Vaight Cottage ~ July 23, 2033 ~

Darius gets home after spending the day with Nicolas and Aurora.

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"Mum! Dad!" Darius said once he came through the door. "I'm home!"

Darien folded up his paper and pushed it aside.

"Darius!" He grinned, running to hug his little boy.

((lol Darien))

Nicolas came in after Darius and closed the door. They were both carrying several bags, and Darius ran to his father.

"Dad!" He exclaimed. "Look at what Uncle Nick got me!"

Nicolas stood-by, quietly.

"...Okay." Darien blinked at the bags. "What exactly is in the bags?"

Though he smiled at Darius, a slight suspiscion formed in his mind. Why were there so many bags? And...why had Nick bought half a toystore...?

"Chocolate frogs! And Bertie Botts, and - !" Darius beside himself with excitement. "He got me toys!" Darius started opening one of the bags.

"Look at this Dad!" Darius opened a box and took out what seemed to be a handle of some sort. A second later, it extended to a toy sword.

"Darius, you already have plenty of toys." Darien blinked at the sword.

Darius looked disheartened at his father's lack of enthusiasm. "But I..."

Nicolas came to Darius' rescue. "Oh don't get your kickers in a twist Vaight, he could use some more." Nicolas ruffled Darius' head. Darius smiled at Nick but looked carefully back at his father.

"Darius is my son and I shall decide whether or not he requires more toys." Darien responded through gritted teeth, directing a brief glare at Nick.

"But..." Darius looked from his father then to Nick, about ready to cry. "We aren't returning them are we?"

He didn't want to return them... they were really cool toys.

"That's entirely for your father to decide Darius." Nicolas said to him.

"Dad?" Darius' voice was small.

Nicolas looked at Darien, looking rather pleased with himself. "What do you say Vaight?"

Darien fumed. His little boy...Nick...

Where was Diana when he needed her?

"Well..."

"Dad please," Darius begged his father, his blue eyes sad and pleading, resembling a little puppy.

Nicolas on the other hand, well he looked like he was enjoying himself.

Darien swore, inside the confines of his mind.

"Darius..." He began...

"If it helps Vaight, they're my very late birthday presents to him." Nicolas said holding Darius' shoulder.

Darius stood quietly awaiting his father's verdict.

Darien cursed Nick for putting him in this position. Now he was going to look like the bad guy!

"Darius, give Nick back his toys." His voice was laced with steel to dissuade any argument, even though he hated refusing Darius.

Darius looked like he just received the death sentence. But he knew not to argue with his father and he just silently resigned himself to carrying his bags back towards the door. He couldn't help but shed a few tears.

Now Nicolas felt bad for Darius. "Vaight, listen, let the boy have the toys, I am his godfather and I'm entitled to spoil him a few times."

"And I am his father." Darien glared at Nick, eyes cold.

"I would appreciate it if you did not attempt to undermine or contest my judgement."

Nicolas sighed and threw a glance at the very miserable Darius putting the bags together by the door.

Nicolas had the decency to lower his voice so that Darius wouldn't overhear, "Honestly Vaight, why won't let him have them? I wasn't trying to 'undermine or contest your judgement,' I just wanted to do something nice for Darius. If you're just refusing Darius the toys because I bought them for him... well that's just unfair."

"I'm not." Darien replied, equally quietly. "I just do not want my son being spoilt all the time. It is not good for him."

"Well you don't spoil him, don't you?" Nicolas countered still quiet. "Just let him have these, I don't much look forward to returning them to the store."

"Then you can keep them for any son you might have." Darien replied, before glancing across at Darius, pain showing briefly on his face as he saw his son's tears.

"...Mum'll be home soon Darius, do you want to help me make dinner?" He stepped nearer his son, unsure which was more painful, Darius storming off and having a strop, or Darius crying.

Darius shook his head. He was trying very hard not to cry in front of Uncle Nick and his Dad but finding it to be very difficult. "I'mm nott hungrry." In fact he wasn't feeling anything at all. He felt really very tired.

Darien shut his eyes briefly, and knelt down in front of his son.

"Darius..." He ruffled his son's hair awkwardly.

Nicolas sucked in air. One thing he could not resist was a child, especially his godson or his daughter, crying. He glared at Darien then kneeled in front of Darius, as well. "Listen mate, I won't return these to the store, alright? I'll keep it for you at the Manor, and you can play with them every time you come over. How does that sound?"

Darien didn't say anything, sitting back on his heels and focusing his gaze on the floor.

There was a loud thud in the fireplace and a second later Diana walked out. "Darien, Darius I'm home!" She announced walking towards the door and seeing Nick and Darien both kneeling near a crying Darius.

Well it sent pangs to her heart to see her little baby crying. "Ooooh," Diana cooed. "What happened?" She approached Darius ignoring both Nick and Darien, she was sure they had something to do with this.