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"Thanks, Nana," Andarien smiled gratefully at Lin.

Earendil chuckled at Ian and Serenity. He was curious, and so he asked, "So, if you've a son, does that mean you have a significant other?"

He was aware that in this world (and especially in this family) adoption was quite a normal thing, and did not require two parents. Still, it was a question worth asking, since it had been so long since they'd spoken.

But he wasn't prepared for the pained look that crossed Serenity's face when he asked.

"No," she replied after only a moment's hesitation. "I ... there was someone, for a while, but ... he's gone."

Ian stopped struggling to be put down and instead patted his mother gently on the cheek. "He was mean to Mom," he told Earendil and Lin succinctly. "And he was a liar."

Earendil rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a bit awkward now. "I'm sorry," he murmured.

Serenity smiled and shook her head. "Don't be. I'm better off this way. And I still have Ian, so it's not like it's the end of the world."

"Mom, can I run ahead?" Ian asked, turning to Serenity with eyes wide.

Serenity laughed. "Of course. Go on." She put him on the ground, and the tiny boy took off running.

They didn't stop at the door, but rather after Serenity knocked a few times, she opened the door and motioned for them all to go in.

"She's expecting me anyways," she smiled.

Serenity nodded. "A painting of Garrick and Hana. They're getting close to five years old now, and since they're the only slowly growing children in the family, she wants to have a portrait of them for each year. I was going to do the initial sketch today, but with you visiting, I'll do it another day instead."

The home was a cottage style home, with a shaded stone front patio and a waterway alongside the walkway. Ivy covered the outside of the wooden walls. Inside, the door opened into a very large living room. Framed paintings decorated the walls and plants of various types stood in pots and vases around the room. The couch and chairs had hand-sewn and embroidered blankets over their backs, each of them a matching hunter's green and embroidered with a shimmering gold leaf pattern along the edges. There was a single coffee table in the middle of the room, but at either side of the couch was a matching end-table.

To the right of the door was a coat-closet with shelves for footwear, though rather than coats hanging in the closet, there were several cloaks, some of them touching the floor despite how high they had been hung.

"Nako!" Ian shouted, leaving his shoes on and running into the house. "We're here! And so are Uncle Earendil and Aunt Lin and Andarien and Miyuki!"

"Oh, Mother doesn't mind," Serenity assured Lin. "No one takes off their shoes unless they're terribly dirty here."

"Or unless it's Garrick or Hana," Elnara said, entering the living room from the kitchen with Ian in her arms. She smiled at everyone. "Welcome. Make yourselves comfortable."

Earendil grinned back at his aunt. She looked quite comfortable, herself. Her hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, but a side section of it was braided as well. She was wearing a pale blouse and a flowery skirt that looked hand-painted.

"Hello, Elnara," he said warmly. "Lovely to see you again."

Elnara laughed. "Always so formal. It's wonderful to see you, too, Earendil. And everyone else."

"I've been doing very well," Elnara said brightly. "Busy, very busy ... but a good kind of busy. Come, sit. I'll get a snack ... would you like something to eat or drink?"

She looked at Andarien, who was looking quite deliberately away from her. "Andarien?"

"Drink," he answered promptly, still not looking at her. After a moment, he added, "Please."

Elnara smiled, though she was a little confused, and turned the others. "And for the rest of you?"

"Of course," Elnara nodded, her brow still furrowed slightly.

"It's your magic," Earendil explained to her before she could take offense at Andarien's behaviour. "He sees magic as light. Some people are fine, but you've got more power than some people, so you would appear brighter to him. Right Andarien?"

Andarien nodded silently.

Elnara smiled then, feeling better immediately. "Give me a moment to go and get some drinks, and maybe by the time I'm back I can do something about that."

She had learned meditation from Kara and Yukito, and this would not be the first time she had needed to tone down her output. She would not be able to get rid of her aura entirely, she knew, but she would be able to do something to help the poor boy.

"Are any of the others here, Mother?" Serenity spoke up, taking a seat in one of the chairs and setting her bag on the floor.

Elnara nodded and set Ian down, then headed towards the kitchen. "Storm and Starr are helping Garrick and Hana clean their room," she called over her shoulder. "Ian, why don't you go get them?"

"Okay!" Ian zipped across the living room like a streak for the bedrooms.

Earendil put one hand on Lin's shoulder. "We might as well sit in here," he pointed out, nodding at the couch across from Serenity's chair. "Elnara did say she'd bring the drinks in here."

Andarien scooted ahead of them and climbed up onto the couch, curling up in a ball and laying his head on one of the arm rests. As Earendil led Lin over to the couch, excited young voices came from the direction of the kitchen, and a moment later the three youngest children appeared.

"Hey look!" Garrick exclaimed, pointing at Andarien excitedly. "He's come to visit us!"

"Don't jump on him," Ian warned him, running behind Garrick and Hana, who were bigger and therefore faster than him.

Garrick rolled his eyes. "I know!" he stressed. "Besides," he added, pointing at Andarien, "I think he's already broken this time."

"Hey!" Andarien protested, squinting at Garrick. "I'm not broken!"

Garrick was positively delighted. "Good! Then we can play! Come on, we have toys in our room!"

"Better not," Ian warned his little uncle. "Aunt Starr and Uncle Storm are cleaning your room, and they'll get mad."

"True," Garrick frowned. "Maybe we can play in Jair's room."