Vaughan sat in the sun room, though the clouds took any meaning to the title away as they made up the view of gloom overhead gifting rolling droplets of water slowly falling to the glass that encased half the ceiling and the outermost wall. It was chilly out, and Vaughan was thankful for the warm sweater and steaming tea. 

He was with Amelia at one of three circular iron and glass tables, tea and an array of food spread out upon it. A radio played music gently in the corner as the sound of the droplets gave a rhythmic slow tapping to the roof.

It was a thankfully brief span of time from when he and Amelia sat for their tea for Myles to arrive, Vaughan nervously eating probably far too many biscuits as Amelia made of show of being cross.

Upon seeing her little brother, she jumped to her feet before the door to the sun room barely shutting behind him as she crossed over frowning with her brows knitted together.

"Myles! What in the world do you think you are doing?!?"

To his credit, Vaughan pondered, the man did not cower. 

But he did flinch slightly as the small woman pulled herself to her full height and glowered hands on her hips.

"Um," Myles crossed his arms, face melding into a nearly indistinguishable mask of indifference," coming for tea?"

The smaller woman blew out a puff of irritation," Hilarious. This is why your my favorite brother."

"I'm your only brother," he followed her cautiously as she spun around waving for him to follow, eyes raising to Vaughan lighting with a question Vaughan could only stiffly shrug at.

"Which is to your advantage, leaving the bar so low," she huffed, sitting her seat and waiting for him to do the same next to Vaughan before she pursed her lips leaning forward with her fingers steepled, both pointers on her chin as if to help hold her head up.

"Why was I not informed of the boys misbehavior?"

At this both men looked to one another, back to her, before Vaughan continued the motion several times more while Myles continued to meet his sisters gaze.

"Who told you? Was it Bradly-" he began before she tutted him silent.

"These are my children," she looked genuinely hurt, and Vaughan felt compelled to erase any misunderstanding," Why shouldn't I be aware of any indiscretions?"

Vaughan, a bit dizzy from his back and forth and maybe at his panic to the subject and possible sibling dispute waved his hands," I honestly thought it not to be such an ordeal! Their children- they do small pranks! They truly meant no harm!"

At both siblings frowning faces turned his way he swallowed the lump in his throat, looking down to the table waving his hands," They must have heard similar comments in the papers or on the telly and thought it funny! In all honesty- I had truly thought my early dismissal and firm communication of displeasure to the incident would have sufficed as punishment."

Myles grumbled something darkly under his breath and Vaughan saw in the periphery of his eye the man wipe a hand across his face.

"Well," Amelia seemed torn; her lips twisted in a grimace as her worn face seemed to be working tirelessly to keep natural," It isn't how I would have delt with the situation."

As if recalling her initial irritation, her face clouded once again," Which is why I should have been notified as their mother! I would appreciate not being kept in the dark in the future."

Vaughan quickly agreed but he noticed Myles seemed less earnest in his response, which Amelia quickly picked up on," Myles," her tone warning.

Finally the admonishing tone of his older sister seemed to stir a true response from the stoic man, his frown increasing in measure as he huffed, arms crossing defensively," Amelia you just need to focus on getting well-"

"Do not treat me like an invalid just because I'm sick!" her shout made Vaughan jump, he tried his best to keep his gaze to the tea, now cold, in front of him his appetite all but forgotten.

"I'm not, and you know I don't mean it that way," the deep crease between his brows grew further, mouth thinned," but Amelia you do need to focus your energy on recovery."

"I've done this once, I can do it again!"

"Last time you didn't have the boys to worry over," Myles growled

Amelia stood, shaking, her waxy cheeks taking on the barest hint red, her breath increasing," And now I am a mother. If I am not to parent my children while I am here- then what point is there? Already you have me not work- no Myles SHUT UP! You would have me not work, you would have me confined to my room like an invalid if you had the choice, I can't even bring you on appointments because you breath down every neck of every doctor nurse and any other sort of medical worker-"

"Just because they hold a degree in the field does not assure their competence."

"And just because you're my brother doesn't mean you can question every move they do three times over!" she was huffing , fists shaking," in fact. You have far too much control over things as is! Vaughan doesn't even know why he's here!"

Vaughan had been flinching back at the majority of the altercation but snapped his gaze up to the two as they staired one another down, silent and breathing heavy.

"Don't," Myles growled.

Vaughan moved his gaze to the man just slightly, and winced. Never had he seen such a dark gaze directed from the other to his family, and Vaughan couldn't help but comment, in a squeak," I- I find fights such as these rather intolerable!"

The two blinked, as if forgetting about their audience and Amelia had the decency to look ashamed. Myles had slid his face back into that stone expression he often favored, which irritated Vaughan for some reason.

Deciding to round on the taller man, Vaughan put his hands on his hips, glaring up at him while trying to stand as tall as he could," and shame on you, Myles, for trying to take such control over Amelia so!"

The dark eyes lit with what could have been surprise after a blink, but that was the only acknowledgement he received at his outburst. This seemed to irritate Vaughan even more than if Myles had argued back- which he had been anticipating.

"Amelia may be ill- which I apologize I hadn't told you -I myself am guilty for not wanting to concern you with the boys bad behavior and I see now that truly did more harm than good," he turned an apogetic glance to the woman who had sat back bemused before he turned back to her brother," as I was saying- Amelia may be ill. It is a horrid thing as a brother to witness, it must be more so to not only bear the pains so but to also be reminded every turn of the day! And you do not allow her to work!?!? And you question her doctors and nurses?!?! What strain you must make the most simple of appointments-then! I say, get your royal head out of its dark cave and please stop commanding your sister so and perhaps enlighten me on what everyone seems so very keen to keep between themselves even though I seemed to be so involved."

At the end of his words, the once loud room seemed to ring with silence and Vaughan found the brief momentum leave his sails as Myles continued to stare down at him.

The confidence he had began his reproach with suddenly became scarce, and he jerked his eyes from the cool coal gaze to the table of untouched tea pulling at his sleeve, an apology stumbling unheard as Myles began to trudge from the room.

The door didn't slam shut, in fact it closed so gently behind the large man that the latch didn't catch and it gradually opened to show an inch view of the hall. Vaughan almost wished it had slammed, or even more that Myles had stayed and yelled at him, or repremained him as he was certain the domineering man would.

He worked his jaw, fisting his shirt sleeve as he felt his heart beat seem to slam his blood ever harder to his head making his stomach twist.

This was not how he had seen the day going. 

Had it only been the night before that he and Myles had enjoyed one another's company watching cheesy films and swapping ideas back and forth on the -ridiculous!- relationships of the characters on the screen.

Had this been a book or show surely Myles would not have broken character, and would have corrected Vaughan and his sister gruffly as to the benefit of his guidance, only to increase the argument until some form of dispersal only for him to give apologizes later.

Vaughan was reminded again of why he did better in his own home, away from others, and began to ponder Amelia's accusation to her brother about Vaughan's presence at the manor.

Feeling a hand on his shoulder he looked down to Amelia, who smiled a bit," Don't worry. Myles isn't used to people sticking it to him- he's been in charge of the estate for so long I feel he forgets it is a family he heads and not a business operation."

"From the way people come and go and act," Vaughan said before he could catch himself," It is almost as if it 'is' a business operation."

Amelia bit her lip casting her gaze to the door that hadn't fully shut behind her absent brother.

"I wish I could divulge more information to you Vaughan," she went to rub what he was certain was intended as a soothing gesture to the shoulder her hand lay on, but he eventually shrank away from the touch, his skin crawling. 

Far too much stress today, he couldn't take the added contact.

"No I understand," he found his voice dipped and a frown set in," Myles wont let you."

"Myles can't make me do anything," she said firmly, looking up to his unmet look," But- well it isn't really my place. Myles does have a very big say on what information is passed around, and it is not only his discretion that it is! Nor mine. But. . . I do feel rather poorly things have went this past year or so with you."

Vaughan felt cold and a lead weight in his stomach at that. 

He took a side step away shuffling awkwardly to the door," We had an agreement," he eventually found himself saying," I signed it. One year. Not a nanny, but I will be seeing those boys do well in English. I will at least get the basics in Ell if it's the last thing I do."

Unable to bid a polite farewell to the elder Arya sibling he scurried out the door, nearly bumping into the butler that had been posted outside it and stumbled up the stairs in embarrassment.

One year seemed such a long time, when not even a month of the 12 promised had been finished.

----------

The following weeks passed by rather quickly for Vaughan, and thankfully with little event.

The boys had behaved rather well after that, Vaughan was certain Myles had a handling in their demeanor, and he continued the boys lessons the best he could manage.

Amelia and Bradley often spent an increased amount of time with him since that day, though he always felt a string invisibly twisting around him from the frustration he felt at being excluded from some larger truth.

From this the only good he really could see had been a product of Xavier being in the manor- he and the to boys now became an unseparated trio and watching his nephews face light and happy with the other two brought a relief to his burdened heart that he hadn't felt in quite some time.

Then, there was his writing.

Still a struggle to string together his book, the intended plot or character growth, he found in his possession, a compilation of short stories- children's in nature- and he could only think that educating the youths on structure, language and grammar had thrown him back into a mindset he thought long ago lost, and he relished the simplicity and lighthearted nature of the tales in question. Not to mention the suspiciously recurrent dark haired man with a secret smile. 

Even if they never reached Biblios editorial department, they were suddenly tales Vaughan found himself adding to and rereading, hording them at his work desk in his room.

Thinking of Bilblio brought Vaughan's pondering to Myles. 

He had been absent for nearly the full 2 weeks since their argument, he had been the whole of the time in character but now physically had been gone from the grounds for over a week.

Vaughan sat in the classroom, the heater under his desk blowing as he looked to where the afternoon sun shown in brightly- deceptive of the fall weather and swift to follow winter. July had long since came to a close, and August was nearly at its end as well.

With it the boys football practice was to wrap up, and Vaughan wondered what they would do to relinquish their energy in the colder months.

"Myles will be back tomorrow," Vaughan blinked, jerking at the voice and noticed Bradley grinning to his left.

"Bradley!"he admonished, shaking his head as the familiar presence was accepted in the classroom," you could have announced yourself instead of sneaking up on me! And I was saying nothing of Myles- what does it matter to me of his comings and goings?"

Bradley cocked a dark brow along with his head, his braided hair now pulled back into a low ponytail, his mustache growing out to meet a newly added beard that was being shaped on the end of his chin," Considering you have been staring out the window with his name written on that paper at least a dozen times- I would think you wanted to see him!"

Sputtering, Vaughan looked down and realized he HAD written the name- not a dozen times no but once or twice in the margins of his notebook. It was a practice of sorts he did with his writing to get stories out of his head, but it seemed his concern for Amelia's brother followed onto the page just the same.

"Stop your nosing around," he flipped the notebook shut waspishly eyeing the others grin," and stop doing that with your face. It's annoying."

"Aaaw V! You wound me!"

"Too easy an achievement."

Vaughan stood and Bradley rolled his eyes," Says the guy whose been moping since Myles left."

"I haven't been moping. I don't care what Myles does," it had rained the night before, he had found himself alone on the couch. But he hadn't divulged such an omission to Bradley, nor Amelia whom he was certain that sharing with one meant sharing with the other, the two spoke more and more Vaughan noticed.

"Whatever you say. I'm not the one writing his name in notebooks like a highschooler or asking about him nearly every day."

Vaughan strode down the stairs alongside the other, grabbing his jacket from the closet intent on enjoying the last of the sunny days despite the chill as the other followed," Not every day." He eventually ground out. Had it truly been so bad? Had he really asked after the other so often?

"I just hate that we fought," he shrugged," I should apologize."

It had been out of line. He was certain of it now, and whatever friendship had been glimpsed of just before was now surely in ruins.

He pulled at his sleeve as he exited down the steps of the estate, thankful that nights wind no longer persisted and the chill in the air was tolerable. He could hear the boys down the lane kicking a ball around the turnabout laughing and shouting. 

Giving a small huff, he smiled at the picture of the three boys playing with one another before turning to walk the pathway that made the parameter of the main house, planning on walking to the now bare rose garden.

"Amelia already said you shouldn't," Bradly shrugged," Said you put him in place- and no one has done that for awhile."

Vaughan didn't know what to say, and felt both a swell of pride and the twist of discomfort at the words. He wasn't quite certain what to think.

"Myles means well enough," Bradley continued," he just. He can be overbearing. He wasn't always like this- I remember when-" he broke off and Vaughan chanced a glance of something sad in the normally jovial mans face before the other shook his head," Never mind."

They continued rounding the side until they neared the side entrance that neared the kitchen, and a window opened.

"Boys!"

Amelia was grinning out the window. 

She had put on a bit of weight and she wore a new wig that suited her growing complexation. The woman's improved health not only put Vaughan in a better mood, and the boys and household as a whole, but he was certain it made Bradley more than a little happy.

"Meela!" Bradley quickly jogged over," What have you been up to,"

Vaughan heard him ask as he followed at a more sated pace.

"Graham and I have been baking, a bit of practice for the festival," Vaughan felt sick at the reminder that it was only 3 weeks until the dreaded thing.

He had seen more responses to more invitations than he would have liked to imagine possible- though the size of the estates it was of no shock.

Graham was delighted to be one of 3 head chefs in charge of the kitchens and had taken to a flurry of baking days that Amelia had more than a little fun joining in on. Vaughan himself relished the outcome of their creation, hard pressed to choose a favorite, when there seemed to be no poor product as a result.

"Come in here and join! I'll be out presently with the boys- but you need try this!"

Bradley looked over to Vaughan waving him over," Come on V! It'll only be for a little bit- and the rest of your day is free isn't it?"

Vaughan paused, before shrugging and nodding, following Bradley into the side door and into the kitchen.

Graham, large and red cheeked, cheerily whistling a tune as per the norm, waved a greeting to his employer," Evening master Vaughan," he nodded, mits over his large hands before reaching into pull some beautifully twisted breads from the over.

"Graham is simply a charm," Amelia face was addictive with her grin, all glittering eyes and cheek pulling smiles," He taught me to make that twisted sweet I always liked," this was said more to Bradley," and I'm never going to let him out of my kitchen again as a result." This was directed to Vaughan.

Vaughan found his lips twitching upward," Oh? Are you a slave to Amelia's appetite Graham? Blink once for no, twice for help."

Graham, with one of his great laughs, shook his head," I find myself rather enjoying Misses company if I do say so myself. It is rather enjoyable- a partner in crime in my kitchen again."

Vaughan's smile wilted a little at the proclamation, thinking back to his own estate and large kitchen rarely shared by any other than Graham. He wondered if his desired solitude was truly such a struggle for anyone but himself.

Then he pondered if it wasn't such a struggle for him as well, despite his wanting it.

He had a quip ready on his tongue, when an ear-shattering screech froze the group, and Vaughan jerked his head to the windows at his name tearing from his nephew in a manner he had never heard before.

"Uncle Vaughan help! Let me go weirdo! Uncle Vaughan!"

Without thinking, he grabbed the knife from the counter in front of him and burst out the door to the front where he remembered seeing his nephew playing only moments before.

Rounding the corner, the footfall of others behind him as he held the hilt of the knife in his hand, shock overtook him when he spied a familiar tall, pointed man, gripping onto his nephews arm and glaring down at the boy as Keaton hugged his brother who seemed to be trying to lunge at the man.

Before he could think otherwise Vaughan stocked forward, yelling and commanding as he could," You let go of my nephew. Now!"