"HE'S MY BROTHER NOW HEAL HIM!!" Beth screamed once again as she tried to stem the flow of blood that was coursing down the unconscious man's face.
Cade mental faculties returned in a rush and with a whispered "oh shit" he knitted his brother-in-law's forehead back together.
Pushing wake-up hormones through the man's body he collected what he assumed was another relative from the ground behind him and brought the huffing man over as he fought to catch his breath.
As Cade set the man down he watched him rest his hands on his knees as he fought his spasming diaphragm for a breath of air.
"If you stand up straight it will fix itself quicker, I am Cade by the way Beth's husband or husband to be. I would say it's nice to meet you but I think that could have gone better."
Accepting the offered hand Cade thought he heard the man say "Prat" but with the gulps of air the man was taking he couldn't be sure.
"That's Prat and this idiot is Derik, they are my older brothers with a death wish. I'm serious Derik you almost died, I have seen him cave in a man's face with a less practiced punch. QUIT LAUGHING!!"
Cade couldn't help but join in on the chuckle fest that broke out, everyone was ok and even with his blood still coursing with adrenaline, he could still find mirth at the sibling's squabble.
The whistle of steel parting air was Cade's only warning as the reflexes his Mina had smacked into him with her short swords saved her mate from the descending battle-ax from cleaving his skull in twain.
The near-miss didn't save him from a whole lot of pain though as the blade of the battle-ax lodge itself in the meat of Cade's shoulder and knocked him to his knees, only stopping its path through his torso because of his metal-covered collarbone.
A pain-filled "Oooowwww" left him as he landed on his knees as whoever had got the drop on him ripped the ax out of his shoulder tried again to make two of him.
"STOP, DADDY, STOP," Beth screamed as she slammed into his armed attacker who was evidently his father-in-law.
Cade rose from his knees and faced the duo ready to defend his wife from her clearly abusive father before another chuckle left him as he saw his little firebrand beating her comparatively small fists against the side of a cowering blonde-headed man.
"I'm sorry I'm sorry we thought he was attacking you, my daughter," the man said before he straightened up with his hands held up in surrender.
"Well, you should be glad I picked such a sturdy man to be my husband or we might not speak for another hundred years."
Cade's mouth dropped open at Beth's comment, her father didn't look a day over forty as he noticed the man's blonde hair was streaked with grey now that he wasn't trying to kill him.
"My giant this is my father Seth, daddy this is Cade Willmartin my husband-to-be," introductions made the fury from before drained out of Beth as she stepped back from the two men and wrung her hands together, worry over the botched meeting writ large on her face.
A contrite Seth made his way over to Cade as he rubbed the back of his neck with a large hand.
As Cade's father-in-law extended a hand in greeting he looked up at the large man who was at least half a head taller than him and clasped his rough hand and gave it a firm shake.
"No harm no foul" Cade said with a smile, the confusion on the man's face not his problem at the moment, he might grow to like the man but he wasn't going to let him take a trip through his mind.
There were too many naughty nights and days with his daughter were stored there, and Cade didn't want to see if the large man could do better than his previous attempt on his life.
Beth rolled her eyes at her husband as he left her father confused with his earth terms.
"He means there is no damage so all is forgiven, daddy. Now, where is mom, uncle said she wanted to speak to us as soon as we arrived."
Cade gave a questioning look at his short wife, he didn't remember that request being made during the three days he had spent with the captain.
He made throw-up motions to Beth's delight as she mimed drinking down a flagon of ale, her husband didn't know how awful his time here was going to be if he thought the past three days were bad.
"She is in her office trying to fight for your marriage, after she brought your message before the council the strong stone clan tried to block their approval at every turn. If your husband to be wasn't as durable as he is I would have suggested you skip trying to convince them to accept the contract. The stubborn fools care about nothing but the procs that line their pockets and that clan is the worst of them. I am glad you are home, and for what it's worth Cade Willmartin I am glad my daughter chose you to join our family."
Beth's mask of irritation dropped as she rushed over and hugged the giant man with a fierceness that reminded Cade of his own daughter Candice.
As the tears flowed freely between father and daughter Prat and Derik came and stood beside him, scowls of brotherly protection on their bearded faces.
"Make her shed a single tear and we will find out just how durable you are Cade," Prat said before his declaration was seconded with a nod by Derik.
Cade smiled at the two brothers who were family unofficially and soon would officially be if he had anything to do about it.
"I wouldn't have it any other way thank you both for caring for your sister as much as you do. If ever the occasion comes I might have a story or two that this reminds me of for you both."
Clapping both brothers on their broad shoulders Cade noticed for the first time they were heads and shoulders taller than most dwarves he had met, a few inches taller than Beth who he had assumed was an oddity of her race.
Looking at the reconciled father and daughter he could see where they got their height from as Seth picked his baby up in a fierce hug as the waterworks from the both of them slowed.
Walking over Cade placed a chaste kiss on Beth's lips after he nodded to his father-in-law.
"Let's go meet your mother, it's late and we have our wives to put to bed, Seth if you would lead us."
As Seth led them through the large doors of Beth's childhood home Cade hoped for a better greeting from his soon to be mother in law, if her husband and sons greetings were any indication he might want to borrow some of the armor from the group of dwarves that had watched his tussle from the sidelines.
"Nothing wrong with a little family scuffle nephew, as long as everyone is breathing at the end," Arnold shouted with mirth as he shot the captain a glare as the doors closed behind him.
As they made their way through the stone building Cade noticed a ring of mithril that held Seth's hair back in a ponytail.
The intricate designs and energy around the accessory signaled to Cade that it was enchanted, though the source of the power wasn't from the metal ring but lead deeper into the home.
"What does the enchantment on our father's hair tie do, my love?"
Beth's face paled as she sent a hesitant mental "you will find out" that piqued Cade's curiosity.
As they arrived at a door with whorls and designs carved into its front Seth turned to Beth with a concerned look on his chiseled features.
"Take your time with your mother the years haven't been kind considering our... situation." He said before he knocked on the door before he opened it and walked in.
Sharing a curious look with his wife Cade followed her in and stopped in his tracks the sight before him.
The dwarven woman before him looked ancient, her grey hair pulled up into a neat bun with a few stray strands that we're forcefully pushed out of her wrinkled scowling face as her wizened and pockmarked hands scribbling furiously on a piece of parchment in front of her as she sat behind a massive stone desk.
The same intricate designs and runes from the door that traced across the desk escaped Cade's attention as Seth walked over to the front of the desk and pushed the elderly dwarf's hands down and captured her wrinkled lips in a passionate kiss.
"You are trying to kill us both my love but what a way to go," she said after Se
th released her from his kiss.
"I agree my one and only, but that was just the beginning of your surprise. Our daughter and her husband-to-be have arrived with Arnol a little early."
Stepping to the side Beth shed a few joyful tears as she said "hello mommy."
The wizen dwarf who was his mother in law looked to Beth and then to Cade with a shocked expression that fell into a joyful expression of her own as tears traced the wrinkles on her face.
"Hello baby welcome home," she said before Beth streaked over and wrapped her mother in an embrace similar to the one she had shared with her father if a little gentler.
"Drea meet our soon to be son in law Cade, Cade the woman who is currently not listening to a word I say is my wife Drea."
Finishing his introductions Seth walked over and embraced his wife and daughter, surrounding Beth in her parent's love.
Cade stood a few moments allowing his wife to enjoy her parent's embrace after so long being gone before he walked over and joined their big group hug.
"He's a big one isn't he?" Drea asked her daughter as she kissed the tears away from her cheeks.
"What can I say I'm like my mother that way," Beth responded with a sobbing laugh.
"The women of the Urth clan do enjoy a large man," Drea's off-color joke was caused her morose daughter to laugh brokenly into her shoulder as she hugged her mother.
As the group hug broke up Seth stood behind his wife as Cade created two chairs facing the desk for him and Beth to sit in.
Drea's eyes went wide as she watched her son-in-law sit her daughter in the plush seat before he took his own.
"You weren't lying he is an impressive one to toss such power around so lightly, maybe we will get what we want with him at your side."
"What exactly do we need to achieve mom, dad explained some of our opposition outside but didn't elaborate."
As Beth finished her question Drea blew out an irritated breath before a coughing fit stopped any response she tried to make.
Seth grabbed a steel cup from the desk and offered it to his wife as she nodded her thanks and downed the water in a few gulps.
"That's better now the council has cited an attack on one of their members and has issued an exorbitant fine to be paid before they will consider allowing your husband to join our clan."
As fury colored Beth's face red and her mouth opened to object to the council's underhanded tactics Cade overrode her coming tirade as he said "how much" in a firm tone.
"More than we can come up," Drea's sullen words were overridden like her daughter's as Cade repeated his request.
"Two million procs, those repugnant bastards want two million procs for my daughter to find the happiness she deserves."
Drea's mask of impotent rage was mirrored by her husband as Beth and Cade smiled.
"What is so funny you two, they want the equivalent of three years of our mining profit to allow you to marry."
"Do you want to tell her or can I my giant?" Beth's conspiratorial tone gave Cade another laugh for the day as he inclined his head in permission.
Wiggling her plush ass in her chair Beth's excitement got the best of her as she said "we have it" before she squealed in joy.
"Yes we do my love but a conversation with our... Nevermind Promena told me if we don't go and get the money right now I am cut off for a year... No month... A week? ok, yea a week. Sabine says hi and she can't wait to meet you. Laurith and Mina are asking if this means they can get pregnant now... Oh, wait have my babies now sorry my pretty kitty I misspoke. Yes, my pet they will be adorable. I love you all now we have a discussion to finish."
As Cade finished his one-way conversation Beth blushed at the implication that she would be carrying her husband's child as soon as she could shove the money down the council's throat, she just wished she could actually watch them choke on the coins.
As two chests appeared in the room with the clinking of coins Drea and Seth's confused looks from Cade's one-way conversation changed to shock and amazement.
"If you think that is amazing you should see him enchant," Beth said proudly, her choice to let the tall black man carry her away from the threat of Karl Strong Stone that day the best decisions she had ever made.
"Speaking of enchantments I see the one in your hair tie is pulling power from Drea, Seth. May I ask why." Cade asked with a kind smile.
"My wife insisted I not die before she was done with me and she found a way to make that happen, to her detriment."
A Seth growled out the last part of his explanation Drea placed a wrinkled hand on his still-strong arm before saying "and I would do it again in a heartbeat my love".
"I might have a solution to your problem if you will allow it," Cade asked, a plan forming in his mind to allow the love the two clearly shared to become a little more physical.
Hesitant nods answered his request, both Drea and Seth curious as to what this man their daughter had chosen to marry could do to fix the problem of their disparate life spans.
Cade focused on Drea's shriveled form and found that the energy her cells were producing was being sent to her husband, extending his life as it shortened hers.
Pushing energy from the little mithril node in the back of his head into Drea and Seth, Cade severed the enchantment between the two.
As Drea's energy production stabilized he used the hair tie to fuel Seth's body, before he turned to his mother-in-law and dialed up his energy flow, and healed the damage from her attempt to extend her time with the love of her life.
Cade hid his nerves well as he began repairing Drea's badly damaged DNA, as his little C.R.I.S.P.R. (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) spell began its work.
His brow broke out in a sweat as he watched and hoped it wouldn't cause his mother-in-law to get cancer or worse develop cause some sort of genetic disease that would leave her worse off than she was now as it repaired her telomeres.
Drea's eyes grew wide as the years fell off of her wizened body and Cade discovered where Beth had got her impressive assets from as they returned to their proper places and the green robe she had been wearing began to tear at the seams.
Seth's surprised reaction to his wife's renewed youth was interrupted as he threw an overcoat that had been hanging on a hook on what Cade assumed was a closet over his now younger wife.
As Cade sensed Drea's body reach the limit of its ability to hold the energy he was flooding her with he cut off the tap and smiled at his mother and father-in-law's shocked expressions.
"I think that will hold you both for another few centuries," Cade said as he smiled glad his plan had worked thanks to his goddesses gift.
Drea's shocked expressions returned as she grabbed a now vibrant red lock of hair that had fallen in front of her face as Seth rustled through a few drawers of the stone desk retrieving an ornate hand mirror and shoving it into his wife's trembling hand.
"I told you he was amazing," Beth said proudly as her mother frantically looked between the mirror in her hand and the miracle worker that was to be her son-in-law.
"Yes, he is," Drea said simply before she devolved into tears as Seth kneeled and embraced her, his own joyful tears coursing down his face.
Beth and Cade shared a happy smile before they chuckled as Seth captured Drea's pink lips in a passionate kiss.
"If you two would like to retire for the evening, we can meet tomorrow morning... afternoon and begin the marriage contract paperwork. I find my wife and I need to have a long-overdue discussion."
As Seth made his request after releasing a glassy-eyed Drea from his kiss, Cade and Beth nodded in agreement, barely stifled smiles as they left Drea's office as Drea pulled Seth's face back to her's as she resumed their passionate kiss.
Cade and Beth suffered a fit of giggles after closing the door behind them and they heard the loud sound of the various writing implements and a certain steel cup clattered to the floor followed by a loud thump of a body hitting the desk and the sound of ripping
clothes.
The shouted "WAIT!" from Drea was quickly followed by a long passionate moan as the sound of wet flesh smacking together rapidly began, accompanied by Seth and Drea's moans of passion that were cut off as the intricate designs and runes on the door to her office lit up brightly and all sounds of lovemaking ceased.
As Cade and Beth recovered from their bout of laughter he kissed his dwarven bride breathless, groaning into the kiss as she stroked his hard length through his pants, ready to get home and have their own "discussion".
"You might have a little brother or sister to spoil after tonight, my love. Our parents seemed very keen on... expressing their love."
Cade's statement was interrupted by a bang against the glowing door that was followed by a long series of increasingly intense thumps that caused the two to break down into another laughing fit.
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