Andi gave a quiet chuckle and steered directly for the glass vases in the back of the store.
"Suz and I always shop online. That way it gets sent when its supposed to and most places will even wrap it for you,
though do you know how hard it is to find a place that gift wraps farming equipment?" She shot him a laughing look
and went through the vases quickly, with a bazaar shoppers eye for hidden quality. "Mike's got 'connections' of some
dubious quality and seems to shop through them. And Mum and Da always send me food and things from the tribe
since they know I've got so little room." She tapped three different elegant glass vases, all of them swirls of brilliant
color and raised her eyebrows at Hector to pick one, having no idea what colors or what interior house colors his
sister had. There were scarves in the same shop but Andi didn't leave Hector to wander over and look at them while
he picked a vase. Too - too many people. She usually loved crowds and had adored her time in London. But - she
was - nervous now. Afraid someone might do something that would - set her off. She didn't like not being in control of
her reactions that way and she certainly didn't like falling apart. Doing so in front of complete strangers would
probably be mortifying. Once she got over - the memories themselves enough to be mortified of course. This close to
Hector she felt sheltered. He always moved to automatically put himself between her and everything else. As much as
she hated feeling so - frail she kept reminding herself that it was just like a wound. She just needed to give it time to
heal. And in the meantime, she let Hector stand between her and the entire rest of the world.
"There's a beautiful Monet scarf." She commented, doing her shopping by looking over his shoulder. "Or would she
like one with tiny champagne cups better?"
Hector picked a blue one. Blue went with everything right? Besides, it was a gift and people shouldn't complain about
gifts, they should just be grateful that Andi was dragging him shopping in the first place.
"Um....I don't know." He said about scarves. "Whichever one. And don't even ask me about perfume." He warned with
a chuckle as he continued to, yes, stay between her and the crowds as best he could.
"Well, in that case I'll go out on a limb and pretend I think a woman that dotes on her dog to the extent that that's the
first thing her favorite older brother thinks of when he thinks of her has exceptionally refined tastes and go with the
Monet." Andi clarified, looking up to give him a smile as they shifted venues from the vases to the scarves. Choosing
the one that was 'waterlilies' and sliding it through her fingers just to feel the glide of the soft fabric. Who got a chance
to wear silk in this day and age? she thought wistfully.
They got Beth's box of French chocolate at that store as well and Andi got directions to the nearest flower shop.
Because - of course, she was informed with near horror - Paris was the city of lover's. Of course they'd have flower
shops at ever corner and side shop. Paris wasn't a city of barbarians after all. Flowers were necessary for civilization.
She forwent translating all of that for Hector as they left after stuffing the bag into one of the packs, assuming the
clerks facial expressions and waving had probably gotten the point across well enough. Instead Andi concentrated on
finishing the gift hunt, pausing to rest her back against Hector's chest as a large group of laughing teenagers went
past.
"I can't pick perfume out for your sister." She protested. "I don't know her personality and if I pick wrong she'll think I'm
assuming something and be insulted. The way a women chooses to smell says a lot about her."
"I'm sure her dog will think that's a very tasty little treat." He said about the scarf after paying for everything and
stowing everything away. "Wow...did you just threaten to kill his mother? He certainly looked like you did something
that blasphemous....and why are we going to a flower store anyway? They'll be all wilted and everything before we
even reach New Orleans, never mind see anyone."
Unless, of course, she wasn't telling him the whole reason. Which wouldn't surprise him, she seemed to get a kick out
of throwing him innocuously off balance! Not that he could blame her.
Andi waited until the busy group was past and then started in the right direction again.
"All I did was ask if there was a flower shop nearby." She clarified helplessly. "Next thing you knew I'd insulted all of
France and everything it stood for. Apparently only 'uncivilized' countries don't have flower shops in their airports."
They reached the sacred shop at about that point in the explanation and Andi paused inside its quieter, less crowded
interior to simply shut her eyes and inhale, lips curving peacefully upward. When she exhaled and opened her eyes
she looked - better. A bit more centered. She'd been starting to fray around the edges. Stepping deeper in, she gently
touched one of the colorful petals with her fingers.
"Customs generally doesn't let you bring flowers in from a foreign country so we'd have to throw them away on the
plane anyway." She stated mildly. "Same way we'll need to eat our pears before we land. But I was hoping that, in an
airport, there might be some prepackaged flower bulbs or something that was customs approved. So your sister could
plant them in her garden for spring. Or in a pot if the seasons aren't strong enough where she lives." She looked at
him with a softer smile over her shoulder. "So you could bring her flowers from France even if you weren't going to be
there when they opened."
"Usually when I fly I don't worry about customs." He reminded her with a chuckle as they browsed the bulbs and the
like. "Interesting." He said, just leafing through the pictures. Again, something useless to him. But he decided on one
kind (by picking it at random once he was bored of pretending to look). "Here we go. She'll like this. And even if she
doesn't she won't have the heart to tell me."
"Mm." Andi commented with a soft laugh. Telling the curious looking clerk what kind they wanted as she turned into
Hector and wrapped her arms around him, snuggling in close. In random need of one of his long hugs.
His family scared her. What they were going to do to her life once she got off the plane and was engulfed by them
scared her. That she might make a bad first impression and that they might hate her scared her. Not for herself. She
was a little too old and had done and seen a little too much to care about other's opinions as they were supposed to
effect her. But for Hector. This was his family and he loved them. They were important to him. And she didn't want to
be the cause of the least of problems in that area of his life.
Of course, right now she was also scared of the crowds outside. And the fact that she might 'freak out' again. And the
possibility of getting an aisle seat on this flight, even with the extra leg room, wasn't making her too calm right now
either.
She exhaled against Hector. She wasn't terrified. Or even badly scared. Just - worse than simply worried. It wasn't
anything she couldn't, and wouldn't, simply push to the back and ignore. Eventually she'd get angry about it and get
over it, she was sure. But for now she just felt - small. And that she very much wanted to crawl somewhere small and
dark and safe and curl up in Hector's arms and forget everything else. Which she would, she promised herself. At the
end of all of this, after the crowds and the flight and the family - after all that, she promised herself there would only be
her and Hector. Somehow she could make it through the rest if she remembered that.
"That just leaves Sara." She murmured against him, eyes closed. Her lips curved slightly and she asked: "Can you put
on your 'ugh, ugh, hunt' guy thing and look out the door and see a shop that would have something she'd like? Or at
least not be justified complaining about?"
"I'm bad at this...I get gift certificates..." He said with a chuckle as he looked across the promenade with a narrowed
gaze. "Let's see....." Then he grinned and took the bag with the bulbs without looking at the clerk. "got it. She'll get a
kick out of it." He led her to a clothing store, where there were t shirts with amusing and sometimes vulgar sayings
across them in French. Of course, the vulgar ones were the words Hector recognized. He picked a few t shirts. "Sara
has a warped sense of humor, she'll like it."
Andi looked at one of the shirts and the quiet laughter started. Based on gift choices, Sara had just won her 'favorite
person' slot. She hoped the woman matched the humor.
"I'm glad you're claiming sole responsibility for these gifts." She stated as she held the pack open so he could add the
flower bulbs and shirts once they were paid for. "Though I'm tempted to buy one for Suz. Maybe you should get one
for Swanson and he can just wear it in front of her for annoyance purposes."
"Then they could fight silently for once if we got them battling t-shirts." He said with a chuckle as he packed everything
into the bag and then stuffed it into his carry on. "Come on, we've got only five minutes to cross the concourse and
get on a plane before we get stuck here. Then we'll have to take the deli woman up on her offer."
"You say that as if it's motivation to not want to stay behind." She remarked as she slipped her hand back into his
larger one. But she was smiling.
It had been a while since she'd actually run through an airport. It was surprising how much fun it was. She was still
laughing her near silent laughter when they got on board the plane, hand still in his and resting against his chest as
she followed him onto the plane. The advantage of being tall enough was that she could see over his shoulder without
having to lift her chin but she watched the back of his neck instead, not wanting an accidental repeat of the last flight.
Thinking... she liked the way his hair was starting to get long enough to barely curl against the back of his neck. It
looked surprisingly vulnerable.
"Here we go." He said, giving her the window seat as he stowed their carry on bags in the compartment above their
heads. "Longest stretch of the trip." Should go by fast, he hoped. Nothing but ocean below them. He looked at his
watch when he sat down and turned it back to Louisiana time, so he'd know what time it was there at least.
The leg room was marginally improved, but he still had to be careful not to bang his knees on the seat in front of him.
Military transport was slightly better in that area. A series of benches against the hull of a C-130, or hanging off the
runner of a black hawk...no problem with leg room there.
Andi ducked lower than she needed to as she scooted into her seat but - the ceiling was low and just thinking about it
accidently brushing the top of her head had her chest tightening. Then the thought that someone's hands, while they
shifted around and got into their seats behind her, touching the top of her head actually had her chest hurting and
she had to take slow breaths through her nose and tell herself just how stupid she was being. While sitting with her
back to the window so noone accidently did touch her.
Watching Hector fold into the seat was distracting and had the edges of her lips curving upward. It was easy to forget
how tall he was because he never moved the way most tall men did, acutely aware of their height. Hector just moved -
naturally and it wasn't until you caught him standing next to someone - or fitting into an airline seat, that you
remembered.
He really did have very nicely long legs...
"We'll have to remember to ask for the emergency exit next time." The 'seatbelt' light came on and the pressure in the
plane changed as the doors were shut. Andi rested a hand on one of Hector's legs. "Lots more leg room." She
commented as she settled back into her own seat. Shifting and reshifting her own legs until she had them partially
tucked under the seat in front of her. Which might, if she was lucky, stay comfortable for almost an hour. She was
going to have to do something about that ankle... She glanced at his watch as an overly enthusiastic stewardess
began the safety procedures. "With the hour changes and what not, what time of day are we going to be arriving at
home?" She asked quietly so she didn't disrupt the demonstration on how to use the oxygen mask.
"One o'clock." He said. "Hardly anyone's up back home, and we've already been traveling most of the day." He shook
his head and chuckled. "Lazy people. So we'll take a cab from the airport to the house, not sure I want to go through
the whole hoopla of people coming in and out of the house and I know you don't."
He patted the hand that was on his leg, she seemed more...here. If that made sense. As if crossing the ocean was
helping her leave the jungle behind.
Her breath caught in her chest and then, seatbelt or no, she twisted in her seat to throw her arms around him.
Desperately grateful and relieved probably far past what was polite. But oh - she'd been so worried. So nervous and
afraid. Dreading - just dreading, not so much the actually meeting of his family, though there was that too. But meeting
them in the condition she was in, tired and without any reserves of strength to rely on, nerves already jangling and
raw. She'd meet his family. She would. But - realizing she didn't have to yet...
"Thank you." She exhaled and pressed a kiss against his throat before realizing how that must sound. "Sorry, I'm
sorry." She drew back enough to give him a small smile. "I'm sure they're lovely. They're yours. I'm just - " she gave
him another smile, shoulders relaxing for the first time. "I'm terrified of families. And I do want to meet yours. I just didn't
want them to see me like this."
There were reasons why he didn't take vacation every time he was offered it, and his family factored in almost all of
them. Oh, he loved them. Very much so. But they were a lot to take in and he had his own ghosts in that area he had
never dealt with, and never really wanted to either.
Every thing was nicely scabbed over, and he was always afraid a visit to his family, a visit with his family, would rip off
the scab and leave a raw, bleeding wound for everyone to see.
But in the scheme of things it was the safest spot. His grandparents' house, now his house, held no bad memories for
him, and there were no shadows for Andi there.
And it wouldn't be the first time he had kicked his family out to give himself a little peace and quiet
"Great thing about the house. Locks on the door, ringers can be turned off..." He said. Though Cassie had a key,
there was always a dead bolt she didn't have a key to. "That's why I called Tommy instead of Cassie." His giant friend
as opposed to his sister. "Should take them a bit to realize I'm back in town."
"Smuggling me into the country." She smiled. Teasing. "Capital idea."
She didn't thank him again because it would probably be bordering on insulting to be too grateful she was going to
have some quiet - some peace - him to herself for a little while before her next hurtle of meeting his family. But she
was glad. He was her calm, her rock, in the middle of the storm she found herself in. And she was impossibly grateful
that she was going to get him to herself a little while longer. So instead of saying anything else, she simply kissed him
and then twined her fingers though his before curving her hand over his leg again while the plane taxied down the
runway and then lifted off into the sky.