Summary: Our friends enjoy their last moments of peace before the Game begins. Part 17 of the Game.

Rated M for profanity, violence and some sexual content.

Disclaimer : I do not own the X-men or any of their associated villains, but the Siskans, the Dognan, Jael and the Outkasts are mine. Please do not use them without my permission. Thanks. :)

I hate to do this to you guys after spoiling you for so long, but this is probably the last time I will be posting in whole books. I've reached the Game parts and beyond that are unfinished, mostly in not having art. I would like to post both the text and art relatively close together so I won't post either until all are finished. I am still going to try my best to publish something every two weeks as I have been, but it will likely be a couple of chapters at a time like the regular folks do, not big chunks at a time. I do wish to give a special thanks to those of you who have stuck with me through all of this and commented. I never even expected to get as much published as I have, never mind have so many of you who have actually liked it. Thanks to all of you. SQ

Updated 10-30-13 to add (break)s as needed and fix the crap what's still broke.

(One)

Jael is coming, I can feel him nearly breathing down my neck now. I dream, I sift through countless images, yet I am no closer to my goal. All I know for sure is that I must witness a battle and rescue an Angel. I know that Gambit will be with me, helping me. I cannot help but think that there is so much more to this than I am seeing. This is the Game. Is Siska not represented here? Is this all Chuckfet madness?

I reach out into my dream, seeking out us, the Lushna -esk.

I cannot help but smile. Yes, we are here.

I see Asher walk out from a crowd of gathered X-men. They move aside for him like he's a great mythic Moses parting the seas. He reaches out to an opposing army of swelling malice, his hand gripped around that shiny cross around his neck as he shouts, "Peace to you all!"

I see a girl of pale white standing in front of a large picture window looking out at me. Her face is weary and sad, but not entirely without hope. I see a bright blaze of orange across her chest and the shadow of a Dognan Master pacing behind her.

I see a flash of black anger, feathers and screams of rage and fear. Black and white, he is. His skin is the darkest ebony and he possesses a white blazing Mark, a sword of grey on powerful muscle. His haunting silver eyes weep with the deepest loneliness and pain.

I see a tall young man with long streaming red hair. Him I see quite clearly. He is standing in the middle of the Xavier army without fear. To my shock and surprise he throws his head back with a triumphant laugh and shifts skins, revealing that he is indeed Siskan, and also one of us. His bright yellow Mark gleams in the bright light and it is all I can do to conceal a groan of mental agony from leaving me.

It's Mishnar.

"So, Jael?" Mishnar shouts with pure arrogance towards his enemy. It is a less than pleasant greeting. I have to smile in spite of myself. At least Mishnar's being consistent -he's still gonna be a pain in the ass for somebody. At least this time, it looks like it won't be mine. I almost can't wait to see what he's going to do to Jael.

Mishnar doesn't wait for an answer, he keeps right on going. He preens, arching his back with sensual Siskan pride as he shouts, "Are we Siskans all ya expected of us? You arrogant fool of a man! Alla of us 'r gonna be the death of you!"

I grin and in spite of my hatred of him, I think, You go, Mishnar! Do it for us!

I see more - a shadow of long white hair and a flash of green followed by an explosion, a fireball looms high in the sky over a broken battlefield.

And of course there's that broken body of white lying so still on the tarmac. I concentrate hard on him. Is it my precious Kimble? Thinking hard now, I sift and sift through what little I've been given. I must know more. I see a series of shots – Kimble tall and proud, rippling muscle, a flash of purple and a bright orange fiery sword. A shout. My lover's body but not his mind. I see a word – Punisher. It fills me with fear, but then from what I've heard, he's a serious ass kicker so maybe this won't go as badly as it seems. I refuse to give up all hope. All these dreams and visions have to count for something. It can't all be for nothing.

So it's come down to this. Us and them. And you know what? I think we just might win. We are Siskan, the best of both worlds, and we won't go down without a fight!

(break)

Kristalay raised his head from his arms, Skye was whimpering in his sleep.

The man formerly known as Sabretooth had shown over the years just how adaptable he was to whatever situation he had been thrown into. He had lived in the wilds like an animal, once being forced to consume most of his own arm when he had gotten snowed in a cave for over two months. He ate his own flesh, only to watch in morbid fascination as it slowly regrew itself, no doubt taking resources from elsewhere in his body. He had emerged wasted, little more than an animated skeleton at a mere hundred pounds, but he had survived. Later, Weapon X had ripped his mind to shreds and still he had not only survived, but made the best of his predicament, rising above it and painfully dominating everyone else around him. Here with his new Master, he was no longer the boss, but he was getting by.

Kristalay's adaptability had a lot to do with his feral ability to read people. He didn't charm them as Remy did, but the information still served him well then as it did now. Skye wasn't altogether as happy as he liked to show.

Kristalay and Famayalin had beds made from piled blankets on the floor beside the Master's own four poster. They were not side by side, they bickered far too much for that to be wise. One lay on either side of the Master's bed, within easy reach for a silent signal by touch if they were desired. It was late at night now, or at least it was as far as Kristalay could tell. His recent healings, while sexually painful, had restored his animal senses, including an innate sense of the time of day. There were no windows here, only the light of a single candle that was to burn all night, but Skye still kept what appeared to be the normal human routine of sleeping at night.

He also suffered from nightmares. He'd had one every night since Kristalay had first come here.

"Uhnn...!" Skye whimpered, his body shivering and his naked skin slick with a gel sweat Kristalay could almost smell. He had grown to love the taste of it, though, and could see it well enough as it reflected the light from the single flickering candle by Skye's bedside. The Siskan had thrown off most of his blankets in his torment, he was shaking, his voice trembly and small as he gasped, "Master, please! Don't hurts me...please!"

Kristalay sat up for a closer look, his body moving now without pain. All traces of his former abuse were gone. Kristalay was a quick study, so he was. He had treaded very carefully these past few days and Skye hadn't repeated the savage whipping he had doled out before. More than that, Kristalay's vitality had returned. Kristalay was strong now and powerful, his jaw aching and his gums itching like mad as his fangs regrew and budded under his gumline, growing larger with each passing moment. His hands were the same, the tiny buds of claws soon to break through his fingertips once more. It was only a matter of time, perhaps even the next morning. He was becoming whole again.

Skye sobbed and rolled over, groaning. "Uhnn...hurts!"

"Master?" Kristalay grunted softly, not daring to touch the man thrashing on the bed.

Kristalay's relationship to Skye had grown complicated, to put it mildly. Kristalay resented being lorded over but Skye did so love being pampered. Skye demanded that all of his requests be answered immediately and without hesitation, no matter how stupid or petty they might be - or abhorrent. Kristalay was quickly being trained to accept and perform sexual tasks he never dreamed he would ever stoop down to. Skye demanded compliance in all things and didn't hesitate to see to it that he got it. His punishments were many and varied, ranging from verbal assault to bursts of angry Kundatesh enough to leave Kristalay weeping in torment on the floor, his head exploding inside from a vicious headache. Yet the first loving brush of Skye's fingers over his skin sent him gasping, made him tremble with anticipation of the rapture only the Kundatesh could bring.

Kristalay had many quiet moments to ponder this strange new way of life. Skye slept through the night, but Kristalay did not. He was going a little stir crazy from being so cooped up, Skye never let him outside. That and the itch in his body made him want to run, to work it off. It left him restless at times, his mind wandering off.

In the darkness of night, Kristalay found himself wondering a great many things, not the least of which was why he tolerated this, why he was bending ever more to Skye's indomitable will more and more with each passing hour. Did he really hate Jael so much that he would do anything for revenge?

Yes.

That was easy. It hadn't taken but a second for the answer to come to him. No matter what else had befallen him in life, Jael was the new author of all his pain. If Jael hadn't reduced him, Kristalay would not be here. With each new indignity Skye forced him to endure or perform, Kristalay's hate grew. With each degrading and humiliating task Skye demanded from him, Kristalay's wrath and desire for revenge increased. He would save all this sickness and ugliness and evil and dump it back on Jael tenfold. Skye was a means to an end, a path to the ultimate payback. Through it all, Kristalay never lost the feeling that he could get out of this if he had to, or at least, that's what he kept telling himself.

"Uhnn... Oww!" Skye cried out and jerked violently, snapping upright with his arms out front as if warding off a blow. The cry was one of obvious pain, of something beyond normal fear. He was abruptly awake and panting, almost sobbing as he shifted, trying to reorient himself in the flickering half light from the candle.

"Master," Kristalay grumbled again.

Skye's head whipped around in fear, almost as if he expected to be attacked. It was a long moment before he calmed, seeming to come to his senses. His voice was strained as he replied, "Yes, my lovely?"

"You were dreamin' again. You seem to do that a lot."

Skye scowled, hearing just the slightest tone of gloating in those words. The bullied had recognized that his bully was once a victim himself, there was no other purpose for the taunt. Kristalay was not going to let it slide that his Master had shown weakness. Of course not, he was a lion. But even beasts needed to know their place. "Come up here."

Kristalay obeyed. There was no overt malice in the command though Kristalay knew that Skye had to have heard the disrespect. Kristalay climbed up onto the bed, his renewal making him all the more aware of just how much larger he was than Skye. Skye was thin, a runner as opposed to Kristalay's linebacker's build. The bed creaked from the added weight and Kristalay couldn't help but smile. He came as called, not sitting, but moving slowly on all fours to rise over his Master as a panther would its prey, arms and legs to either side of the smaller man, submissive only in his heart. Not once had Skye let him penetrate him as a man and this position of being over Skye now aroused him with its possibilities.

Skye let his lion cover him, loving the look of his massive and powerful frame. He could see Kristalay's desire though it would never be granted, Skye was in charge here and his lions would be sure to know it. "Yer so beautiful," he crooned, coming forward to kiss.

That had been the hardest for Kristalay to overcome, his shyness of being kissed by another man. It had been a hard enough task for Kimble years ago, and Kimble's work had faded the moment he was gone. Of course the moment Kristalay had shown any discomfort or revulsion with the act, Skye had seized on it and wore him down. Unlike Kimble who had won Kristalay over with kindness and love, Skye abused him with it until Kristalay just became numb to it.

Kristalay took the kiss, no longer shivering in disgust even as Skye's tongue slid into his mouth, tasting him and dominating him even from below. Kristalay's eyes however, never left Skye's face, his last bit of defiance. He would not look away.

Skye didn't mind. He wanted a lion after all, not a weakling. Just the same, the earlier taunt had to be repaid. He shifted and with hand signals got his well trained animal to lie down on his back, his legs spread open. Kristalay grunted one soft snort in pain when Skye first took him, but then when the Kundatesh hit him, his eyes finally fluttered shut as he surrendered completely.

"That's it, pet. Yer mine ferever now."

Kristalay smiled, but not for the reason Skye might have suspected. There was pleasure here to be had of course, but so much more. Kristalay arched his back and growled a deep rumbly purr as a surge of his Master's pleasure sent a gush of powerful Kundatesh right through him. Glitter sparkled in the air, the healing Morrowhiem was wisping off of Skye's skin and finding him. The itch in his mouth was gone, replaced with a salty burst of blood as his fangs expanded and finally exploded through his gums, breaking free at last. Sharp bits of needle like pain raced up and down his fingers as he dug them into the mattress, hearing with satisfaction the ripping of the bed sheets as his claws broke free as well. He could smell and taste the blood now in his mouth and it finished him quickly, his climax sending Skye reeling with happiness.

Kristalay groaned and blacked out from it all, coming to moments later only to feel his hands on Skye's face. His Master had lifted his huge paws and was rubbing them on his cheeks, smearing the blood from Kristalay's new talons across his lips and licking at them with his tongue. Kristalay's clawed hands were large and frightening, but Skye showed no fear. "Yer magnificent," he purred with the utmost love and adoration. "It won't be long now, I promise. Jael'll be gone and we won't haves to thinks on him no more. It'll just be us left here in peace."

Kristalay smiled in the light of the single candle, drunk on Kundatesh and the energy coursing right through him. He knew Skye was twisted and evil, having no true sense of what real love was, even as he tried to honeycoat his words. Kristalay had known love with Kimble and Skye was the furthest thing from the gentle Siskan Kristalay had once enjoyed so many years ago. It didn't mean Kristalay resented the sentiment, he was too high now to care anyway.

"Yes, Master," he breathed, floating away. He barely felt it as Skye shifted him, rolling him over and curling up against him, using Kristalay's large body as a blanket, tossing that huge taloned arm around his slender shoulders. It was a situation that called for absolute trust, Kristalay was a lion now in almost every sense of that word. Skye was being embraced by a savage beast.

Skye fell back asleep quickly, sated by the brief burst of passion they had shared, but Kristalay remained awake a few minutes longer. Just long enough to see two gleaming eyes in the dark, staring at him with complete and utter hatred from the other makeshift bed on the floor. If Kristalay had thought Famayalin was oblivious to the moment he had just shared with their Master, he was sadly mistaken. Famayalin's pale green eyes found his and squinted as the boy silently hissed at him, showing him his fangs, teeth still longer than Kristalay's though probably not for long.

Kristalay remained silent, not wishing to disturb his Master, but retaliated with a smug smile of satisfaction, stroking a strand of Skye's russet hair back from his face, a gesture of possession. Kristalay had been chosen, selected above Famayalin who had been just as available for his Master's pleasure. Famayalin didn't back down. His mouth twisted into a knowing smile, as if he knew something Kristalay did not. It was enough to cause Kristalay to falter and the boy saw it, a small victory in itself. He grunted a laugh and turned away, settling down.

Kristalay fumed quietly, some of his high dissipating. The boy would have to be put in his place, things could not continue as they were. There was no way he was going to let Famayalin dominate him. With his own strength growing, it wasn't going to be long before that very thing was settled.

Remy walked into the Solarium, his eyes seeking out Asher and finding him quickly. Remy hadn't been able to sleep at all last night, his mind was too full of questions and he'd decided it was time for him and Asher to have another one of their conversations.

(break)

Remy walked into the Solarium, his eyes seeking out Asher and finding him quickly. Remy hadn't been able to sleep at all last night, his mind was too full of questions and he had decided it was time for him and Asher to have another one of their conversations.

One thing Gambit had noticed quickly was just how comfortable he was talking to the centaur. Asher was wise in so many ways in spite of his youthful looks and Remy was an eager student, trying to learn as much as he could while there was still time. It was an absolute treasure, having this councilor around, having someone he could look to for advice instead of it being the other way around. It was nice not having to wing it.

The centaur had taught him many things - that chocolate was indeed a tried and true substance that could ease a Siskan's mind. Asher had spent a lot of time in his barn on Solestra figuring these things out with experiments and the like. Chocolate was good and nicotine as well – smoking was bad for humans, but just the thing for a distressed Siskan. Exercise and much affection were also handy tools and after hearing that, Remy was quick to push Kimble into the gym. Aiden had taught Kimble the game of racquetball and now the two of them were spending quite a bit of free time there in a gentle rivalry. Kimble was much improved.

Both Asher and Remy had tried their best to get Kimble's name removed from the sex offender list, but all of their arguments fell on deaf ears. Remy had tossed out the idea that if adultery was all took to get your name on this list it would be a much longer list than they already had, but Logan just snarled back at him that it was Kimble's choice of partner that had landed him there, not the act itself. That and the shrine Kimble had made all that time ago was of course thrown back in Gambit's face. Kimble wasn't going to have the painful stigma of being a sex offender removed any time soon. Asher wasn't happy about it but at least he could offer a sympathetic shoulder for Remy to cry on.

Asher was quickly becoming Remy's most valuable friend. The guy was always approachable, something Gambit was now eager to take advantage of.

Gambit knew Asher would be here in the Solarium, the centaur spent most of his time here in the large gardens or at the church, lighting candles and saying prayers for them all. The church was currently empty so Remy knew where to look next. While some might complain that Asher was absent and not around Kimble and Aiden as much as he could be, being their steward and all, the boys had been quiet and good. There had been no trouble since Kimble's return to his apartment.

Asher was currently walking along the fishpond, Smee draped around his shoulders in sleep like a warm purple scarf. Asher began to smile even before Remy called out to him, his shine sparkling with happiness for the company. Gambit fell into step beside him, his own grin wide. "Bonjour, fils."

"Nice day innit? Course it's always nice in here."

"Got a minute?"

"For m' Master? I gots all day."

Remy laughed. "I'm not yo' Master."

"Yes ya are," Asher insisted with a laugh of his own. "God gaves ya to me an' I intends ta keeps ya. Cain't be disrespectin' the guy like that."

Remy shook his head in playful agreement and asked his question. "You know about Kim an' Aiden wantin' to get hitched?"

Asher nodded. "Of course. It's a good thing. It'll be fer both of them." He looked at Remy, seeing his concern. "Don'cha worry none 'bouts them. I'll be watchin' over them both. They both loves the other so deep an' so well. Apart from each other, they's just broken men. Kimble needs someone around alla the time lookin' after him and Aiden needs to be needed and ta cares fer someone. Together, they heals themselves. They'll be whole again."

Gambit mulled that over, but asked, "An' if Jael wins the Game? He'll separate dem."

Asher shook his head. "If Jael wins the Game, I'll say the sames ta him. I'll speaks fer thems."

"Dat didn't matter none to the Bimbo Twins. You say dey dead. Jael don' care nuthin' for dem."

Asher frowned a little at the thought of his lost kin. He knew Remy was right, but had this to say, "Kim an' m' Dreamer deserve whatever time they gots comin'. If it's God's will that they be separated, His will be done. At least they'll have had sumpthin'. Best they bond now an' worry 'bout the rest later."

Remy couldn't help but agree with Asher's reasoning so he moved on to his next concern. He said, "Kimble's doin' better, but 'e ain't as bright as he was. Not like when we was livin' at Westchester."

It was true that Kimble was better, but he was acting more childish and small than he had before. Not in a bratty kind of way, but he more often looked to others to make his decisions for him and he avoided anything emotionally painful. Kimble had given up some small part of himself when he brought Seth out of Shemusk. It was looking like that sacrifice had been permanently made and Kimble would never be the same again.

Aiden had done his best to help, he had stepped up into the role of Master quite easily and had taken charge of the Lover. Kimble listened to Remy and Asher both, but it was Aiden who ultimately told Kimble which direction to go. Kimble was happy enough with that scenario, but Remy was concerned at Kimble's lack of independence. That part of Kimble seemed gone, perhaps frightened out of him by what he perceived as his inability to make a correct decision. Kimble feared judgement and punishment.

Asher nodded at Gambit's words, stroking his sleeping Mumbler. "Thing you gots to remember is that Kim ain't never really been well and he ain't gonna be well again. Not the way you means."

Remy stopped in his tracks, looking up at Asher as though he had just been betrayed. "Espe're. What you mean?"

Asher held up a hand, asking for patience. "You knows as well as I do that Kim's codes been compromised, they wuz ever since Fallen woked him up. He shares them with Seth. When Kim brung Seth outta Shemusk more of them codes wuz passed and he ain't never gitten thems back."

Remy was forced to nod in agreement. Yes, he knew that Kimble and Seth were two parts of one whole, but it was like it had never really mattered before. Kimble had always been rocky, but could still be stable in the best of circumstances. Remy wasn't sure what Asher was getting at now.

Asher resumed walking, waiting for Remy to follow before continuing with his thoughts. "Kim wuz already shattered beyond repair even when you guys first met. Thinks on it. Kim is really five peoples not just four. You gots the Lover..." Asher said, counting off on his fingers, "...the Quitter, the Confessor, the Punisher... and Seth."

Remy shook his head, but not really in denial. He had never thought this way. To him, Seth was a separate individual.

Asher prodded him. "That's right, Seth is an individual, but only by the grace of his Mistress. She allowed for total separation, the only thing that might spares him Kimble's fate."

" 'Spares 'im Kimble's fate'?" Remy repeated in confusion.

"Seth is just as fragile as the Lover on his own. But by grantin' him total separation, he ain't hearin' the voices and gittin' so swamped. She's sheltered him and kept him safe. Just the fact that he went through a kind of Shemusk speaks to his freedom. I really thinks he's gonna be okay."

Remy was quiet, not sure how to respond. Asher had not yet met Seth, something that he felt might have more to do with Seth avoiding the centaur than the other way around. Seth was afraid and maybe some of that fear was justified.

Asher's soft voice interrupted Gambit's thoughts. "I cain't integrates him with Kimble, Rems. And even if I could, I wouldn't. Fer better or worse, Seth is on his own now."

Gambit stopped again, his eyes wide. Asher had just given voice to an idea that had only just begun to dawn on him, what the point of this conversation was leading to. If Seth was aware of his own true identity and knew that Asher had some integration capabilities, he might avoid Asher just as he had been doing, even if it wasn't a conscious thing.

Asher went on to say, "I would likes vera much ta haves a peek 'r two at Seth, just to satisfy m' own curiosity, but I gots a sense that he's scared of me."

"You can feel him?" Remy asked in surprise. Since the two had not met, it seemed odd to him that Asher would be so aware of Kimble's younger brother. The boy had been hardly seen by anyone since his marriage and there had been some quiet joking that he and Fallen were enjoying a sort of second honeymoon.

Asher was laughing. "Oh, yes. I kin feels him just fine just like I do Kim an' m' Dreamer since theys so close to me right now. He is quite well and enjoying his Mistress very much. I do still gits a sense that he feels bad fer Kimble. He blames himself fer what happened just as he fears I'll try ta integrates him with Kimble like maybe the Games Master woulda done. I wouldn't ever do nuthin' likes that, wouldn't even knows how ta try. If you sees him, you should tells him it wuzn't ever his fault and that I wouldn't ever hurts him."

"I been tryin', fils. He just loves Kim so much and he's sorry de boy got into so much trouble."

Asher smiled again, releasing a vibration of deep affection. "He loves ya. This is good. It's good that alla the kids haves ya here."

Remy shook his head in humble denial. "Non. It's good to 'ave you 'ere 'elpin' me out. Dis been real 'ard for me fo' a long time now. I'm plain tuckered out."

"Yes," Asher replied, nodding gratefully. "And now you gots a family comin'. Congratulations."

Remy smiled warmly at the thought of Molly and his precious twins. "Merci."

Asher kept the conversation rolling, "Kim's got multiple problems, not just bein' shattered. Yer lucky he's as good as he is. He shares his codes an' I seen he had a real long hypersleep. None of that is doin' him any good."

"Hypersleep is dat bad?"

"It can be."

"What's it like?" Remy asked, wanting to learn more about this strange way of suspending the holograms for travel. He'd only heard about it and knew only a little.

"Hypersleepin'?"

"Oui."

Asher considered his answer. "It's like sleepin' but it ain't. Ya feels yerself fallin' down into a deep black place, but once ya gits there, ya don't ever dream. When ya wakes, everathin's all screwed up an' backwards. The sensory input takes so long ta gits used to again. The longer yer down, the worse it gits, that's why Trishnar never put me down fer long, no more than a few days at a time. It's real hard on some of us. Heard stories of us what went pure crazy from it. I don't likes it much m'self."

"How do you deal wit it?"

Asher smiled. "I meditates. I thinks on it when I knows it's comin'. Then it ain't nearly so bad."

"What happens if you asleep a real long time?"

"Mostly it don't makes much difference, but I think what kin trip us up is if the power supply ain't right. If it ain't consistent it screws with our drives. We kin fergit stuff, lose our memories and git all our thoughts jumbled up. I thinks maybe it affects us chemically, too. I finds that if I eats lotsa chocolate, git m' carbs up real high b'fore I goes, it helps, too."

"What if I told you Kim was down almost sixty years or so?"

Asher nodded. "Could be sumpthin' towards why he's so unstable, maybe not. 'Pends on how good his power wuz in all that time. I would say that bein' down like that could shure kill yer life span. He wouldn't live so long. Now you says that he's been melted, that he takes the plasma now. That on the other hand extends our life, makes us near immortal. Looks like one mighta canceled out the other. Kim's Angel prob'ly helped, too. Since he come out inta such love an' fergiveness, that probably helped him out more. He coulda had it a lot worse."

Remy nodded, always amazed by Asher's insight. The centaur hadn't actually met Fallen either yet seemed to know some things about her that hadn't actually been said. "So Kim's fucked? He always gonna be a mess?"

Asher laughed, a bit startled by Remy's language. "Naw. He just needs ta be kept small like I said. It's best ta gives Kimble nuthin' ta frets about. He cain't hear the voices if theys gots nuthin' ta say. It's all part of the healin' and once it's done it'll all be better. Just you waits an' sees. I got watch and Aiden's been doin' his best at seein' that Kim don't want fer nuthin'."

Remy digested what Asher had told him, always grateful for the centaur's perspective on things. He had been watching Asher carefully of course, these past few days. It helped that Asher was open about so many things, but it didn't mean that he was trouble free himself. Remy knew that Logan's words had hurt the centaur deeply and even though Asher had said nothing more about it, it still stung.

Remy also knew that living with Kimble and Aiden had its own problems. More than once now, Remy had followed Asher out here only to find him 'running off the red' as Remy was coming to call it. Aiden's cure for Kimble involved a lot of intimacy and that would be hard for the celibate Asher to be around and remain untouched by it. Asher ran off his frustration and when it seemed that Kimble was settling down, stayed away as much as he could while remaining nearby in case he was needed.

"If you gots a question..." Asher said, interrupting his thoughts, "..go ahead an' asks. I don'ts embarrass easy."

Remy glanced up at him, unable to stop the smile from spreading his lips. Asher never let you forget his intuition bordered on the telepathic. "You an' Trishnar ever...? You know?"

Asher grinned. "Yeah. We tried once an' it wuz a disappointment fer us both. Mostly fer me I guess, an' not fer the reason yer thinkin'. My pain wuz doubled cuz he couldn't finish me or even fathom how ta even try. Then he got all upset abouts it and that hurt worse, you know? It wuz an experience too painful ta repeats. At least Trishnar wuz happy ta sees that I didn't ever hold it against him 'r nuthin'. I cain't say as I totally regrets it. We wuz best at bein' friends after that an' he gots to know me better than maybe he would have if we wuz just lovers, you know?"

"Oui. I understand," Remy agreed thoughtfully. He still felt bad. It had to be hard, especially being around Kimble and Aiden, two Siskans deeply and passionately in love. He had visions of the two of them coupling madly at every opportunity.

"Kim an' Aiden ain't so bad," Asher replied to nothing that Remy had actually articulated. "It's good they's happy an' kin play freely now. I suspect that Jael will be comin' along shortly. Let them haves their time together."

"Kim's got work to do. Tomorrow 'e go back to work. We need de Dragon finished."

"That ain't no problem," Asher answered easily.

Remy quirked an eyebrow. He didn't see how Asher could be so casual about it, really. Kimble hadn't seen Seth nor Fallen since the ugly incident that had preceded this mess and Remy had no idea how they were going to react after being thrown back together. The Dragon 2 was in a bit of a rush to be completed. There was a sense of Jael breathing down their necks and any advantage they could take from having two such speedy ships at their disposal the better, especially if they were forced to evacuate. Gambit was also one to agree that it was best to get painful confrontations over with early, it was a lesson Molly had taught him and it was a good one. They almost never fought, and when they did, they got it over with early so that there was never a build up of tension between them.

Asher looked at him. "Kim ain't goin' alone. Me an' Aiden will goes with him and back him up."

Remy shook his head. "Not Aiden."

"Yes, Aiden," Asher replied forcefully. "Alla these things gots to be worked out an' fergotten. Avoidin' folks didn't ever solves nuthin'. They both go with us standin' behind 'em. There won't be no trouble, I guarantees it."

"Dis not a good idea. Fallen won't be happy."

Asher put an arm around Remy's shoulders. "Trust me. It'll be fine."

Remy hesitated a moment and then cautiously asked, "Since Kim ain't doin' so well, you t'ink Aiden gonna shatter again, too?"

"Don't be so hasty ta count Kim out. I toldja he'll be all right so long as he's properly looked after," Asher answered, but then squinted, giving Remy's question serious consideration. "As fer m' Dreamer, I don't really know. He certainly is capable of breakin' if he got hurts enough same as any of us, but Paladon's integration on Aiden wuz a heck of lot better than the job Darken did on yer Kimble. There wuzn't no pieces left out, no Seths for Aiden and that helps."

" 'E say 'e still sees ghosts. Father and Talalanay."

Asher nodded. "I knows. I've suspected it fer a long time though he ain't never told me directly like. I can say that Aiden's different now than when I seen him last. Stronger an' weaker at the same time. He looks more tired yet more hopeful, too. I gots a feelin' yer Kimble's had a lot ta do with that. It's good that he's found her again."

"Can I trust him?"

Asher smiled at that. "Aiden? Oh, yes. Of that I haves no doubt. He'll be good fer you and fer Kimble. Don't worry none about the work site tomorrow. It'll all be just fine, you'll see."