Seeley sunk down on his bed. The softness of the sheets engulfed him but the blood stains were too much of a reminder of what was to become. As he slowly got up and walked towards the bathroom a blood trail followed. He turned and watched as the deep hue of the red glistened in the moonlight.

Snippets of the previous night fluttered through his mind's eye. It had started like any other Sunday. As soon as his feet hit the cool carpet he let out a single prayer, one he had been praying as long as he could remember. One of determination and strength, of forgiveness and unwavering devotion. Hope. His small lengthy form arose as the smell of pancakes filled his nostrils. He followed the scent to a small kitchen. The scene looked like it was something out of a fairytale; that was of course because his father had yet to hit the bottle.

The morning was spent speaking of school, work and all things homely. An afternoon was still on the horizon and as the dark clouds loomed above so did one in his heart. At noon the seal of a bottle was broken and that did not end until the wee hours of the morning.

Seeley's eyes shot open from a deep slumber as his body was hurled across the room until it crashed into the wall, leaving evidence of his presence.

"So did ya like that boy? Did ya?" A dark figure spit at him.

Seeley just stayed quiet hoping to not enrage the beast.

"Well I guess you didn't get enough."

And with one twist of the wrist he was sent into the opposite wall, instead this time his body was flown through into the bathroom. Bottles gave way to his meager form as they splashed about. A man walked up to the bathroom in the shadows and smirked.

"Seems you have learned your lesson for the day."

Seeley leaned back against the cool tile in anticipation for another hit just to find emptiness.

"Yeah, determination." He muttered when he was sure the man was gone.

After a few moments of silence he picked up his small form and walked into his room. He sank into the comfort of his sheets as he pulled them over his head and let out soft weep.

Nights like that had become all too regular in the Booth household. Seeley had learned to become the brunt of his father's beatings so the rest of his family could have some peace. And that is what led him to today. As warm water rushed over the still dripping wounds a refreshing smile filled his dark and lonely figure. He knew out there somewhere there was a one who would make his life complete. If it took a thousand beatings to almost no recognition then that is what he would do to save her.

He looked up at the moon through the small bathroom window and forced a smile upon his face. The moon shun so bright that night. He felt a tug at his heart as his being filled with an unwavering devotion to the one that filled his dreams. It never was a person but rather a figure. The figure would always be one of perfection yet destruction all rolled into one. He had the same dream night after night. The figure would run and run but never get anywhere. As he ran after the figure it would stop and fade away just as he reached it.

He watched the stars twinkle in the moonlight as the moon faded in and out of the clouds. The rest of the night was spent watching the stars. Somehow he knew there was someone out there watching the same night sky.

----

Temperance saw the black bags at the edge of her bed and knew of what was to come. Another school, another family, another life. She hated these days almost as much as she hated the days of starting her new life. It was always the same. Every few months they would come up with an excuse to move her to another family. It usually was some rambling about her intellect or uncooperation. The excuses never wavered. They never made sense in her mind but she had felt so cold that she really didn't care.

Maybe this time she would meet a family who cared more about her then the paycheck. She grabbed her bags and walked through the small house she once called home. She nodded at the family sitting down to eat dinner and walked out the door. She was sure she would never see them again and for once she was happy. There would be no more beatings or violent outrages on no notice. Once she saw the van pull up she set down her bags and rubbed her wrist. It was still red from the marks inflicted by a man that was way too large for her form. She pulled her coat down over her wrist and walked towards the van, hoping no one saw the past few months of battle scares.

"Evening Temperance." A familiar face spoke as he nodded towards the child.

Temperance just nodded and threw her bags in the back of the van before sitting in the front seat.

The man tried to get Temperance to open up but all she would do was watch her life pass her by out the window. The few faint memories of her real childhood filled her mind and for a brief second she smiled.

The man helped Temperance with her bags as she walked into a small path to a large building. It looked much like a school but schools were a happy place for Temperance and this place was very much the opposite. He carried her bags until they walked into a small room.

"This will be your place for a while Temperance. Just try to make the best of it and make some friends?" He spoke with a soft whisper before he tussled her hair and left.

She began opening her bags as the sound of young children fluttered her ears. They could have been barely over the age of five. Little did they know what they had in store for them. Temperance had not been in the system long but she did know of horrors that should never be spoken of, horrors that would haunt her dreams for the rest of her life. The hours passed one by one as she slowly and with determination placed all her items in their correct spots. Dinner had come and gone but Temperance just kept plugging away at the bags until every item had a home. If she didn't have a home at least her stuff could. As the night fell over her small room Temperance let out a sigh and began to dress for bed. She hoped that she would wake up and her life would be back to the way she dreamed, the way it should be.

She walked to the bathroom with her toothbrush and a cup. All the other children were asleep but Temperance liked it that way. She liked to pretend that it was all a fairytale and it would have a happy ending. As the moonlight cascaded through the small bathroom Temperance reached down and touched the cool floor. The moonlight disappeared over the clouds and Temperance looked up at the sky. She watched the moon weave in and out of the clouds for a while, trying to force her body into a distant land.

She heard a light tapping of feet coming closer so she quickly walked towards the sink to brush her teeth. She looked up at the mirror and tried to unsuccessfully force a smile. After a few futile attempts she turned to walk back to her room. As she reached the door she reached up and touched the window. The moonlight seemed to pass through her being and give her relief. The relief was fleeting but at least for that second she felt loved.