Disclaimer: If I owned either story I wouldn't have a disclaimer here now would I?

"Now, we must all fear evil men. But there is another kind of evil which we must fear most, and that is the indifference of good men." - Monsignor, "Boondock Saints"

I have made some crucial changes in this chapter. Tried to make it flow well into the next few chapters. We'll see how it works out.

Warning: Will be slash.

Safety: Prologue

He had to run faster. Had to find somewhere safe. He knew that he shouldn't have done anything to Dudley. He should have just let them beat him until they got bored. Instead he had actually struck Dudley back, and Dudley was furious. He knew that the only reason why he had managed to slip through Piers hold was because of their shock. He had never fought back before. He wasn't supposed to fight back. Fighting back was apparently the push that Dudley needed to make his beatings deadly. At least, that's what Harry thought he saw from the glimpse that he gotten of Dudley's face before he took off running as fast as his legs could carry him. Harry considered running to a teacher for a moment before he banished that thought, knowing that if he got Dudley in trouble his uncle would no doubt finish what Dudley was trying to start.

He could hear one of them, probably Nick as he was the fastest of Dudley's group, catching up to him. He needed to get away. Fast. He needed to get out of sight and hide for a while.

There! He could hid in the small woods behind the school until the lunch break was done. It would be harder for them to find him with in the trees and bushes.

Just as Harry was coming up on the edge of the woods he felt something brush against the back of his arm, before a large hand suddenly wrapped around his upper arm. Harry cried softly in surprise as he fell to the ground from the abrupt stop and rough pull to his arm that Nick made. They had him. And in a minute Dudley would be there and they would kill him. They would drag him to a remote part of the school and kill him. Harry's heart raced as he futilely tried to tug his arm away from the tight hold ignoring the pain as the grip on his arm tightened.

"I've got him." Nick had a malicious grin on his face as he called to to quickly approaching Dudley. The remainder of his gang tailing behind the red faced boy. A red mark on his cheek where Harry had kicked him.

Harry's attempts to pull his arm away became more and more frantic the closer the rest of the gang came. Nick cried out and released Harry's arm after Harry quickly turned his head and bit down on Nick's arm. Harry was free. He could escape.

Too late.

Dudley and his gang had already reached them. Had already closed off any means of escape that Harry had. Nick screamed with rage as he reached down and grabbed Harry by his hair, pulling him to his feet before he and Piers grabbed his arms to prevent him from being able to protect himself from the blows that were sure to follow shortly. Together the boys quickly pulled the still struggling Harry into the woods and out of sight from anyone who might pass by.

Tears started streaming down Harry's cheek as his fear finally overwhelmed him. Once they were a ways into the woods Dudley was in front of him in a flash, teeth grinding as he balled up his meaty fist preparing to strike Harry with as much force as he could manage.

Harry closed his eyes solemnly his tears continuing to fall from his eyes. Knowing that there was no more escape for him. He just wanted to be safe. He was never safe. He was safer in his closet. But never truly safe as long as Dudley and Vernon were around. There was no safety for a freak like him.

Harry's breath was violently expelled from his lungs when the first hit struck his abdomen. Before he could inhale the second blow came down hard on his cheek cause him to bite his tongue. He was sure to have a bruise, if only for a few hours. His bruises never stayed long. That's why he was a freak. If he weren't so freakish maybe somebody would love him. Maybe he could be safe.

The blows continued to come down as he turned his mind in towards itself. If he didn't react they would get bored faster. And maybe, just maybe Dudley would get bored before he killed him.

It wasn't until the end of lunch bell sounded that Harry was let go. Unable to support his own weight anymore he fell with a yelp to the ground, grimacing in pain as he curled up on the floor of the woods trying as best he could to protect himself from any more harm. Moving hurt so much. But he was glad that he had curled up as a few kicks came his way from Dudley and his gang as they walked past him toward the school. A whimper escaping his lips as a particularly strong kick hit some ribs that were more than tender from one of Dudley's earlier hits.

Harry gasped for air as he laid there waiting until after the second bell signaling the start of class was herd. Once he knew that there was little chance that Dudley or any of his gang would still be around he attempted to move. It hurt too much! He couldn't even find the will to turn his head and spit the blood that was continuing to fill his mouth. Breathing seemed more difficult than it should have been. Almost like he were trying to breath under water. Was he drowning? What would he be drowning on? There was no fluids besides the blood that was slowly running down his face from his nose and lip and slowly leaking out of a few of the open wounds that Dudley had managed to cause. Harry was overwhelmed by a painful coughing fit as blood climbed up his throat and peppering the grass in front of his mouth with blood. He was drowning on his own blood. His breaths started coming shorter and shorter as it became more painful and harder to breath. Coughs racking his slight form every so often trying to empty his lungs of the blood that was filling them. He clenched his eyes shut wanting the pain to go away. Wanting to be away from this life of his.

Wishing to be safe.

Rather abruptly the birds that had finally returned to chirping shortly after Dudley and his gang left were silent. A loud buzzing was in his ears. Had a bugs crawled in them? No, they wouldn't have been able to get to the one as Harry was lying on it. His head was starting to hurt, and the annoying buzzing wouldn't go away! He laid there for a bit simply trying to get the buzzing to go away! After a while it had finally receded, not gone, but it buzzed at a manageable rate. Almost seeming to pulse along side Harry's heart beat. Harry breathed a sigh of releaf as the pounding in his head left. Though the birds hadn't returned. Harry strained his ears hoping to hear something. And he could. He had thought himself deaf for a moment before he realized that he could hear the muted sound of people in the distance. Thunder rumbled loudly overhead.

Thunder? There wasn't supposed to be a storm today. In fact it was supposed to be a rather nice day. Harry felt a drop of water hit is face. It shouldn't have been raining on him. The trees should have provided some cover.

This was wrong! Harry's eyes snapped open with surprise at that thought only for them to be shut immediately as his vision swam in front of him making him feel a bit queasy. This wasn't the woods behind the school. From the small glance he had taken he could tell that he was on a sidewalk of some kind. Maybe he had passed out from the pain and Dudley and his gang had moved him after school. He didn't think he had passed out. But the pain had been unbearable.

Harry needed to get home before he got into even more trouble with his uncle. No doubt Dudley would tell Vernon about what happened today. And Harry knew there would be hell to pay. He probably wouldn't be fed tonight. Or for a few days for that matter. And that was only if his uncle didn't murder him for striking Dudley. He uncurled himself as he rolled onto his back before trying to open his eyes again.

Once again his eyes opened, surprise dancing clearly in his emerald colored irises. It didn't hurt. Moving didn't hurt him that time. Letting out a long exhale of air Harry had to wonder how long he had been out. Harry had thought it was the same day, but he shouldn't have healed that fast. He healed faster than normal yes, but he had been pretty sure that he wasn't going to heal fast enough and he was going to be asphyxiated by the life giving fluid that ran through his veins.

"You had best get home soon." A soft voice interrupted his thoughts, startling Harry so badly that he jumped up and whirled around fast enough to give himself whiplash. Harry stared wide eyed at the woman stand no more than 10 feet from him, the buzzing in his ears heightening for a moment before going back down to a dull drone.

She was beautiful in her light gray clothes and soft brown hair knotted loosely in the back to keep it out of her face. At least she was beautiful by Harry's standards. Not that he really had much to compare to. Just his horse faced Aunt Petunia and the teachers at his school. But none of them had ever graced Harry with a smile like what was currently on this woman's face. It seemed to make her whole face glow with happiness and laughter.

"There's a storm coming." The woman continued looking a bit amused by Harry's reaction as Harry twisted his head and rubbed his neck trying to get the pain to recede. "Your parents are probably worried. Especially with how fast storms develop here." She gently prompted looking at him with gentle eyes. "I know that I would be worried sick if I had a little one that wasn't home when a storm was about to hit."

"Don't have parents." Harry muttered shyly. "And my relatives wouldn't care." His voice carrying on the wind that was beginning to pick up. The woman's mouth made an "O" shape as she looked at Harry with a sympathetic light in her eyes.

"You are like me then?" She questioned having to raise her voice slightly to be herd over the rumble of thunder that pronounced the arrival of the storm. "A slave?" Before Harry could answer she shook her head and grinned, though her eyes seemed sad to Harry. "Well you can stay with me until the storm passes. Then we'll get you back to your home." She quickly walked towards Harry and reached down to grab his hand, her eyes growing sadder when Harry simply looked at her hand with suspicion clearly showing on his face. The woman simply nodded, her smile now seeming a bit strained, as if she were trying to not show Harry her sadness, before continuing past him calling for him to follow her quickly so that they could get inside.

It hurt, Harry realized, to see sadness of this woman's face. As such he quickly rushed to catch up to her and tentatively reached out to grab her hand. She turned her hand towards him making it easier for him to slip his small dry and cracked hand into her own warm one. Harry looked up at her face to gauge her reaction, and though she wasn't looking at him he could clearly see that her smile had once again brightened her entire face and pure joy shone through her eyes.

It was a short walk to her house, though by the time they arrived it had truly started raining and both of them were soaked to the bone. Once inside the woman bent down to remove her soaking shoes from her feet. Watching as Harry followed her example before pulling Harry over and to sit at the table.

"Now what is your name?" She asked as she moved over to the stove and putting a kettle on. Harry worried his bottom lip between his teeth. Would he get in trouble for talking to her? She had mentioned that he was like her. Was she a freak too? She had mentioned being a slave. Is that what Harry was? Or was he both? Would she find him to be a freak too? He didn't want her to dislike him. Harry started shaking with both fear and cold, before a small towel was placed over his hair and kind arms encircled him in warm though moist hug.

"Come now." She whispered pulling back and ruffling his hair though the towel. "If your master doesn't want you telling anyone I won't tell anyone that I know it. It will be our secret." She brought one of her hands up, bringing a single finger to her lips in a hushing motion before giving Harry a wink.

Harry stared up at her through his bangs for a moment, lamenting the fact that he hadn't been blessed as to have such a kind and beautiful mother like this woman.

"Harry." He whispered. He had a secret now. That he shared with her. It was their secret and no one else would ever know. He felt a grin try to overwhelm his face as he blinked back tears of exhilaration.

"Harry." The woman repeated moving her hands down to rub his arms, causing them to warm slightly despite the cold water still dripping from the both of them. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Shmi."

Done!

Note: I have no idea what planet Shmi lived on when she was owned by Pi-Lippa. So forgive me if it didn't have storms.