She Is the Sunlight When Skies Are Gray

Name: Maria Castillo
Age: 30
Sex: Female
Race: Human
Occupation: Astillerion's accountant/lawyer
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 145#
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Black
Skin Color: Light Tan

Name: David Darren Hawthorne
Age: 43
Sex: Male
Race: Human
Occupation: Currently not. Finished his fourth (or was it his fifth) tour in Iraq
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 197#
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Harvest Gold
Skin Color: Light Tan
Other: Missing the pinky from his right hand and has thick scarring on the left side of his face from a shrapnel bomb.

David groaned wearily as he stepped from the plane. Now all he had to look forward to was the cab trip to the army base and paperwork. And that wasn't mentioning the job hunting he was going to have to do. As of tomorrow, he was going to be retired.

Ever paranoid from the battlefield, David looked around once he was outside the docking gate before he started where he wanted to go, continuing to glance around as he went, that's how a flash of blonde and white drew his attention.

Chastity stood a few feet from another docking gate with Requiem and Damien, chatting happily about whatever interested them as they waited for R.T. to disembark the plane. Dressed in a high necked white blouse with long flowing sleeves and a long matching skirt, she looked like some sort of angel that walked right out of a church window.

A million things went through David's mind, but only one came to his lips. "Chastity?" He stated questioningly, barely loud enough for her to hear.

She turned, thinking she heard her name and David had to give a relieved smile. That really was her.

"Chastity!" He exclaimed, rushing forward to sweep her up into his arms. Her two companions looked confused.

Chastity gave a small gasp of delight before wrapping her arms around his neck and squealing happily. "Davie!"

Rene-Thibaut stepped through the gate just in time to see the handsome stranger sweep his precious wife up in his arms and hear her squeal his name; his brows knitted together in confusion and he stopped in mid-stride, getting irritated glares from the people who had to walk around him. Deciding to investigate, he approached them and sat his bags on the floor next to his sons. He didn't say anything, but stared right at the two of them with one eyebrow raised.

Without looking away from the warm display between his mother and the stranger, Requiem greeted his father, as if something like this was normal. "Hey dad. How was the flight?" He mumbled, not expecting an answer.

David set chastity back on her feet, cradling her face in his calloused hands. "Oh, I thought I'd never see you again, why are you in L.A.?"

Chastity grinned. "I'm here to meet- Rene!" She exclaimed happily, turning to see her husband next to her boys. She rushed to embrace him, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek. She turned back to David once she was done. "Davie, this is my husband, Rene-Thibaut." She looked to R.T. "Nene, this is my brother David"

David's grin widened and he took a step forward to hold out his hand. "Congratulations and pleasure to meet ya"

Rene-Thibaut nodded cordially to his son, mumbling a soft reply of "Fine, thanks," before turning his attention to his newfound brother-in-law. He looked the man up and down critically before taking his hand and shaking it firmly. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, David."

David's grin widened. "So how'd you do it? I can tell by your name that you're not originally from here, so how'd you get our crotchety parents to let you marry her?" He asked

Chastity suddenly became very interested in introducing her boys.

"Davie, these are my sons Requiem and Damien!" She chirped hurriedly.

David looked to the boys and smiled. "Well, nice to meet you boys. How old are you?"

Requiem grimaced. He hated giving his age; what was the point of no longer aging if people kept asking how old you were? "Twenty five."

Damien's face split into a wide, cheesy grin as he looked up at his uncle. He thought the guy seemed pretty awesome, almost as awesome as his big brother. "I'm seven!" he said excitedly. "Nice ta meetcha, Uncle Davey!"

Rene-Thibaut had to smile at his sons. Though he would never tell them as much (except under certain circumstances), he was very, very proud of the both of them. "So, David, what brings you into town?"

"Please, call me big D." David insisted with a smile. "And I just got back. I've been in Iraq and I'm done with my tour. finally. I'm finally getting discharged."

Damien giggled happily and flung his arms around Dave's waist. "Okay, Big D!"
Rene-Thibaut smiled again and slipped his arm around his other son's shoulders. He was so proud of his boys. "Do you have anywhere to be today, David? Why don't you come home with us?"

Requiem shrugged off his father's arm with a small scowl. Lately the only one who could get away with the touchy feely stuff was his mother or his wife.

David easily lifted little Damien up and sat him on his shoulders. "I have to report back to the base at some point today, but it doesn't matter when." He smiled at R.T "So I'd be glad to visit my sister and brother-in-law's home. But you gotta tell me, how'd you get them to let her out of their sight?"

Chastity grabbed David's arm and attempted to pull him toward the parking lot. "Car's this way!" He didn't budge.

RT put a hand on Dave's arm and looked at him earnestly. "That's a discussion for another time," he said simply. He took his wife's hand and headed for the car.

David gave a small nod and began to follow with Damien still on his shoulders.

Requiem walked along next to him with his hands shoved in his pockets and an expression of indifference similar to the one usually found on R.T.'s face, assuring the world that, yes, that handsome angel was indeed related to the stern looking man walking ahead of him.

"So how's your life?" David asked Requiem with a smile. "I bet you're a real lady killer"

Requiem ducked his head as his ears turned red in embarrassment. Another thing he wasn't all that great about talking about. At least without the woman of his heart with him.

"He is," RT said offhandedly, hiding a smile. "But only one lady in particular. Her name is Shaunee. You'll likely meet her sometime soon." He stopped beside the car and raised an eyebrow at Dave. "Are you riding with us?"

"I suppose I'll have to. I, er, I'm never in state long enough to bother having a car." David replied sheepishly. "So, Shaunee? Is he serious with her?" David grinned, teasingly. "How long they been dating?"

RT opened the door for Dave and settled into the driver's seat himself, fastening his seatbelt. He looked over his shoulder at his oldest son. "Well, Requiem? Care to tell this story? Or would you rather invite Shaunee to dinner tonight and let her tell him?"

David set Damien down and let him get into the middle seat before sliding in behind the passenger seat.

Chastity slipped into the passenger seat, a little surprised that R.T. was driving.

Requiem's blush spread to his face. "Just invite her. If you're keeping me for dinner, you know she's going to come anyway." He mumbled as he slid in behind the driver.

"I can't wait to meet her, and I promise to be on my best behavior." David grinned.

"I doubt that it's you he's worried about," Rene-Thibaut said with a soft chuckle. "You'll like her, though. She's a sweet girl, if a little rambunctious." He was in an uncharacteristically good mood, for some reason. He thought he would enjoy having Chastity's brother around.

Damien was practically bouncing in his seat with excitement. He kept glancing up at his brother and his super-cool new uncle.

"She's... Weird." Requiem mumbled. "Let's just leave it at that."

David chuckled. "Weird? Is that the best you've got?"

"I would agree with that statement," Rene-Thibaut replied offhandedly. He was fairly quiet during the drive home, lost in his own thoughts, though he did respond whenever Dave directly addressed him. When he pulled into the driveway and put the car in park he let Chastity out of the passenger's side in his usual gentlemanly fashion and went to unlock the door.

Most of the ride home, David pestered chastity about how R.T. treated her, or how she liked living here, etc. Now as they all climbed out of the car, David finally directed another question at R.T. "So what do you do for a living?"

Both Requiem and Chastity froze, looking to R.T. to see how he would answer.