A/N: For this chapter, I suggest Teardrop by Massive Attack. This chapter picks up after the events of the third chapter "Right in Two."
Beloved Helpless
Chapter Seven
He hadn't meant to eavesdrop. No, that was certainly not in his nature. It was hardly Kid's fault that his physiology allowed him such sensitive hearing.
"It's not stupid, Sis. It's how you feel. You should just tell Kid or it'll just grow inside you until it bursts. Like a piñata with too many sweets inside!"
Kid stood there in the mansion hallway, silver serving tray in his hands with two delicate tea cups filled with amber liquid and paired perfectly with sugar cubes and milk. Ever so carefully, as to not let the tray make a noise, he pressed his back against the cool blue-gray wall and just listened.
"Love doesn't work that way, Patty."
It was the night before they'd leave for their dangerous mission to Russia and neither girl could sleep, so Liz had come to Patty's room to try and relax. Of course, the subject of the unspoken had come up. Liz squeezed the pillow in her arms while she sat indian style on her sister's bed. Patty laid on her belly with her legs bent at the knees and kicked softly.
"Well it's not working your way either. Besides being a scardy cat, why not say anything?"
Liz swallowed, trying to word her fuzzy logic in a way that Patty would understand. "You know how when we lived in that park for a while and you played on the see saw? Well the three of us are kinda like a see saw, me and you on the ends and Kid in the center." Patty seemed to be imagining it and gave an enthusiastic nod.
"Well you can't touch the middle from where you sit on the ends, right?" She continued. "I'd have to get up and move further down my side of the see saw, then the see saw doesn't work. It tosses everything outta balance. If things get outta balance and we can't be good guns for Kid, then we won't have a place here. I'd rather just sit on my end and be glad to be on the blasted thing at all."
"But the see saw at the park had really long planks on either side to sit on." Patty smiled. "Our see saw is much much shorter because we're closer to the center than anyone else." Liz bit her lip at that. Where the hell did Patty get sayings like that anyway? It was so corny but so… Not that it changed anything, no, Liz was sure this was still the best thing.
"What other dumb excuses you got? I've got all night." Patty giggled and Liz snorted.
"I don't know why I talk to you about this stuff. Shouldn't it be the other way around since I'm older?"
"Because you're the one with the crush and our friends are just as clueless as you are. There's more to it, c'mon, tell Patty all about it."
Kid swallowed. He should leave. The tea in hand was something he had prepared knowing that the girls were still feeling anxious about the upcoming mission and was meant to ease them, but his presence now would only upset Liz. No, it was best that he just-
"I dunno, I guess he's just way outta my league. Don't get me wrong, I'm gorgeous. But Kid is...he's not like us, Patty."
He looked at his reflection in the tea cups, frowning at the metallic shine of his eyes, the image of his hideous asymmetrical Sanzu lines in his hair. They were reminders of just how different he was than anyone he cared for.
"Besides, if he did pick someone, he would pick someone a little more smart, more..." Liz searched for the right words. Kid needed…he deserved someone not raised on the streets, someone pure who had never smoked or been arrested, someone who had never gotten high or drank herself into a coma. The right girl for him would be an angel of poise, with perfect skin, who woke up shimmering and floated when she walked. Someone who would be able to keep her temper and appear at all of the fancy parties and diplomatic meetings he'd have to attend when he grew more into his future role. A pretty girlfriend, a pretty wife who would be able to dance the dances and take the bullshit of the elite and understand all the politics. A girl that was more 'Shibusen' and a little less 'Manhattan alley.'
"Someone more qualified." Liz finally continued. She stared ahead with a bitter sweet expression and even though something like a sad smile slid onto her lips, her words were dull and hollow. "There's this nice guy at the club we snuck into last weekend that gave me his number. I think after this mission I'll give him a call." Patty nodded and got up. She didn't buy it for a second, but she needed a break from her sister's melodrama.
"I'll be back, gunna go get something to drink."
Liz watched her open the door and pause, looking down. "It must be my lucky day!" Patty stooped low to pick up the tea tray placed by their door. "The tea fairy left us a present."
The perfect placement of all the parts on the tray made a lump form in the back of Liz's throat. Her sister brought the tray over and passed her one of the tea cups but Liz closed her eyes, trying to steady her hands. He had heard. He must have heard. Why else would he have just left the tray and not come in?
"How many sugars?" Patty asked, stuffing two of the cubes into her mouth.
"I-" She wasn't thirsty, she could hardly think. But the warmth radiating from the thin, fragile tea cup in her hands caused her thoughts to slow. He had made it for her, the cup warm like the good intentions behind its making.
"Two please."
Kid entered his bedroom, a haven of order in a world of chaos, but even the symmetry and balance of the furniture and accessories couldn't bring him peace. He sat hesitantly at the foot of his bed and looked at his interlocked fingers. The quiet stillness in the room echoed the isolation he knew so well. The isolation he had been born into. 'He's not like us...'
"Disconnect cleanly…" The words slipped from Kid's lips into the silent room. It had been a mantra that was drilled into him from childhood, dozens of years ago.
It was different back then. The mansion was a cold and distant place filled with tutors, instructors, servants and devoid of friends. The young prince was kept isolated for the sake of his studies that would go on for days straight because he didn't tire like mortals. Language lessons bled into history, bled into soul theory, bled into combat training, bled into cultural studies, bled into dance, into music, into forever.
"Young Master, please pay attention." His elderly soul theory teacher tapped on the white table in the mansion's private library. The young Shinigami, with the physical appearance of a six year old, stared vacantly out the window at other children who were playing in the streets below. He wore a frilly white dress shirt and little black shorts with black suspenders, his hair still much the same as it would be when he was older, just with two inches of white on the back of his head.
"I want to go outside." The child didn't even look at the teacher.
"You know that's not possible." He took a deep breath. "You are to stay here until you finish your lesson on resonance and then you're to report to the music room to-"
Kid turned with a clear frown on his round little face. "I want to go outside."
"If you go outside and make friends-"
"I am well aware of the possible consequences." The young Shinigami slammed his hands down on the table. His voice was cold and it sent a shiver up the man's spine. "I do not intend to make friends with anyone, I just simply cannot stand to be here with you or these books another moment." Kid stood and walked to the door.
Mortals were like dandelions, that awful teacher would often explain. They're golden for a few days, then grow white and fade away soon after. Then the man would have the nerve to throw his mother into his argument. 'If you make emotional connections to mortals, you'll have to grieve hundreds, maybe thousands of times during your life span.' Losing his mortal mother had been devastating, Kid didn't need another mortal to warn him of the dangers of getting too close to those who'd die long before him.
His mother…he wondered what she'd have to say about how things were now. She was a graceful, gentle, love filled woman who adored nature, beauty and the arts. Back then, behind Death Mansion was a rose garden, filled with roses of all the natural colors. There were trees then, in the corners of the property and under them, sat a woman of love.
She was an image of beauty, with long flowing black hair that tumbled down her shoulders and into the grass. On her curvy frame she wore a black dress that both flattered her and remained demure. Her skin was pale and flawless and on her slender, graceful hands were two Shinigami skull rings which he wore still to this day. Kid could recall often sitting in her lap when his actual age was ten but remained an adorable three year old in appearance. Her loving arms were wrapped around him, holding an art book in view as she rested the side of her cheek against his head.
"Can you tell me who painted this one?" Her voice was smooth, in his recollection. The child thought for a moment before touching the page and looking up at his mother, with his father's eyes.
"This one is too easy." He giggled. "You painted this in my room. It's Circle Limit Three by M. C. Escher."
"Very good. And what is special about this picture? What art aspect does it represent?"
"Symmetry! Oh and value of primary colors."
"Very very good." She kissed his head and closed the book before shifting him from her lap in order to stand. Her son lifted his arms over his head and she dipped low to pick him up. Kid buried his face into her hair which always smelled sweet. He always felt safe there, in her arms. Carefully, she carried him into the rose garden and handed him a basket.
"Hold this for mommy while I cut some roses, ok?"
"Ok!" He held it tight. With one arm, she held her precious son while the other cut and placed rose after rose into the basket.
"Does it hurt the flowers when you cut them?"
"No. Flowers are happy to bloom to be enjoyed by the people who love them." She smiled.
"But they'll just wilt and die, why bother?"
The woman gently put her son down and kneeled in the dirt to look him in his eyes, holding a peach colored rose in his view. "One day, when you're older, you'll ask yourself that same question and I want you to remember what I say, even if it's years and years later, ok?" she waited for him to nod and she sat, pulling him into her lap.
"Isn't this rose beautiful?" She asked, handing it to him. After a moment of thought, Kid nodded. "Does it make you happy?" He tilted his head before nodding. "Then you should enjoy it to the fullest while it is alive. You could leave it in the garden and visit it now and then, but you can't truly appreciate it until you bring it with you. Yes, it will wilt and die, but you will have a stronger memory of that rose if you allow it inside your heart." She placed a loving hand over his tiny chest.
"As long as you remember it, it still lives. All these roses in this basket are coming with us into our home and while they're alive we will love them. When you're grown up, people will say it's better not to bother with flowers, but don't believe them, no matter what. Life is cold and empty without roses."
The boy was perplexed. Were roses really that important? Weren't they just flowers? But he didn't want his mother to think he wasn't listening so he looked over his shoulder.
"Ok, Mama, I'll remember."
They cut a number of roses and once inside, Kid climbed up onto a chair, standing in the seat to be able to watch as his mother arranged the perfect flowers into a crystal vase.
"See how the colors balance one another?" Red roses were on the outside, then pink ones, then two peach ones and then she handed him the single white rose. "Place that one between the two peach roses."
The boy concentrated before sliding the flower in just right and earned a small round of applause from his mother.
"There. Now it's perfect."
"Symmetry." He pointed and she kissed his head.
"You're right. All parts are balanced and are in perfect harmony. This one…" she pointed at the white rose. "This one is you. You're the center of my universe and all things fall into balance around you."
He reached out and touched the soft petals of the peach rose to the right of the white rose. "Then who are these ones?"
"Whoever is closest to you." She hugged him.
"You and father!" He smiled up at her.
But soon after that, she grew sick and died and the balance was lost. His father tore up the rose garden and paved it over so that Kid could be trained in combat. Instead of laughter, there was the isolation of studying and expectation and it stayed that way for decades until on the night of her birthday, he had decided to leave the mansion and travel to the east coast to get away from the prison of his home.
With a slow sigh, Kid got up and went to prepare for his shower before bed. There was no use in wasting time contemplating things he could not change. Such pointless undisciplined thoughts, he scolded himself. There was Russian that he had to review, strategies to go over. Everyone was counting on him and Liz and Patty's safety was in his hands. Kid stood and began to get ready for his shower, focusing on things he still had the power to influence.
Liz stared at herself in the mirror that next morning. She had slept for less than an hour and it seemed no matter how much foundation and concealer she put under her eyes, the rings still showed through. The very least she could do was make sure they were equally dark. Once that was done, she checked again that her hair part was down the center, that the pieces she liked to let frame her face were equal thicknesses on both sides.
Kid had had his servants issue her a black ribbed turtle neck that thankfully covered her arms and stomach since they were traveling to a significantly colder climate. The white pants issued were form fitting, but she didn't mind. Over all, this was a good look. She added the small white tie to the shirt and the given long white winter coat and gave a pleased nod. If it came down to it, this was a good outfit to die in.
It was an idea she considered without being completely serious. If this was the last thing she'd wear at least she'd look good. Liz smoothed the fabric of the pure white winter coat thinking about how hard it would be to get all of the blood out without letting it stain.
A knock at her door made her jump. "Liz," Kid's voice called through. "If you are ready, please come downstairs for breakfast."
"I'll be down." She called back, her hand firmly placed over her chest. The sound of early morning birds caught her attention and Liz sighed. It should be criminal to leave before the sun was up, 13 hour flight or not.
"Who are the roses for?" Patty asked, hyper on anticipation and maple syrup. In the middle of the table was a small arrangement of black and white roses.
"No one." Kid replied as he worked on cutting his pancakes into perfect pieces. It wasn't a lie, they certainly weren't a gift for anyone. Today was his mother's birthday and also the anniversary of his discovery of Liz and Patty, but he didn't want them to pry into his past, or appear silly and sentimental.
Liz stumbled into the room, yawning and stretching before sitting next to Patty. For a few blissful moments she was too sleepy to recall last night, but as soon as it hit her, Liz tensed and glued her eyes to her food. He knew. Heknewheknewheknew she might as well have said it to his face and-wait. Were those roses in the middle of the table? She looked up and stared at the perfect round arrangement of white and black roses. Strange, there were almost never any kind of real flowers in the mansion. What if he was feeling romantic? What if they were for her? Oh god.
"Who are the roses for?" Liz asked, reaching out to take one from the vase, only for Kid to jump up and grab her hand. She winced at how hard he was squeezing.
"They're for no one. You'll ruin it." She met his eyes to find them narrowed at her.
"Fine. Sorry, jeeze." She shook her hand free and got up. "I'm not hungry anyway."
Patty watched her sister get up before frowning at Kid. "That was really mean." She grabbed her plate and Liz's plate and walked away from the table, leaving Kid alone with the flower filled vase.
Mortals were dandelions. Girls were foolish and rash. The vase, like the city, was filled with things that were dying. There was nothing that could be done about it, so why feel any sort of way? So, with a deep breath, Death the Kid took in the quiet and disconnected himself cleanly from the emotions around him.
This was all on the same day that Maka and Black Star's teams would attempt to capture Pavel Titov. Long before the four would wake, Kid and his guns left the city for the airport to face their own trials.
On the small private plane, the three of them sat side by side with Liz to his right, and Patty to his left as always. It had only been moments after take off when Liz drifted off, her head resting against the wall of the plane.
"She didn't get much sleep." Patty said, leaning forward. "I thought she woulda stayed up a little longer with all the coffee she drank though." she waited for him to say something to shrug off the subject, but when Kid just sat there, looking at Liz while she slept, Patty sighed and rested her cheek in her hand. "You heard us talkin' last night, didn't you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Kid quickly turned his attention forward, looking at nothing in particular.
"Fibber. Do you like her too?"
"No." He had said it so plainly and without hesitation, but his distant expression didn't change. "If I did have feelings for Liz, it wouldn't matter."
"Because you're a god and she's not? Oh like vampires in those romance books who fall in love with people!" Patty tapped her chin before striking a dramatic pose, much like Romeo calling to Juliet. "Oh darling, our love can never be for I shall live a million years and your life is like fleeting twilight!"
Kid scoffed at that, frowning. "Don't compare this to shallow, trashy romance novels."
"At least in those trashy romance novels, the main character learns to appreciate the lives of mortals, even if they are short. You enjoyed those roses at breakfast enough to stop Sis from touching them. They still make you happy, even if you know they're going to wilt and die, right? Aren't we kinda like that?"
He turned and just stared at Patty. Just. Stared with wide golden eyes. The image of his mother, holding that glorious peach colored rose out to him came back to mind.
"Wh-who told you that?" Kid asked, leaning closer to her. Patty blinked and leaned a little away.
"I just made it up. Why?"
He sighed and rested back in his seat, closing his eyes. "Nothing. Never mind. All of this talk about roses and feelings is distracting. We all should rest while we can."
There was silence for only a moment before Patty began talking again. She was never one for quiet.
"You know, life was really tough for me and Sis before we met you. We got by on muggings and selling hot cars." Patty brought her knees up to her chest as her tone turned into a foreign seriousness.
"She doesn't think I know, but she did other things to make sure that I could eat, or we had a place to sleep when it was cold. Bad, bad things. Men that would let us sleep in their garages or sheds would ask her to do things in return. And she would. For me." There was a brief moment of sadness in her voice and face, but it was quickly pushed aside with a happy smile. "But then you came and didn't ask for anything special and gave us everything."
Even if Kid still had his head back and his eyes closed, she could tell he was listening. "She'd never admit it, but you're her messed up prince charming. Even if you don't like her like her, say somethin'. It's the least you could do for as much as we put up with all your belly achin'." She stuck her tongue out playfully before resting her head against her own wall.
Kid peeked open an eye when Patty was quiet for a few moments. Slowly, as to remain as quiet as possible, he sat upright and turned his gaze to Liz. Kid couldn't fathom the sort of things Patty had mentioned, the sorts of 'bad, bad things' that Liz had done for shelter and food for her sister. A young woman as physically attractive as her, it wouldn't be hard to guess. Having the will and the strength to do something like that and make that sort of choice…enduring the responsibility of caring for someone in such a hostile environment. Or perhaps the unmentioned home environment they had lost or escaped from in the first place… He simply couldn't comprehend.
And rather than seeing any sort of filth in her for such choices, Kid only saw strength. Even though the elder gun was often the more timid one, when it came down to it she was infinitely brave, doing what it took to protect the ones she loved. Just like now. He knew this mission frightened Liz greatly, but she'd never leave Patty or himself in danger.
But how did he feel for her? Liz was immeasurably important to him, not just as part of a set, a baby sitter, or counterweight for balance, but as a person and perhaps one of his very first friends. She did countless things for him, put up with his tantrums, followed him even if she was scared.
But in all honesty, Kid wasn't sure what love was supposed to look like, or what it meant to be in love. It was never part of his curriculum, and certainly never seen in his own life. All his memories of his mother and father together were in social settings where they acted professionally. The very last thing that he'd want was to hurt her. To say that he felt the same and end up mistaken would be the worst possible outcome. So, once the mission was over, or when they had a quiet moment in private, Kid would explain. He couldn't return feelings he didn't know how to feel.
It was a few hours later when Liz woke, feeling strangely warm and comfortable. When the warmth she was feeling shifted, she looked to her left to find Kid sleeping against her. His cheek was pressed against her arm, his lips slightly parted. He was so…pretty, so fragile but strong, constant yet unstable, and it pained her so much to have him so close.
Softly, she rested her head against his and swallowed the stupid lump in her throat. Her eyes glanced at his hand resting on his knee and carefully she touched the metal ring on his middle finger before feeling brave enough to touch his skin.
Why couldn't she shake these morbid thoughts? Everything within her screamed that they were headed into certain death, and not the normal worry, but real gut twisting cries from her core to make the most of these moments. Liz placed her hand over Kid's, managing to entwine her fingers with his and not wake him. If something did go wrong, she was sure that Kid would still take care of Patty for her. The set would be ruined, but he certainly wouldn't throw Patty out into the street.
That was reassurance enough. Patty would be safe, now even without her. And if Liz never knew what it was like to be in a real relationship, to be truly loved by another, that was ok. At least she finally got to know what it was like to have a home, a place, a purpose here with him.
Liz had hoped so much for snow once they landed, but she was only greeted with rain. The airport runway was cold and busy as she shifted the black umbrella in hand. Patty was stretching and Kid was a short distance away speaking in Russian to an airport official. Maybe it was the jet lag, but it seemed as if everything was slowing down. The trees in the distance swayed and waved in the dark sky slowly. The sound of a black cargo truck pulling up snapped Liz out of it as it pulled up to them and two men opened the back doors.
"No limo?" Liz asked, as Kid walked over just to break the anxious quiet.
"This is a covert mission, Liz." Kid said as he climbed into the back and offered his hand to help her up. "It's imperative that no one knows we're here."
Liz looked at his hand and closed her eyes before taking it. This nightmare mission was truly beginning now. She felt him pull and she gave a push upwards until she was steadied by his hands.
"Everything will go according to plan." His soft reassuring words washed over Liz. "We'll be home before you know it. I've already made the appointment for the spa day I promised."
She opened her eyes at that and found herself face to face with deep pools of gold. Even if the mission was to the center of the sun, she'd believe him when he spoke so kindly to her. Two hands planted themselves on Liz's back and pushed and before she could stop herself, she ended up toppling over on top of Kid onto the floor of the truck, her lips pressed against his.
Everything stopped. The tapping of rain on the top of the truck, the nagging premonitions of doom, her breathing, her heart, time, all of it ended. It was likely that Patty had been the one who shoved her, and it might have been an accident, but she took advantage of the situation. He already knew about everything, so Liz gathered her courage and pressed into the kiss.
But of course, he showed no signs of returning it.
Reluctantly, Liz lifted up just enough to whisper a quiet "Sorry."
"I'm the one that's sorry." Kid whispered back, returning balance back to her face by pushing some hair behind her ear. "Are you alright?"
Liz quickly got up and offered him a hand and a forced grin. "Yeah, I'm fine. You're the one that got squished, not me." In that exchange, he had made it clear. He didn't feel the same, but he still cared. Oh well, it was a dumb dream to hope for anyway. She was just being greedy, like back on the streets. She had a good place. It was best to be grateful for what she had while she had it. Kid took her hand and stood just as the doors to the back of the truck shut.
"Sorry for pushin'." Patty grinned at her sister as Liz sat next to her on the bench provided. "Your big butt was in the way."
"You did it on purpose." Liz huffed before patting Patty's knee in silent thanks. A quick poke to Liz's arm was her sister saying 'you're welcome.'
Kid sat across from the girls. His lips still tingled, his heart still beating erratically. He could still taste the strawberry lip gloss she had on. No, there was the mission to focus on, but his thoughts swirled. It had felt good. Was it supposed to? If it happened again, he wouldn't mind. But that wasn't love, was it? Wasn't it supposed to be a higher sort of meaning than just how his body interpreted one chance happening? But she'd never tell him no. He could ask and she would, he knew that. But that would be wrong, wouldn't it? He'd be just as low as the men they had encountered before who'd made her exchange favors for things. But it was so nice…Ugh! This was infuriating. He leaned forward and clutched his head.
"Hey Kid, think of butterflies." Patty said from the other side of the truck.
"Think of the number eight." Liz added, smiling reassuringly.
"Think of pretty pink hearts!"
"Think of circles and diamonds."
He tried to block out their voices. This wasn't about symmetry. She was so symmetrical, after all, from her hair to her lips, to the apex of female symmetry where matching legs met curvy symmetrical hips…
Liz hopped over to his bench and touched his shoulder. "Hey, did you hit your head when you fell?" She put a gentle hand in his hair to look for any signs of wetness, only for Kid to quickly pull away from her.
"Don't touch me." He snapped and Liz retracted her hand quickly, looking just as hurt as if he had slapped her. "I'm. I'm fine. Don't worry."
Liz frowned but got up. "If you're sure." She took her spot next to Patty and sighed.
It was quiet after that except for Patty's humming. Kid eventually regained his composure, sitting up and looking over at Liz who was busy staring at the truck's back doors with a bored expression. He'd have to apologize properly once they stopped.
The road grew bumpy, which was the first warning sign, for Kid knew that they should be traveling on a route that only consisted of paved roads. No sooner had he decided to stand did the truck come to a jerking stop.
"Liz, Patty." Kid walked to the center of the truck. "Transform."
"I knew this wasn't going to go smoothly." Liz sighed before transforming. Patty followed her lead and Kid shifted his grip on them, steadying his aim at the back of the truck. Outside there were a few cries of pain and the truck began to move again.
"What's going on?" Liz asked. He could feel tension and fear build up and reverberate on her wavelength. He could lie, but it was best to stick to the truth in situations like this.
"We've been hijacked." Kid said as he backed up to the head of the truck before rushing full force towards the backdoors. Even with all of his force, the chained shut doors wouldn't budge. On the fourth attempt there was a loud crack, not the door, but his left shoulder. In the pain, he dropped Patty who transformed back.
"Patty, I need you to help me reset my shoulder." He sighed.
"Ookay!" A huge grin crossed her face. She grabbed his arm and knew just what to do since this wasn't the first time the god had taken his healing for granted and done something dumb with his body. Kid braced for the painful pressure that would come and in their distraction, neither noticed that the truck had stopped moving.
"One. Two. Three!" Patty cheered and there was a loud bang. The doors to the truck slammed opened and before Patty could do anything, two arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her from the truck.
"Patty!" Liz screamed. In an instant, a reflex band had Patty back into her gun form and pointed at Kid who quickly raised Liz in defense. On the ground were eight men, four of them with their own guns pointed at him, but unlike Liz and Patty these wouldn't shoot wavelengths.
"Hand over your weapon and come out now." The leader, a man slightly larger than the others, shouted in rough English before pulling out a different hand gun, the metal corpse refitted to accept bullets like the others. They all wore white, except for three of them that were splattered with the blood of their former drivers. There was a dilapidated shed to one side of the road and on the other side, a ditch before the tiny bank on the edge of a wide partially frozen lake.
"I demand you return my weapon." Kid said sternly, his hold on Liz tightening. It was a bluff. Even now, Kid was trying to work up the strength it would take to fire one gun when the other hand was empty at the end of his currently unusable arm. God, how stupid, dislocating his own arm. The timing was horrible.
The man sighed before glancing at the lake and flashing Kid a grin. Without warning, or any sly remarks, the man tossed Patty towards the mostly frozen over lake next to them. If she fell in there, the cold would have the same effect as if she was in her human form. She'd quickly drown, unable to do anything but sink. Kid had to think quickly and he began to run scenarios in his mind. There'd only be one chance and he only had one hand.
Before Kid could act though, Liz had leapt from his hand, transforming in the air in time to catch Patty before falling into the frozen water.
"Liz!" Kid jumped from the truck, only for the men to grab him. He began to fight back, kicking one man in the face, ducking a grab, moving closer to the water, jumping another attempt, even taking a bullet or two to the back before one man was able to grab his dislocated arm and two others tackled him to the muddy earth on the bank. The leader of the men squatted down and smiled at Kid before looking to his group.
"Hold him. You three, wait for the girl to surface and shoot." He stood and walked from Kid's sight. There, in the cold mud, in great pain and under two large men, Kid watch three others move to the water's surface with their guns pointed.
"I'll go with you, just leave them alone!" Kid yelled, knowing that any second Liz would surface.
"Take aim."
"No!" No this couldn't be happening. In horror, Kid watched as Liz broke the surface of the water, gasping for breath, her hair clinging to her skin. For a brief second he caught her eyes and saw the confusion in them turn into fear. She was able to lift Patty out of the water and aim, not at one of the three men aiming at her, but at one of the two on top of Kid.
When it came down to it, Liz was infinitely brave.
One of the two men toppled off of Kid and she gave him a pleased, loving grin before the three men opened fire on her.
"Liz!" Kid was able to push the other man off. He struggled past the three man firing squad and into the water, wrapping himself around her and taking the rest of the shots. There was so much blood coming from wounds on her that he was too frantic to number.
"Kid..." Liz swallowed, stuffing Patty under his belt. "You'll take...care of her, right?"
Mortals were dandelions. Golden for a few days before fading to white. White like her frozen skin. No, they were precious roses, meant to be enjoyed, with soft, deep red petals like the blood staining the pure white fabric of her winter coat.
Funny, Liz thought as she looked from his eyes to the trees. The branches were still moving in slow motion. It wasn't cold anymore and the anxiousness faded away to calm. Kid was yelling at her, but she couldn't make out what he was saying. It was such a sad face he was making. She had never seen such a sad face on him. Slowly, Liz pulled up a hand to touch his cheek, surprised to see it leave smears of red. Oh yeah…
Think of butterflies.
Think of hearts and diamonds, Liz wanted to tell him. Everything would be alright. The edges of her vision were growing darker and she could see three men wade into the water and grab his shoulders and arms. She hardly felt their rough hands pull her from him. Kid fought to reach out for her, but Liz couldn't gather the strength to move. She simply floated back into the water. The sky was wide and so very gray. It was so quiet.
The water she slipped under was just as consuming, just as calming as the blackness that followed.
Liz Thompson was pleased, over all. She had seen this coming, and she had made use of all of her opportunities. She had done everything in her power to protect her sister. She had done everything in her power to care for her unbalanced yet loveable meister. She fulfilled all promises made and left no regrets behind.
This was it, and it was ok.
Like butterflies and hearts.
Like see saws and tea cups.
Like roses, like dandelions.
Like home.
Like home.