Exton

The knock is soft, a mere tap. Ron's brother Travis cracks the door and speaks to someone on the other side. He closes the door and stares at Ron. His eyes are wide, betraying his unease.

Sylvie looks up, glancing at the door, her brow furrows when Travis doesn't say anything. "Who is it?"

Travis glances nervously over his shoulder. "What are you mixed up in, Ronnie? He smells... dangerous. Like a..." His words falter. "What the hell is going on Ronnie?"

Sylvie starts to rise, but Ron's hand tightens in hers. "It's okay mom. Trav, is he blacker than a moonless night, with pointed ears and a blue streak in his hair?"

Travis nods. "Let him in Trav. That is Lord Keon Blackthorn, captain of an elite fighting corps. And he's a good friend."

Sylvie squeezes her youngest son's hand. Travis opens the door, moving aside. He watches them warily as Keon steps inside the room. The Unseelie Sidhe nods to Travis, then takes Sylvie's hand and kisses it gently. He clasps hands with Ron, grip firm. His eyes narrow slightly at the weakness in the werefox's hand.

His voice is the clipped impersonal tone Keon uses when either at Court or on a mission. "It is a pleasure to meet the mother who brought such a brave young man into this dangerous world. I am as honored to meet you, Lady Sylvie, as I am to call Ronald my friend."

The werevixen watches him carefully. "I hear you have been a good friend to my son."

Keon smiles, his dark eyes brightening as the smile reaches them. His vice slips into the lilt of his more casual tones. "Nay, My Lady. Ron has been a good mate to me. He has helped me through a vera rough time. T'would hae been lost without him, fur sure."

Sylvie smiles back. "Ah, I have heard of you, but not as a Lord. You are Ke, the friend Ron stays with sometimes?"

"'Tis a joy ta hae the lad about. We keep each other sane."

Travis glares at Keon, standing away from the wall in a defiant pose. "What's that mean? Are you saying you and Ronnie... that you two are... Just what the hell have you been doing with my brother?"

He steps close to Keon, who towers over the slight foxman. His face is pinched, eyes narrowed in anger. Sylvie's voice is like a whip, snapping at him to stand down.

Ignoring his mother, Travis growls softly. "My brother is no one's plaything, not even some high and mighty Lord of whatever."

Keon frowns down at the man. His own voice has become clipped, taking on a dangerous timbre. "Ye underestimate yer brother, mate. He is a noble soul who was the best friend of me heartsworn, a brave soul who has helped save the wife of a good friend, and a man who risks his life in his off-times to keep this town safe. I don't see YOU on any of our patrol lists. Yer brother has gone out nearly every week. He would hae gone more if the rotation allowed."

Sylvie clears her throat as Travis opens his mouth. "I apologize for my son's rude behavior. Travis has not been here, Lord Keon. He moved away years ago and remembers Ronald as nothing more than a scrawny boy. He just moved back to town in the past week. This is the first he has seen Ron."

Keon nods once, eyes never leaving Travis. He nearly growls out the words. "Be that as it may, ye hae no right to speak fur yer brother. His life is his own and he has grown into a fine man. As fur his sexual choices, those are fur him to decide, net ye."

Ron struggles to sit higher in the bed. His mom helps steady him as he sits up, tucking pillows behind him for support. "Trav, I wrote to you about Ke. He was married to Cassie." Keon glances at Ron, but says nothing. "He's Mera's dad. Ke's the only one who really understands how I felt, how I feel," His voice catches, breaking. "knowing Dollie died at the hands of a rogue werewolf."

Keon turns on his heel, striding the few feet to the bed. Ron shakes his head. "I'm okay Ke." He smiles, the sadness tinged with a little happiness. "I saw Dollie. It's not my time yet, and she wouldn't be happy with me if I... joined her. Just like Cass." Tears fill his eyes and he blinks them away. "They would have liked each other,"

Travis still radiates anger, and Keon pointedly ignores him. Sylvie rises and kisses Ron's cheek. "I'll leave you boys to talk business. I think Travis must be hungry to have this much anger in him. I hear the food here is fantastic. Ron raves over it." She pats her youngest son's cheek. "Get some rest when you are done talking. I will check in on you before I have Travis take me home." She ushers Travis out the door, closing it behind them with a definitive click.

They can hear his angry voice, muffled by the door. "Sorry Ke. He is such a homophobe... He proposed to a human woman many years ago, only to be turned down for another chick. He won't even talk to one of our other brothers because he is bi." He sighs, leaning back into the pillows. "I don't know exactly what I will remember. I was drunk when I escaped, and had to stay in fox form longer than I should have been." he grimaces. "Not many places for a naked man to hide..."

Keon grins, pulling a small notepad from a back pocket. "Let's just talk. Ye've been through a lot, boyo. Ye'll be surprised what ye remember if we don't push it."

They talk, and soon Keon is filling a page with descriptions of his unsuccessful kidnappers, the paint job and style cab, the license plate number. He tells him of the thwarted attack on the drunk, and running into a patrol as he fled from the ghoul he interrupted. Ron's eyelids begin to droop and Keon closes his notebook. He helps Ron lay back in the bed. The door opens and he looks up to see Sylvie and Travis entering the room. Keon bows as he moves past, sharing a glare with Travis. His eyes glow red and Ron's brother turns his head.

When Keon leaves the room, Travis looks at his mother. "Just what exactly is he?"

Sylvie smiles sweetly. "Travis, you haven't listened to anything downstairs, have you. That man is the fae equivalent to a Were version of the Hell Hounds."

Travis stares at the closed door.

"Shit."