Gwen
Gwen smoothed out the blanket, laying back on it, while Bryant and Eavan were building sandcastles.
She let her long legs soak up the sun, shielding her eyes as she scanned the deserted beach.
Deserted except for her, the kids and Mordred.
Gwen smiled slightly, at the peacefulness and the normality of the whole situation, then rolled over onto her stomach, letting her back tan as she rested her head on her arms.
Mordred
Mordred leaned up on his elbows, watching the kids play.
"Don't go too deep in the water."
Gwen
"Mmm."
Gwen basked in the sun, all glowy and hot and such.
As you'd expect the sun to be.
"Dad! Bry threw seaweed at me!"
Mordred
"Bryant," Mordred said in a warning voice.
"Say sorry."
"S'ry," Bryant mumbled.
"What?"
"S'ry Eavy for throwing seaweed at you."
Gwen
Eavan nodded in satisfaction.
"Too right."
Gwen moved up, resting on her elbows, and poked Mordred.
Mordred
Mordred put sand in Gwen's hair.
"That's not a nice way to accept an apology, Eavy."
Gwen
"Sorry Da."
Gwen shook her hair, then poked at Mordred's side again.
Mordred
"Play nice," Mordred said, speaking to his wife as much as his children.
"All of you."
Gwen
"Hey, I'm older than you, and it's never too late to take you over my knee!" Gwen threatened.
Mordred
Mordred carefully shielded his thought.
"You want to spank me because I'm a bad boy?"
Gwen
"You're..."
Gwen stuck her tongue out at him.
Mordred
"Sexy? Clever? Bad?" Mordred grinned.
Faolan looked for shells by the waterline, dragging his feet through the sand and water.
Gwen
"Incredibly self assured?"
Gwen leant over and kissed him softly.
~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, nearby, watching and heavily shielded, a group of army ops were watching them.
Mordred
Mordred kissed her back gently.
"EWWWWW!" the twins chorused.
Gwen
"Hush," Gwen said, smiling.
"Mom, Dad, no offence, but that whole love thing you guys have is gross," Bryant informed his parents.
~*~*~*~
"That one, the little boy talking to his parents... Bryant. He's the target."
Mordred
"You'll change your minds," Mordred said.
"Won't!" Bryant declared.
Faolan knelt to sift the shells he had through the water, cleaning them of sand.
"Get over it, Bry, Evy, yo..."
Gwen
Gwen hopped up, brushing herself off and walked down to the water's edge.
~*~*~*~
"We'll wait until he's alone..."
Mordred
Faolan smiled up at Gwen.
"Hey, Mum."
He took out a flat stone and skipped it across the waves.
"Getting better at that," Mordred said.
Gwen
Gwen patted Faolan's head.
"Hey there Fao."
She went out a little further, water lapping at her ankles.
Mordred
Mordred leaned back onto his towel and then rolled over. Eavan skipped down to the water.
Gwen
Gwen lifted Eavan up and pretended to throw her in.
"WEEEEE!" Eavan said happily.
Bryant went a few metres away from the family and started to build himself a huge sandcastle.
~*~*~*~
"Now."
From out of seemingly nowhere, a bomb came flying out, and landed next to Bryant, exploding.
Mordred
Mordred managed to stay human barely, teeth lengthening and eyes golden as he got up and lunged for Bryant and the explosion.
"BRY!"
Faolan dropped his shells, turning around, eyes wide with shock.
Gwen
Gwen turned around, putting Eavan down behind her.
She shook her head and ran over to Mordred.
"Stay there, Eavie, Fao!"
Mordred
Mordred grabbed Bryant and hugged him, sobbing with relief to find the child unhurt.
Faolan grabbed Eavan's hand.
Gwen
Eavan was whimpering, worried for her brother.
Gwen bent down and looked at Bryant, smoothing his hair out of his eyes.
"Oh God, you're ok!"
Bryant looked a little dazed, but otherwise fine. Scorch marks were healing from his arms and face.
Mordred
Mordred passed Bryant to Gwen, and let his anger control him.
Faolan shifted slightly in the water, then pushed Eavan towards Gwen.
"Stay with Mum."
Two black wolves, one full grown and the other a rangy adolescent spread out, obviously hunting.
Gwen
Gwen was cradling Bryant in her arms, kissing his head.
"Are you ok, baby boy?"
He nodded.
"I think so."
Eavan sat by their side, peering at her brother.
~*~*~*~
"Shit, we gotta jet," the leader said.
Mordred
Mordred paused, nose to the wind. Faolan padded up behind him and then they looked at each other in accord.
They split up to take the soldiers from two sides, before leaping into the fray. Mordred sank his teeth into a soldier's neck and tore back with a spray of blood as Faolan slashed at another's with his fangs.
Gwen
"Mom, why didn't I get hurt?" Bryant asked.
"I'm thinking it's your mutation, baby boy."
"Can we go home?"
"As soon as your father and brother are done.
Mordred
The soldiers dead, Mordred and Faolan headed back. Mordred padded along, tail wagging slowly. Faolan yipped and whined, body moving in excitement as he danced around Mordred.
Gwen
Gwen rubbed Mordred's head.
"We ready to go?"
Mordred
Mordred rubbed his head along her hand before he shifted.
"Yeah, grab our stuff and let's go before someone finds them."
They packed up and Mordred 'ported them all home.
Gwen
Gwen let Bryant have a shower, then she carried him downstairs, and settled him on the couch with Eavan.
"Are you sure you're ok?"
Bryant nodded.
"I feel a bit sick though."
Mordred
Mordred and Faolan washed the blood off, before Faolan fell asleep on top of his bed, exhausted from the fight.
Mordred covered him with a blanket and went downstairs.
"Everyone alright?"
Gwen
"Yeah, can you watch him while I shower and change Eavie? Bry feels a little sick, so he might need something to eat and a tablet," Gwen said, kissing Mordred's cheek as she passe dto go upstairs.
Mordred
Morded picked up Bryant and did what Gwen suggested.
He eyed his son thoughtfully as the child ate a sandwich hungrily. What had happened? Any normal person would have been in pieces.
Gwen
Gwen came down, Eavan having fallen asleep on their bed, and walked into the kitchen.
"I think it's his mutation," Gwen said, watching Bryant.
"We should talk to Xavier."
Mordred
Mordred nodded.
"Tomorrow. I think we all need to recover from the shock."
Gwen
"Good plan. You hungry? We could order in something, I'm so not in the mood to cook."
Gwen watched Bryant, who was sipping at his juice.
Mordred
Mordred cleaned up after Bryant when he was done and Gwen put the boy to bed. The two adults had dinner together quietly, thinking about what had happened, and what it could mean.