your brother! He's family." With all the love he had for his family, Hiram couldn't even fathom it such a thing.

The pain within her heart remained a festering thing; all she had wanted was to create a world in which Indy could come back and Reek would love them again instead of the rotten little critters. It didn't help that the pain from her neck overshadowed everything else, and the sickening feeling of blood creeping through her pelt made her feel like she was dying (considering she'd never been in pain like this before).

Reek kept berating her and asking questions that she didn't know the answer to, or that she was trying hard to hide because the truth was so ugly. But eventually, it always came out. "I just want Indy to can come back!" she shouted irradically; "I hate them, nobody loves me because of them, it's like I don't even exist!" Laurel sniffled loudly as she voiced some of her most private fears, those that were never meant to be for anyone else's ears. She huddled together a bit more and whined softly as she was reminded by the pain in her neck and pleaded, "It hu-hurts, please let go!"

Jhala growled, but guilt mixed in with her anger and she softened her grip as she spoke. "i would've loved you if you hadn't been so nasty to me-- if you hadn't tried to make your dad get rid of me," she said. she waited a few heartbeats before she slowly placed the liver-colored girl on the ground, it was only after she asked to be let down that she considered it. she wanted nothing more than to just beat her into the earth, but she was just a child, and she didn't deserve for the sky to fall on her-- or at least not all of the sky. she set her down and stepped back, but was fully prepared to tackle her again if she tried to make a run for it. "Hiram loves you just as much as he loves Astik and Tapat..." she added slowly, glancing up at her mate for a heartbeat.

As Laurel spoke, Hiram's boiling emotions quickly shifted from intense anger to frustrated pity. He huffed. "Laurel." His voice was a fractured whisper. "You know Jhala's right." He met his wife's eyes and nodded. Despite everything -- every selfish decision Hiram had ever made -- he lived for his children. He loved Laurel as a father loves his daughter, more than he could ever put into words. In his eyes, she and her sister had always been perfect, but now he did not know if he could look at her the same way. But even then, "You have always, and always will be my heart."

"When you do something like this, It breaks me Lorry," he continued. "I just wanted you to give this family a chance." A single chance it seemed had been beyond her, and now, Hiram didn't know if he could glue the broken pieces back together.

To be accused of being unloved only because of who and how she was — that it was her own fault that her stepmother did not love her — hurt Laurel more than she would ever admit. It was the final twist in the dagger already planted in her heart. A dagger she had perhaps planted herself, in part. It was Laurel's worst nightmare come true; to hear the words that she had often screamed at her own reflection mirrored by her caretakers with such truth behind them. From Jhala she had expected it, but to hear her father agree with her seamlessly made her heart bleed.

She was released and sobbed from the pain of her injuries, for other than hurt she had brought to herself Laurel had never been wounded. Laurel crawled to the ground, unable to distinguish whether it was the physical or mental pain that hurt her the most. But the last thing she would ever do was admit to them how she felt about herself, that they were right, because she had always known that it wasn't their fault but her own, that she was simply unloveable because of who she was — but she could not stop herself from being herself, no matter how hard she tried, and she couldn't love a wolf who would take her father away from her, no matter how hard she tried.

When Reek spoke of his love and of Laurel not giving things a try it felt like lies, like the things he asked were impossible. Nobody's given her any tries; she was just supposed to accept everything the way it already was after falling into this situation. Nobody would adjust to her, so she had tried to make them adjust because she was told she was a princess here. But in the end that seemed another word that meant nothing, like all of them.

Every time she tried to form a thought into words the pain would kick in and it blinded everything else. Besides, she didn't know what to say. She wanted to say 'I hate you', she wanted to run away and hit her head against a tree and cry herself to sleep, because at least then she would be alone. It was better to be alone than hated, even if she would not escape her own scrutiny.

"It hurts so much," she sniffed, the only words she could find even though she wished to say so many more, and she took a small step away from Jhala, staying low to the ground, licking lips submissively out of instinct, with eyes trimmed on her stepmother in case she would make another move. She opened her mouth and said hoarsely, her words nearly a whisper, "I just wanted you to love me for who I am..." But it had become clear to her that something was terribly wrong with her to do these kind of things. That they didn't love her because they were terrible wolves, but because she was a monster.

She inched backwards, ready to bolt if they would move, and stared up at Reek and Jhala pleadingly, praying for someone to either take out the dagger or twist it to finally end her suffering.

she hesitated, mostly because she really fucking hated the brat. but she felt bad for her, just a little, and especially for her husband, who tried so damn hard to do so damn much. "then we should start over," she said, her gaze finding reek, "all of us. i know you don't want me here, but i'm here, and you're stuck with me. i know i suck, but i really do love your dad... and that should be enough. that makes us a family, and i'll be here for you if you'll let me." bleh. what word vomit, especially goopy word vomit she didn't even want to say. laurel tried to kill her baby, no way in hell she wanted her here... but for reek, she sucked it up. she'd make nice with laurel, for real.

I'm so sorry for being so slow on this y'all. Wanna wrap this one up?

She just wanted to be loved.

And that he did. Hiram loved his daughter more than he could even express. She was a piece of his heart that had somehow left his body and had sprouted legs. That was why it hurt so much to see his daughter direct so much hatred toward her half brothers. It made him feel as if his entire heart was engaged in a bloody civil war. "I do love you," the broken hearted father urged. "You're my little girl, and nothing -- no one can change that." Not even this act of violence could stop him from loving his daughter. He feared her, yes -- for what she may do to his family.

Jhala spoke, and Hiram found himself wishing for the same things. She was right, after all. He had tried to do to much. He alone could not make his family come together. They were imperfect, and to think anything more of them was naïve. But a fresh start, that was exactly what they needed. "A fresh start. Please." However, as much as he wanted to start over and forget, Hiram wasn't particulalry sure he would ever be able to let something like this go. He could try, and if Laurel did too, perhaps that would be enough.