Note: I have full permission from Nathin to write for Trick in this particular para.

Kiara didn’t notice a shift in the moods around her like she had when Dillon died, and maybe that was because she was at the Dal rather than at home and within reach of contact with everyone. She was in the middle of serving up a couple of sandwich meals with a smile that she had to force to a couple that she didn’t want anything to do with when the old barkeep emerged from the back room with a solemn look. She placed the plates on the table and rushed back to the counter ignoring the customers pleas of “Excuse me? Miss?” Tricky was a serious dude, but this was too serious even for him.

“What’s the sitch, Trickster?” She questioned as she pulled herself up onto a bar stool, leaning across the counter curiously. The old man looked at her for a long moment and Kiara was sure that he was debating if he should tell her or not. That was never a good sign. “Trick. What’s wrong?” She repeated, her tone firm this time and her eyes filling with worry.

Trick stared at the counter for a long moment, too long if you asked Kiara. He had been known to keep things from her or anyone else when he felt like it was something that would hurt them, but that only made her worry more. “I can’t be sure just yet,” He started finally, and that statement was nowhere near comforting, “But I’m almost positive that Harry is dead.”

Kiara’s jaw dropped open and she shook her head quickly, “What the hell do you mean, Harry’s dead? He can’t be dead, he’s Harry. It’s not bad enough that people are trying to convince me that Dillon’s gone, but now you’re telling me that Harry’s gone too? Don’t shit with me man.” Her tone was probably louder than it needed to be in that little pub, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t handle that kind of pain. She wasn’t supposed to feel pain. Kiara was supposed to be a fury and that meant anger and nothing else, and frankly, right now, she was just hurt. 

“I try not to ‘shit’ about things like this, Kiara.” Trick pointed out, his gaze still as solemn as ever. “Get back to work please.” That was the old man’s way of telling Kiara that the conversation was over. That he wasn’t going to handle Kiara’s typical over reacting of things.

“How are you so fucking nonchalant about this?” Kiara asked, getting up and walking around the bar to do just as she was told, getting back to work, “Harry’s like a grandson to you, isn’t he? You’re acting like this is someone you don’t even know. He used to practically live here. It would be like you losing Bo.” She spat out, more agitated by Trick’s reactions than anything if this was actually true.

Trick whirled around at that, glaring at Kiara, and this was far from the first time that she had faced him in a staredown. She should have been scared of the short man, but she couldn’t be. “Don’t you tell me how I feel about all this, Kiara. You don’t realize how many people I’ve lost and you don’t realize how many more I will lose in my lifetime. Yes, Harry is like family to me, but–”

“But nothing! Family is fucking family. Whether they’re blood or not. You don’t just announce the death of family like you never even met the kid.” Kiara snapped back, “I don’t care how many wars you’ve lived through or whatever, Harry is Harry. And I’m taking the rest of the day off.” She stated that clearly. She wasn’t asking, she was announcing it.

“You will not!” It was the old man’s turn to raise his voice, and Kiara could have snarled, in fact, she was sure that she did.

“Watch me. Someone has to let those boys know. They actually care about him like family.” She retorted, pulling off her apron and dropping it on the bar. “And someone has to check on Louis and Sophie. I’ll be damned if this shitty little old pub keeps me from that.”

And with that, Kiara spun on her toes to leave. She didn’t bother to clock out, she didn’t bother to say goodbye to anyone, she just left. And it wasn’t until she stepped out into the crisp air that the tears hit her. She wasn’t one to cry, but she had done more crying in the past week than she had done since becoming a fury, and this was just going to seamlessly add onto that, it seemed. But she had a mission, and this wasn’t something she would do just over the phone.