Ægir's Wife Ch. 08

Was it his imagination or did his brother's face already bear more lines and creases? The weight of leadership that had been Sven's for so long.

He smiled as he watched his niece. No, his other daughter. After months being not just uncle, but surrogate father, he understood. His wife was right. If they were going to survive this storm called modernity, this family had to change and adapt. And that was one big way. No more silly divides, what belonged to one belonged to all whether that was responsibility or children or their wife.

Jealousy had to die. He had to leave the last of it...here in this place where such things as ownership, rank and titles began. They were brothers. Family. What hurt one hurt them all. What brought happiness gave them all joy.

He watched as she got out of the car, stretching and rubbing her back. It was her. She had done this. All of it. Her open and giving heart had changed them all. He choked back tears as he watched her open the back door of the car. He saw Mikael smile broaden as he too headed towards the other vehicle and their family.

Bjorn put a restraining hand on his shoulder. He took another cloudy look at their wife as he forced the words out. "I love you, big brother," words that had been a lifetime coming.

Mikael chuckled and ruffled his hair, "I love you too, kiddo. Just don't try that shit with Sven. One heart attack is enough," he joked as he wrapped his arm about Bjorn's shoulder and together they went to greet the others.

***

Kirsty smiled as she watched her husbands walk towards her arm-in-arm. Just the sea air had been enough to lift her spirits, free her soul, after months in bondage. But this...the smiles on their faces...it was almost enough to burst her heart.

Family. Home. Words that she had never truly understood until they 'captured' her. She felt the cool sea breeze caress the warm tears as they fell from the corner of her eyes. But these were happy tears.

Sure, they might still have battles to fight. Wars to be won. Dragging Sven into this kicking and screaming would not be easy. But they would...their survival depended upon it. Family and home. She wrapped an arm about each of their waists and laid her head where their shoulders met. "Take me home," she whispered as each bent and kissed one of her cheeks.

"Gladly, lilla gumman."

"Say good-bye to your father and this place, sweetheart," Bjorn whispered.

She pulled her head up and nodded. Georgia was watching them as she struggled to contain Monika, who had recognized the ship the moment she saw it. Of course, Ægir's Captive was much too difficult a word for the little girl, but boat was her new favorite.

Kirsty could see the anxiety, almost fear, on Georgia's face. It had not been easy explaining the whole complicated issue of polyandry and three husbands to the girl, who had grown up around nothing but abuse.

She had held off for now on the BDSM side of things. Tackling the complexities of the difference between abuse and consensual play would be challenging. But for now, just allowing the young woman to see healthy affection between them would be a first step to building that foundation.

"We need to unpack the van, elskling. You get the girl and Monika set up in our old quarters for now. I will pull some extra bedding and do up a makeshift bunk for Karl on the bridge," Mikael said.

But before she could even obey, a figure came racing across the asphalt, waving her arms. "Wait. Wait for me."

Kirsty chuckled as Roz almost tripped in her pumps. Her friend was winded by the time she joined them. "Are you coming with us too?" Kirsty joked.

Roz's expression turned wistful for a moment, "No, sugar, but I couldn't let you leave without saying a proper good-bye," she wrapped her in a bear hug. "You have no idea how much I'm going to miss you, sweetie."

Kirsty returned her friend's embrace, "Me too. But we'll video message. Every day. I promise."

Her friend laughed as she drew back from the embrace, wiping the back of her hand across her eyes to clear away the tears. She turned towards Kirsty's husbands, tapping Mikael on the side of the head, "That's for not telling me why you turned me down, stud muffin."

"Besides the fact that I love my wife to pieces, you scare me, woman," he teased.

Bjorn shook his head as he too embraced their friend, "You have no idea, big brother. Thank you, Roz. Thank you for everything. Believe it or not, I think I'll miss you too. Promise us that you'll come and visit? I want to show you our home."

"Homdling, Homdling," Monika jumped up and down holding Georgia's hand.

Roz turned towards them, "What are you doing here, sweetie? You come to see this bunch off too?"

Kirsty noticed how uncomfortable the girl was explaining the situation as she shook her head, "No, she's agreed to spend the rest of the summer with us. Help me out with Monika while Sven recovers and we rebuild our lives."

Her friend nodded her head before walking over to the young woman and embracing her too. Georgia flinched and moaned a bit. Kirsty felt the anger rising inside of her again. She had barely contained the rage while her father examined the girl.

In addition, to the broken arm, black eye and busted lip, her daddy was almost certain that there were a couple of broken ribs. He had wrapped her chest for support just in case. There were also horrible bruise and cuts all over the rest of her body too. It had taken quite a bit of coaxing but she finally had been able to learn that Georgia's father had used a belt on her back...the buckle end of it.

But no one knew that except her and her father. She had not dared tell Mikael or Bjorn. They were upset enough as it was about what happened to the young woman. She could not afford for them to go after the man...as much as she would actually like to be there to see it.

And she would. Hell, she would not mind taking Hermóður or even Týr to the man's back. She might not be a switch like Roz but she could definitely enjoy stripping the skin from his back as he had his daughter's.

Roz drew back from the hug and looked towards Kirsty, who only shook her head in explanation to the unspoken questions in her eyes. She nodded her dark head and turned back to the girl, whose eyes were still down, "I know this lot will take good care of you, darlin'. Let them, you hear me?"

Kirsty frowned for a moment at the clear tone of command in Roz's voice. But the tender way that her friend caressed the unspilled tears from the younger woman's brown eyes reminded her of the couple of times that her friends had taken Monika to the park together.

What had they talked about then? She knew herself how easy it was to confide in Roz. Had Georgia told her what she had not shared with them? Kirsty doubted it, the girl was so withdrawn. Nonetheless, she of all people knew how good Roz was at 'just knowing' stuff.

"Yes, Ma'am," the girl whispered as Roz squeezed her hand this time.

"That's my good girl," she said as she bent and kissed her on the cheek. The corner of her swollen, busted lip was more accurate.

Kirsty felt her own protective nature where this girl was concerned rising its head. But rather than being frightened or withdrawing more, Georgia nodded her head and forced a smile as she returned her friend's gentle squeeze of fingers.

She looked away as the woman said their farewells. Of course, Roz had always been as open with her about being bi-sexual as she was the BDSM and poly. Just that her friend had never showed that kind of interest in her.

Clearly though she did have feelings for Georgia, though whether it was one-sided or not Kirsty could not tell. Not that it mattered now, because she was determined that the girl was not coming back here.

Still the intimacy that she had briefly witnessed between the women opened her mind to other realities. She had never been homophobic, having more than one gay and lesbian acquaintance. But until that moment she had never considered how love was the same...whether it was between a man and a woman...two women...or two men.

She turned towards her father and wrapped her arms tightly about him, "Thank you, Daddy...for being so understanding. And I'm glad, really, truly happy that you have found someone you love. I hope you'll come and visit us. Bring him...I can't wait to meet him."

James Dickens returned her embrace and kissed her forehead, "Thank you, princess. We will. We just need some more time. But I promise we will visit. I have to meet my other son-in-law and these granddaughters after all," he smiled.

He paused for a long moment as he searched her face, "Tell me you are happy, little girl. Tell me that you love them and that they take good care of you," she saw tears in his green eyes.

She brushed them away tenderly, "Oh, yes, Daddy. More than you could ever know."

He nodded his head, "Then that is all I could ask for."

He inhaled deeply, "I'm sorry, Kirsty. I should have done this years ago. I should have found the courage...if not for me, then for you. I should have divorced your mother years ago. Taken you with me. I'm so sorry, little girl, so sorry for all the pain she caused you."

"Oh, Daddy, it was not just me. She was always so cruel to you. So hateful. It hurt me sometimes to see how she talked to you," she wiped away her own tears as she felt two strong hands on her shoulders. She could feel their love flowing into her, giving her strength.

"I love you, Daddy. I understand. Truly, I do." She gave him the greatest gift that she could, the one thing she knew her father needed most then...absolution. "I forgive you, Daddy," she smiled as she held her father tightly once more.

"I hate to break this sweet shit up, but we need to go, lilla gumman," Mikael said as he squeezed her shoulder tighter.

Her father drew back and met her husband's gaze, "Lilla gumman...little girl?"

"Yes, Sir," he nodded.

"That's right, treat her that way too," her father admonished her husband.

"Trust me, Sir, your daughter is the most precious thing in our lives," Bjorn said as he held out his hand.

Her father took it and pulled her husband into a hug, "Take care of her, son. Better than I did," he said as he released him and held open his arms for Mikael.

Mikael embraced him as well, "You have our word on that. And we will hold you to that promise to visit when the girls are born. Just remember we're used to capturing things."

Her father laughed, "Damned Vikings, took over this whole country."

They were laughing as the others finally joined them, Monika practically dragging both Georgia and Roz one in each hand. Mikael bent and scoped his daughter high into the air, swinging her about as she giggled happily. He tucked her on his hip and wrapped his arm about Kirsty's shoulder as they walked, "Time to go home."

"Homdling!"

"Yes, Homdling, sweetie," Kirsty kissed her daughter. "I swear that place has a new name."

Bjorn nodded as he wrapped his arm about Kirsty's waist on the other side, "Yes, it is only right. A new name. A new wife as its shieldmaiden. And a new order of true brotherhood," he said as he looked to Mikael, who once more mussed his hair as together they stepped onto the deck of Ægir's Captive...of their own free will.