Bored And Achy...!

I know, I know.  The first thing that probably came into your mind when you read the title of this post was most likely "Oh great, it's gonna be a post about her complaining about being bored and her various aches.  Yay, NOT."
I promise, I won't turn this into a super-mega-boring, complaining-the-day-away post.  I promise.  ;)  Oh...and I haven't forgotten about the month in review.  I PROMISE I will get back to writing with Flynn once Ray's caught - so we don't have to spend every spare second watching the babies.  So anyway, let's get onto the actual post!

The morning after my attempt to take down Ray, I woke up super late, again.  I cleared my throat and blinked a few times before I rolled onto my back.  Flynn, who must've been nearby, was at my side in an instant.
So that was how the day was going to be like, eh?  He's going to be a mother hen, I thought grumpily.
"Hey hon," he smiled as he bent over me and pushed hair away from my face.
"Morning," I smiled up at him and sat up.  Too quickly.  My head started spinning and I felt like I was going to pass out.  I squeezed my eyes shut and sucked in a breath when I felt a wave of nausea crash over me.
"Are you okay?" his voice cracked.
I didn't answer him until I trusted my mouth to open without gagging or choking or anything.  Finally, I nodded.  "I'm okay."
"Sure?"
I opened my eyes to see him peering down at me, forehead wrinkled in concern.  "I'm sure.  Your face makes everything better!" I added jokingly.
He chuckled.  "Don't think you'll distract me from the topic at hand."
I went to stand up, despite the sudden, searing pain in my leg, as well as the aching sensation in my arm.
"How do you feel?"
I shrugged.  "I'm fine, like I said."
"I can see in your eyes that that is a lie," he raised an eyebrow skeptically.
"Fine."  I huffed.  "My leg hurts like nobody's business, and my arm hurts a bit too.  My neck feels better, though."
He nodded.  "Your head?"
"Cloudy, but I'm still walking, talking, and breathing, so I guess it's fine too."
My hubby shook his head in exasperation at that last sentence before he gently cupped his hands around my face and bent to kiss me.
I remembered that I needed to make sure he got his necessary hours of sleep.  I pulled away from him and said, "How long did you sleep?  Truth, now..."
"Seven and a half hours."  He said crisply.
I laughed hard enough that I accidentally stumbled forward and bumped into Flynn's chest.  He took that to his advantage and hugged me.
"Rapunzel and Flynn, sittin' in a tree-"
I jerked away from him and turned to see Merida laughing.
"Oh, knock it off," I laughed, stepping away from him with my cheeks heating up.
I glanced up at Flynn, and his face was red too.  He looked down at me and I saw a sly smile creeping up.
Oh boy.
"See, Rapunzel?  I'm telling you, she's a bad influence on the kids."
"I am NOT!"  She yelped, disgruntled.
"Hmm..yeah, you might be right!"  I tapped my lips with my finger and pretended to study Merida's face intently.
"You're both terrible.  Both of you!"  She giggled before turning to Jase.  "Tell your parents they don't have to be so mean."
Jase looked up at her and then walked over to me and Flynn.  She held her arms up to Flynn, and he scooped her up.  "Sorry, Aunt Merida...I told you not to pick on them though."
The three of us laughed in surprise.
"Then I guess I won't take you out all day, and to ride Maximus like I was planning on doing today, if you feel that way..." Merida quirked a brow and pretended to walk away.
"No!  I'm sorry.  I side with you!" She squirmed frantically and Flynn set her down so she could run over to Merida.
"Huh?"  I laughed at her silly antics, but then thought about what she said.  Merida was taking her on a ride?  Today?
"She talked it over with me this morning.  I told her she could if she really wanted to, even though I'd prefer to take her myself.  Jase has been wanting to so bad, you know," Flynn explained when I turned towards him questioningly.
"We could take her, why not?"  Hallie woke up, and so I hobbled over to pick her up.
"Um, maybe because you need to rest."
"I'm fine," I protested.
"No, you need to rest!  If you don't cooperate, I'll tell Tangled Fan."
I rolled my eyes.  "I'm fine.  I want to see Jase ride Maximus for the first time.  Today.  I'm perfectly fine - I don't have a headache or anything suggesting I have any underlying issues with my being knocked unconscious, and I can walk.  My arm isn't too bad, and I don't use it to walk, anyway!  Please?"
He shook his head.  "Tangled Fan told me to keep an eye on you.  A promise is a promise, and I'm not about to break it.  I'm also not about to knowingly let you not rest, and potentially harm your health!"
"But I'm fine!"
"Also, Ray's still out there.  We need to keep a close eye on the babies, still."
"I know you're just saying that to add to the reasons why you think I should stay home.  But fine.  I'll stay home, but if you think I'm just gonna sit around all day, you've got another thing coming, mister!"  I tipped my chin up and stared at him, Hallie on one hip and my other hand on the other.
He grinned and bent to kiss me again whilst my face was upturned.  "We'll see about that."
Good grief.  He'd already kissed me twice this morning, just since I'd woken up less than an hour ago.  What, was he still that shaken up/thankful I was okay this morning?  It was a little embarrassing, to be honest...Or maybe I was just grouchy today.
By then, Merida was taking off with Jase, waving as she went.  I waved and called a 'see you later' to the both of them.

When we were alone, Flynn took Allie.  He sat down, and I sat facing him.
"So what happened yesterday?  Why didn't you try to subdue Ray?"  I asked him.
"When you took off running, I...well...pretty soon after you left, Merida came running by with the babies.  I grabbed her by the arm and helped her hide, and I told her to keep track of Jase.  I started to come for you, but I saw Ray making off with you for the old shelving unit.  I was trying to think of a way to ambush him, but I couldn't.  I was about a yard away when I saw you start to fall.  I made a run for it, but you hit the ground before I was close enough to c-catch you.  You landed on your side.  Hard.  You cracked your head off the floor even harder.  I thought for sure you were..." he trailed off, cleared his throat, and continued.  "Anyway, when I got to you, Ray was nowhere to be seen.  I was more concerned about you than where he was, anyway.  I threw you over my shoulder and ran to find Tangled Fan - she'd already been on her way back anyway, hearing your screams.  And that's basically it."
I nodded slowly.  "I see."  I was looking down at Hallie, but then I glanced up at Flynn.  My hubby had a horrible, pained look on his face and he looked like he wanted to say more.  I knew if I just waited quietly, he'd burst forth with the rest of it.  And he did.
"Dear girl, don't you ever do that again.  Ever.  If you think you're going to be in danger, do NOT go ahead and put yourself in harm's way.  Good grief, you could've broken.  You could have been broken beyond repair.  You could've..."  He trailed off and sniffled. He stopped, looking down at Allie, who had started to nap.  He jumped up and laid her down on our 'bed', and then he took Hallie, who was starting to sleep as well.  He started to pace back and forth.
"Flynn.  Flynn, sweetie."  I tried to get his attention.  I know I must have scared him really badly yesterday, and I felt bad.  "Flynn.  Flynn!"  As he paced past me, I reached up and grabbed him by the hand.  He tried to pull away from me, but I grabbed him with BOTH hands and stood up.  "Husband, I subdued an angry Ray yesterday, and shoved him in the corner.  I think I can take you."
He whirled to look at me.  I thought he'd mouth off at me or something, but no.   His whole face was crumpling up as he slowly lost his composure.
I grabbed him into a hug and he leaned down to press his head against my shoulder as he started sobbing.  I'd never seen him so shaken.  It was all I could do to keep from crying myself, he was so upset.
"I don't know what I would have done without you.  I-I saw you lying there, unconscious, and I thought y-you were...gone....you know?  I almost died right then and there.  I can't believe I didn't make it to catch you.  If I would've-"
I propped my chin on his head.  "But everything's fine.  You couldn't have possibly ran a yard within five seconds.  You did all you could do, and I'm okay anyway."  I soothed him, even though the lump in my throat made things kind of hard.
His shoulders heaved.  "You could have...you could have been killed!  All I could think of was how much you meant - you MEAN - to me, how Jase would take things, of all the t-t-things I didn't get to tell you...of..."
I sobbed.  "You're going to make ME cry now!"  I joked, trying desperately to not lose it.
He pulled me in to him and I felt a zing of love and compassion go up my spine.  He was falling apart here, but he still felt obligated to comfort ME.  I licked my lips and gathered my thoughts and feelings and reined them all in.  Before I could say anything, though, Flynn started again.  "I love you.  I love you so much.  You mean the world to me and then some.  I can't live without you, I don't think I could have.  You...you're the most beautiful and sweet and..." he continued to sob out compliments and thoughts about me.  By the time he was done, I was dissolved into tears as well.  I rubbed his back with one of my hands and tried to contain my tears - I felt like a drama queen, the past few days, because I'd been so emotional!  Ugh.  Suddenly, he pulled away from me.
"I need to knock it off.  I'm not some sissy little girl who cries over everything."
He tried to continue pacing, but I held onto him with all my strength, despite my arm that hurt every time I used it.
"You need to let it out.  Even men have to cry some, and it's not criminal."  I stared up at him and studied his face.  His chin was still wobbling.  I reached up with my good arm and touched his cheek.
He shook his head slowly, and then he literally lifted me off my feet and gave me a kiss that I swear must have contained all his emotions.  It made my head swim and I was surprised at how just a kiss could convey so much.  I also hoped to goodness that Merida and Jase didn't walk in right about now - I was embarrassed when he as much as hugged me around them, let alone kissing!  So many thoughts were running through my head, and when he started to pull away, I kissed him back, hoping to show him that all those compliments he'd given me were felt mutually - in other words, I felt the same about him.  I finally pulled away, but he still held me up.  I stared at him a few seconds and realized he was more lost in my eyes than he was concerned with where my feet were.
"As much as I'd like to enjoy this...could you please put me down?"  I chuckled despite myself, and he must have just noticed he still held me up.
"Oh.  Right."  he set me down carefully, but then he pulled me into a tight hug.  I felt that he was comforting himself as much as me, so I didn't protest.  Eventually, he calmed down and he slowly released me.  I cleared my throat and smiled up at him.  "Feel better about things?"
He shrugged and I kept my gaze locked on his.  "I still feel like this is all my fault."
"Well, don't, because it isn't!"  I said, moving away from him.  He took me by the hand and sat down.
"Sit."
I started to protest, but he gently tugged at my arm and pulled me down to sit beside him.  I cuddled against him and we just sat....for a few minutes, anyway; until Allie woke up, and then Hallie got wakened up by Allie.

For the majority of the day, Flynn made sure I stayed sitting down.  Jase stayed out with Merida all day long.  To his credit, though, after awhile and when the babies were napping once more, he eventually relented and allowed me to stand outside of the bookshelf for a little bit, watching Jase ride Maximus.  Even then, he watched over me like a hawk.  What, did he expect me to stumble a step and shatter into a million zillion pieces?  Or was Ray what had him concerned?  Would Ray seriously just snatch me up because he felt like it?  He was after the babies, not me!
To Flynn's concerned goading, I went back inside all too soon.  Regardless, I was kind about it and thanked him for allowing me at least a little while of watching.  A small smile played across his lips, and I wished he'd give me that goofy grin of his.  I knew he was still beating himself up about yesterday, and he needed to stop.  I tried to get him to lighten up, but as soon as he'd look at me longer than a few seconds, I saw the same worrisome cloud come across his features.  I felt really bad.

At around seven, Merida and Jase finally tromped in.  Jase was giggling, and she ran over and jumped into Flynn's lap.  He chuckled and she promptly began narrating her day out with 'Aunt' Merida.  I handed Allie over to Merida and told her that she was good all day long.
We chatted, but after awhile, I got so tired I could hardly hold my eyes open.  I must have fallen asleep with Hallie in my arms because I didn't wake up for a long while.
When I did wake up, it was from a nightmare.  (Yes, us dolls can dream).
I had been dreaming that Ray was attacking us, had gotten the babies and was going after me now.  I flew upright, panting, and looked around frantically.  Fear gripped my heart.  As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I realized I was in 'bed'. Under the covers.  Hallie was nearby on one side.  Flynn was on the other, and both were sleeping.  My breathing slowly calmed down, and I pushed the hair from my face with a final huff.  As I relaxed and slumped against the bookshelf wall, I noticed Flynn stirring.  In his sleep, he rolled over and reached towards me.  When his arm landed across my legs, his eyes flew open. He sat up quickly and looked around.  When he saw I was right beside him, still, he also slumped against the wall.
"You scared me!" he chuckled quietly.
"Sorry!" I whispered.
"Why're you up at this hour anyway?" through the darkness, I could feel him studying my face.
"I...couldn't sleep," I admitted.
"Lemme guess.  Nightmare?  You were tossing and turning a lot," he explained.
I nodded quietly.  "That's pretty stupid, right?  'Flynn, I had a bad dream...'."  I mocked myself.
He shook his head and then he reached over and rubbed his thumb on my cheek with such gentleness that a tingle shot up my spine.  I allowed a slow smile to grow on my face.  Then, I stifled a yawn.
"You ought to get back to sleep," Flynn told me.  "You're safe, and I'll be right here."
I nodded and then I curled up on my side, snuggling under the covers again.  Flynn did the same, and then he trailed his hand down my arm until he found my hand. He linked his fingers with mine for a few minutes, and then he wrapped his arm around my waist, whispering an 'I love you' in my ear.  I breathed a reply as I wriggled just a tad bit closer.  I don't know if he heard my reply, because he sounded as if he had fallen right back asleep within seconds.  I sighed, feeling more secure now, and went back to sleep too.