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It doesn't take long for Briar to become part of the Herod household. Living with Matthias and Adriel again takes no time at all to get used to- after all, he spent the better part of his childhood with them by his side nearly every second of the day. It's their three children he has to get used to. xx
Briar hates to have chosen a favorite, because it doesn't feel fair, but Rose Marie is definitely his favorite, and not just because she's partially named after him. She's sweet, enthusiastic, and quite possibly the most positive person he's ever met, aside from Adriel. It's easy to see who she takes after. Lance, being a toddler, is still cultivating his personality, but Briar watches him day in and day out, and it's clear that even as a two-year-old he's starting to copy his dad's dry, witty humor. xx
It's Isaac Briar has the most trouble with, and he feels it's because he sees a lot of himself in the boy. Isaac is reserved, guarded. He's had his trust broken by others and Briar doesn't blame him for being so distant, only wishes there was a way he could somehow help him feel safe and loved. xx
Briar does his best to be the best pseudo-uncle he can be. If he can help the family even a little, he's happy. And hey, Mrs. Fisher next door loves him, so he can't be doing too bad so far, can he? xx
XX â
"When will you be back? You said you would do my hair and that I could do yours and that you would keep it like that for the whole week! You promised!" Rose says, bouncing up and down in her baby blue princess dress, hands waving in the air so wildly it's a right miracle the head doesn't fly off the doll she's holding. "You promised!" She reminds him again, and Briar has a dilemma, because he hasn't actually promised her yet, and he loathes making a promise he may not be able to keep. But this is Rose Marie- if he doesn't concede, he will never hear the end of it. xx
So he puts on a smile and straightens her dress, Rose finally falling still. "All right, I promise. But it might not happen tonight, if your parents get back before I do then there might not be time, so we'll have to do it another time, okay?" Rose nods and hugs him tight. Briar sighs. xx
It's been a good few months since Briar was welcomed into the Herod home, and for the most part, he's rarely left the house for fear of drawing attention to the family. But Mrs. Fisher sprained an ankle earlier in the week and can barely walk for more than a hallway's length, so he offered to take time out of the day to buy her groceries. It took a fair amount of convincing but the stubborn old woman finally agreed to stay home with Rose and Lance while Briar left to shop for a while. xx
The two kids almost cried when Briar refused to take them along. Fear overrides everything, lingering in the back of his mind every second of every day. There's no doubt in Briar's mind that once the Institute realizes Briar is still within city limits, they'll be putting their energy into tracking him down. There's also no doubt in his mind that they'll send Oscar to do it. The last thing Briar wants is for Adriel and Matthias' quiet, peaceful life to be destroyed by the Institute. xx
Briar catches a bus into town and walks through the grocery store with a long, detailed list in one hand, scanning shelves for the exact brands Mrs. Fisher wants. He waves to a smiling baby in a cart, helps a small teenage girl reach some cereal from a high shelf, and tries not to be paranoid. xx
He's just stepped into the self-pay line when he feels it- eyes on him. Briar turns and finds no one suspicious, no one staring. But then he looks down, and there he is- Oscar, all of twelve years old. xx