I still care (TEddy) - Sunflower Beach

The large fluffy tabby cat sat on the porch, looking intently at the door.  Waiting, almost calling the woman to open the door.  Tail twitching was the only motion.

She'd meant to take the two critters for a bit of air when she opened the door and stopped, staring at the cat. Only dressed in a tank top and pj pants, the Caitiff, who normally could easily pass for human, looked pale. As pale as any other vampire, no sign of breathing or heat.
She blinked though at the cat and nudged Eddie back inside with her foot when he tried to hiss at the feline.

The cat looked her over, then jumped down from the railing to twine around Teddy's ankles, purring like mad.

It was a cat, the ferrets was, as such, not sure if they ought to cuddle it or try to chew on it. At the moment Eddie seemed more inclined to try and pick a fight while Ed found it better to observe from a distance.

As for Teddy? Not knowing who or what the cat was, she was mostly just surprised the animal liked her at all as she hunched down to scratch her nails lightly across the top of its head. "Hey... are you lost?" nope, she couldn't talk to animals so she just talked, her voice a low whisper really. A bit lackluster like the rest of her.

The cat accepted scritches for a moment, then backed up and morphed into Grace.

"Ye okay, lass?"

Oh look, that caught her by surprise as she staggered back a couple of steps and then seemingly braced herself before throwing her gaze towards the ground.
"L-Lady Grace" she moved her hands behind her back. "I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you. I am fine, than you" no, no she wasn't fine but she was trying to be. And failing.

She stepped back forward and took the girl in her arms.

"Lass, I'm nay mad. I be worried 'bout ye, tha' be all. Ye dinna ha' t' pretend wi' me."

When she claimed a person, she didn't let them go.

She didn't lift her arms to return the embrace, though there was a tremble to her body that no doubt could be felt even if she was trying to suppress it.
"I failed..." the blond said weakly. "I let Medwyn get hurt... I broke my promise to Jamie... I'm not the one who needs looking after..." or deserved looking after.

Her hand rose to stroke the girl's hair.

"Hush. Aye, ye are. Jamie has Medwyn well in hand. I be worried 'bout ye. Cause ye didna fail. Ye could nay control his e'ery action."

There was a low sob at first before her arms hesitantly moved around the other woman, her fingers finding the fabric of her clothes and clutching them tightly as she trembled.
"I let him get hurt...." as it was obvious this was all her fault.

She began to purr. Actually purr, just like a cat.

"Nay, lass. Ye didna let him d' anythin'. Ye couldna ha' stopped him. Can ye read minds? Would ye ha' broken his trust t' read his? Nay. So dinna blame yerself."

"I've never even read his aura...." came the muttered reply against her shoulder, the Caitiff shaking as she clung to her. "But I did betray his trust... I told Jamie when he asked me.... I-I..." Teddy sobbed again. She'd say sorry for the clothes that would be ruined by her tears later but couldn't quite think that far at the moment. "I betrayed him..."

There was nothing to say to that, nothing she could say to change the girl's mind. So she just treated her like she would one of her own children when they were distraught. She made soothing sounds, let her cry, and held her tightly. Gave her a rock to steady herself upon.

She felt broken and it showed in the way she just clung to the other woman, shaking as she sobbed and cried. The emotions simply not wanting to let go because nothing seemed capable of soothing them when she could do nothing to make things right.
She'd failed the one promise she'd given Jamie, that she would look after Medwyn. She had tried but, failure was still failure no matter her efforts.
So she cried, cried until all that was left in her were barely audible sobs. Though she still clung to Grace as if for her life.

She shooed the ferrets back inside, and lifted the woman in her arms, carrying her to the living room, closing the door behind her. And she just held, singing softly the songs that she had used to soothe her own children. It was in a language that Teddy couldn't know, but they were songs of the heart, and needed no words.

Ed and Eddie scurried inside, one hiding under the couch and one perching itself on top of it. In fact, from the way the curtains had been closed to shut out the light and the pillows and blankets on the couch, it was clear she'd been sleeping there rather than upstairs in the bedroom.

Slowly the sobbing subsided, the blond not caring how pathetic she looked, curled up in the Elder's arms. It didn't matter if you were ten or a hundred or a thousand. Hurt was still hurt, and she was hurting even if the tears silently stopped, leaving behind only a faint shiver there she rested in Grace' arms.

She held the girl tight, still singing. though now that the sobs were done, she was slowly quieting. Giving the girl a chance to speak if she wanted.

She didn't really know what to say, so all that passed her lips was a quiet little whisper.
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to him hurt... I'd never consciously hurt him..." though it was still no excuse in her world. "I love him... I tried, I tried to make it right..."

"Hush, love. I ken ye didna mean it. He be protectin' ye, an' lost a bit o' himself in th' process. Jamie should understand tha'. I did th' same thing for him."

She was just holding, comforting. Brushing back her hair. Wiping the blood from her face. Yeah, she was usuing her own shirt for that. Already ruined, might as well go to some use.

"I should've seen it... I should've stopped him... I didn't know he'd..." God she was useless. "He shouldn't have to give up on himself for my sake..."

"Hush. He hid it well. Tis nay yer fault. Nay at all. But Jamie be over protective."

"They're brothers..." she said weakly. "He's only protecting him where I failed... he only wants what best for him... I only wish it hadn't come to this in the first place. That I'd been able to help... I promised Jamie I'd look after Medwyn, that I'd care of him... and broke that promise..."

She cradled the woman, holding her close as one would a child.

"Love, ye did wha' ye could. An' ye love him, aye? Wi' all tha' ye are?"

"He's everything to me" came the whispered reply, followed by a few soft tears. "It breaks my heart to wake up and not have him here...."

She sighed.

"Love, ye're movin' in wi' me. Ye need lookin' after, an' I dinna trust an'one else."