A Bone To Pick

Reid apparated Calvin and himself to the address they had found for the young Elijah Krum. Reid released Calvin and adjusted his beanie. He had woken up like it was any other day, gotten dressed as though he were going about his usual business, made the the two of them breakfast (no longer having to cook for six) and headed out.

Calvin was nervous, Reid knew, so Reid was putting up a confident front. Truth was, he was no braver than his friend. Reid was calm and rational and he knew how to talk a big game, but he had no idea how to bring it. Reid was really a fraidy cat, one who strutted along and took out the claws every now but when a real tomcat strutted in... He yowled and ran away.

Reid squinted at the home and nodded. "Yup." He turned and looked over at his best friend, who he was sure was terrified by now. "This is it. Are you ready, pal?" He nodded his head reassuringly and strode forward. He paused at the door and looked at his friend, wanting Calvin to try and take the lead.

OOC: I may add to this in a bit. No dialogue, just more description and such.

Reid was well aware of the fact that apperation frightened Calvin – in fact, to say that the incredibly dangerous method of traveling frightened Calvin would be an understatement. People got splinched by apperating. People lost limbs by apperating. People ended up in dangerous places that could put loosing a limb to shame by apperating!

Calvin had a logical reason to be shaking in his Converse sneakers when they’d stepped onto Elijah Krum’s front porch, but that ‘logical reason’ was not limited to Calvin’s fear of apperation...

It was time for another game of Follow the Leader, and Calvin was assuming his usual position as the one who trailed along behind Reid like a frightened Chihuahua.

He stared, wide-eyed at the door before him, as though he was certain that it was going to come to life and eat him alive at any moment. Evidently, Calvin’s imagination had been stimulated by the sugary coffee that he’d enjoyed earlier that morning – as though it needed any stimulation; he’d been nervous to begin with.

“Y-yeah, R-Reid,” the young man stuttered in reply, putting Shaggy (of Scooby Doo) to shame. “Y-your going to kn-knnnn-ock right, Reid?” he added hastily.

OOC: Bam. Godmodding. XD And use of Krum NPCS. Woot!

It was as if even in sleep, Elijah was not at peace; though thankfully he looked as if he seemed to be getting some rest. Tatiana watched gingerly from the doorway of his room as his chest rose and fell. A quick glance at her watch told her that it was probably time to wake Sleeping Beauty. She knew he was bound to be in a foul mood as soon as he woke up. From the smell of the room, he’d been smoking the night before and the half finished painting in the corner of the room by the open window told her all she needed to know. At least he was working again. Arnold had been pestering him for something new and apparently, he was going for something new. Tatiana smiled a little, her hand coming to rest on her protruding stomach. She looked down at her child and sighed heavily before deciding to bite the bullet and wake him Elijah up.

The artist was jolted awake by the sound of the curtains being scraped back along the curtain rail. Elijah launched into a sitting position and his eyes immediately looked towards the window where he was surprised to find his heavily pregnant cousin pulling curtain ties around the thick materiel. Elijah gave a long yawn and fell back against the pillows, not quite willing to move just yet. His eyes were immediately drawn back to the painting he’d been agonising over the night before and he glanced over at Tatiana who was fumbling uselessly with the ties.

“Here,” Elijah pushed himself out of bed, drawing the sheets around him, “Let me sort that. Are Fauve and Thierry up yet?” Tatiana turned, nodded, and Elijah smiled. “Merlin’s beard, woman, you look like you’re ready to pop!” Tatiana flushed and Elijah chuckled before standing up, modesty no longer being his biggest concern. He grabbed his pyjama bottoms off of the floor and pulled them on before looking back at Tatiana who was now beet red. Elijah couldn’t help but smirk. “Surely you’ve seen it all before, Ana?” he teased. She pursed her lips and he chuckled, despite himself. He took the curtain ties out of her hands and waved her away. She left without protest thankfully, leaving Elijah to sort himself out – have a shower and such.

Tatiana meanwhile hobbled downstairs. Javier was waiting for her at the bottom, a spoon in his mouth and a pot of yogurt in his hand. He narrowed his eyes at her when he noticed she was up on her feet and Tatiana looked at her brother-in-law sheepishly. Javier shook his dark head of hair and pulled the spoon from his mouth. He pushed it into the yogurt and scooped out some of the strawberry pink ‘goop’. He stuffed it into his mouth and Tatiana frowned as he sidled past her, mumbling something about Andres killing her if he saw her on her feet. Though Tatiana agreed, she wasn’t about to take any notice of her husband. First child or not, she still wasn’t going to let the Krum men dictate what she did; even if her best interests had been taken to heart.

There was a knock at the door and Javier turned on the stairs. Tatiana looked towards the wide door and bit her lip, glancing up at Javier curiously.

“I didn’t ask anyone over,” He defended himself. “The kids are in the kitchen by the way. Stella has made breakfast. I’m going back to bed. Is his highness up yet?”

“Oh shut up, Javi,” Tatiana scolded. He poked his tongue out in response and she shook her head.

Tatiana pulled the deadbolt out of the door and turned the key before carefully turning the door handle. She eased the door open, stepping back as she pulled it, and was surprised to see two young gentlemen stood awkwardly on the doorstep. She brushed her dirty blonde hair out of her eyes and a wide smile spread across her face. She glanced over her shoulder at Javier, whose eyes had predictably widened, and smirked a little before looking back at the young men.

“Can I help you?” She asked gently.

Reid knocked, knowing his friend was not going to take the lead, but would leave him to steering the conversations and the entire situation.. which was not the greatest of ideas. Confrontation from afar (as in Reid disguised and tens of feet away, shouting insults in a disguised voice) was what he could do. Face to face confrontation was terrifying.

He rocked on his heels after he knocked glancing at Calvin. "Remember, he's just a kid. Nobody to be afraid of." Yet his heart thumped loud and strong against his rib cage. What if he got really mad at them for overstepping their bounds? They had no claim to the children- neither did Chase, really. They just needed to make sure they were okay, but even that was more than they were allowed.

The door opened and a very pregnant woman answered the door. Reid's mouth fell open and for a few seconds he openly stared at the stomach before him. Finally, his eyes made his way to the face of the woman, where they froze- his face flushed red, his eyes widened and stayed there, bulging, he clamped his mouth shut and whimpered.

He had this tiny fear.. of speaking to women. His body was rigid and he shook a little. How was he supposed to be the brave one now. He said, "We're here to speak to Elijah," but it was so quiet and mumbled, it sounded more like "Weeartospeakjah."