05/05/08
This chapter is for FunkyFish1991 and Flarey Phoenix who drew me adorable pictures for this fic when I was feeling depressed. They're posted on my profile. -smile-
Chapter 8
It took a long time for the remaining legionnaires to convince Brainy to let go of Saturn Girl's hand. They assured him that she would be alright after some rest but he didn't seem to acknowledge any of them except for Lightning Lad, having to know when the older boy moved so he could move as well to keep his hold on his appointed mother's hand. It wasn't until he cried himself into exhaustion that he let go, not even aware of Superman picking him up and taking him to bed.
"What happened?" asked Timber Wolf, joining the others in the medical bay.
"The Fatal Five," said Phantom Girl, wincing when she pressed the cotton ball of antibiotic against her cut stomach. She softly smiled when Timber Wolf took the cotton ball from her and started to treat it himself.
"Those bastards were waiting for us," cursed Lightning Lad, with a pack of ice pressed against his face. "Already had their ship loaded with stolen technology and they just hid in the factory waiting for us to come."
"They got on a lot of cheap shots," said Bouncing Boy. "It was like they wanted to take us down as soon as possible instead of messing with us like normal."
"Empress got Saturn Girl with a strong blast before we even knew they were there and Persuader sliced Phantom Girl so fast that she had barely enough time to move back, let alone phase out," said Triplicate Girl, pausing when she heard Timber Wolf growl.
Phantom Girl patted Timber Wolf on the head, grinning when he shot her a glare and started to bandage her stomach.
"Validus treated me like a rag doll and Superman got hit with so many of those mental blasts I'm surprised he could stand," continued Triplicate Girl, putting a band aid on one of her many scratches. "Tharok fought Lightning Lad and Magno deflated Bouncy."
"How did-" began Timber Wolf.
"Don't ask," said Bouncing Boy quickly.
"That's not even the worse of it," said Lightning Lad.
"Besides Saturn Girl being in a healing trance no one was seriously hurt, were they?" asked Timber Wolf.
"Tharok asked were Brainy was," said Phantom Girl.
Not sure what to make of this, Timber Wolf finished off the bandages and gave the girl his full attention.
"So?"
"They made their escape after realizing Brainy wasn't there," said Phantom Girl.
"The whole ambush was to get Brainy," said Triplicate Girl.
"Why would they want him?" asked Timber Wolf.
"Who knows but lets just hope they think Brainy was on another mission and have no idea what Alexis did to him," said Bouncing Boy. "Last thing we need is for the bad guys to know our strategist and resident brain is out of commission."
Superman walked into the room, but stayed near the doorway.
"Hey Timber Wolf, do you know where Fuzzy is?"
"Is Brainy awake?" asked Timber Wolf, turning to the caped boy.
"No, but Brainy probably will want it when he does wake up," said Superman.
"I'll get it," said Timber Wolf, heading towards the medical bay.
"Timber Wolf," began Superman, when the other boy began to pass him. He lowered his voice. "Are you alright?"
Timber Wolf walked on, as if not hearing him and left the room. Going back to the lounge, he found the bear where Brainy had left it, on the ground with his fallen blocks. Picking it up, he looked at the bear's smile and bright plastic eyes.
"I told the kid everyone would be alright."
--
After Superman had left his room, Brainy opened his eyes and looked around in a cautious matter, listening. When he was sure no one was coming he sat up and slipped out of the bed.
Rushing to the door, Brainy pressed his ear against it and listened. With silence as his answer, he opened the door only enough so he could poke his head out, doing so and looking down both ways of the hall. Opening it a little more, he sprinted to the opposite wall and crept against it until he reached Saturn Girl's door.
This was where he hesitated.
What if Saturn Girl wasn't in there? What if they had taken her to the infirmary or to a physician? What if he was hurt more then the other let on? What if she was… gone?
Unable to bring himself to go in, to see, Brainy slumped against the door and sat on the floor. He would wait.
--
Walking to the room, Timber Wolf stopped when he caught Brainy's scent sooner then he should have. Looking around, he spotted the child, further down the hall, sitting against Saturn Girl's door. He hesitated but went to stand in front of him, soon realizing that the child had fallen asleep there.
Timber Wolf picked Brainy up, letting the child lay against his shoulder as he continued to sleep away. He sighed as he headed towards the Coluan's room.
Opening the door the rest of the way Timber Wolf walked into Brainy's room and pulled back the cover's of the bed. Putting Brainy down upon it, he placed Fuzzy into the child's arms and covered him up.
"I'm sorry."
He was about to head to the door when he was stopped by a little yawn from behind him. Turning back, he saw Brainy trying to blink his tiredness away.
Not bothering to sit up, Brainy turned his head to the older boy.
"How come?"
"What?" asked Timber Wolf.
"Why are you sorry?" clarified Brainy.
For a moment Timber Wolf was tempted to tell the child to go back to sleep and leave the room, but at the same time he didn't want to leave him alone.
"For saying that everyone would be alright."
"Why?" asked Brainy.
This was a question Timber Wolf had been scared he would be asked. He walked back to the bed and sat down.
"There are, bad people in the world and as members of the Legion-"
"I know that," said Brainy, surprising the older boy. "I want to know why you're sorry for saying that everyone would be okay."
Timber Wolf blinked, and then stared at the child. He thought for sure he'd be questioned why the others had been hurt, why he had lied about them being okay.
"Because, they weren't alright."
"Timber Wolf, can you predict the future?" asked Brainy.
Again Timber Wolf blinked and then stared.
"No."
"Then you shouldn't be sorry about being wrong," said Brainy.
Timber Wolf opened his mouth, but then closed it. Why would he try to convince Brainy of his guilt?
Seeing that Timber Wolf wasn't going to say anything, Brainy absently played with Fuzzy's fake fur.
"You really like him, don't you?" asked Timber Wolf.
"Uh-huh," said Brainy, sleepily.
"How come?" asked Timber Wolf.
"Because I can hold him for as long as I want and it doesn't get scary," said Brainy.
"Why would it be scary?" asked Timber Wolf.
"The caretakers were cold," said Brainy, his voice very soft. "They used to do everything, but they were cold." He looked up at Timber Wolf. "They scared me so I did things so they'd leave me alone." He looked away. "Everyone here is warm but it's still a little scary. Fuzzy isn't either warm or cold. He's safe." He closed his eyes and held the bear close to him. "That's why I like him."
There were many ways to take Brainy's words. The caretakers could have been cold physically, or they were standoffish and intimidated someone so young with their lack of emotion. On the same note Brainy could find the Legionnaires warm because they were alive, or warm in their personalities or how readily they accepted him, but he as still scared to get close to them because of the memory of the care takers.
Timber Wolf remembered Lightning Lad talking about Brainy when the Coluan joined the Legion. He was insensitive to the faults of others, condescending and absolutely forbid touch of any kind. Had those caretakers made Brainy that way? That by living with many human like species, he learned to be accepting, kind and allow touch in moderation?
From what Brainy said, it seemed the child was still scared of being touched. He accepted it slowly from Saturn Girl and, once he gotten used to it, crept into allowing the others to come close to him. It could be seen by how Brainy now reached to hold people's hands and no longer screamed or ran away when anyone other then Saturn Girl tried to pick him up.
Still Brainy was, at some level, scared of being touched. And yet the child wanted to pet Timber Wolf.
A new round of guilt struck Timber Wolf and he reached forward to touch Brainy's head.
Jumping, Brainy opened his eyes and looked at the older boy. Seeing who it was, he relaxed and closed his eyes again.
"Brainy?" called Timber Wolf softly.
"Hmm?" asked Brainy, not opening his eyes.
"I'll probably regret this, but I changed my mind," said Timber Wolf.
"You're not sorry anymore?" asked Brainy.
"Not about that. About what we were talking about earlier," said Timber Wolf.
"I can tell Phantom Girl about you loving her?" asked Brainy, now looking at him.
"No," said Timber Wolf, feeling the urge to hit himself. He couldn't believe he actually had to say it. "If you still want to, you can pet me. Occasionally and not when Phantom Girl has her camera, alright?"
Timber Wolf wasn't sure if Brainy understood when the child mumbled an 'okay,' and promptly went back to sleep. He patted the child's hair and left.
A few minutes after Timber Wolf was gone, Brainy yawned. He opened his eyes but stayed still on the bed.
He was tired and his bed was comfortable but he was scared. He kept thinking about Saturn Girl, hurt and all by herself. What if someone came and took her away?
Slipping out of the bed, Brainy held Fuzzy close to him as he left his room.
--
When Superman went to bed, he was surprised to find Brainy sleeping in the hallway, against Saturn Girl's door while using Fuzzy as a pillow. He half wondered how long the child had been there and bent down to pick the child up.
Unlike before, when Timber Wolf had done so, Brainy woke up and groggily looked around him.
"Superman?"
Looking down at the child, Superman's surprise turned into shock when the child went from barley awake to struggling to get out of his arms.
"Brainy, what's wrong?"
"I want to stay with Mommy," cried Brainy, never ceasing his struggle. "I promise not to get in the way. I'll stay by the door so no one steps on me. I promise to be quiet." A sob escaped him. "Please, please, let me stay."
"Brainy, calm down. I'm not going to make you leave Saturn Girl," said Superman.
Stilling, Brainy turned to the older boy with watery eyes.
"Really?"
"Really," confirmed Superman, relieved that Brainy hadn't went back to being scared of him. "We'll just go back to your room real quick, get the blanket you got from Triplicate Girl and be right back, okay?"
"Okay," said Brainy softly, sniffing.
Doing as he said they would do, Superman went and fetched the purple blanket and returned them to Saturn Girl's room. Only instead of setting Brainy back on the floor, he walked into the room.
Having never been in there before, Brainy absently clung to Superman has he surveyed the room.
"We shouldn't be in here."
"I thought you didn't believe in cooties," said Superman.
"I don't," said Brainy. "But being in a girl's room is bad."
"Why?" asked Superman.
"I don't know," admitted Brainy. "No one ever told me, but I think it's because we're not girls and we're not supposed to know their secrets."
Superman nearly laughed but settled for a smile.
"Well Saturn Girl wouldn't want you to sleep on the floor in the hallway so I'm sure she wouldn't mind. If she does, she can make me sit in the corner."
Brainy didn't really look like he believed that, but he accepted it anyway. He looked around the room, a little more curious now. His eyes landed on Saturn Girl on the bed and the tension he had been holding inside of him melted away and he leaned against Superman's chest.
"She looks like the picture of Sleeping Beauty from the story."
Superman absently wondered what kind of stories the girls had been reading the child but he couldn't help but agree. Even though he had always thought of Saturn Girl as a sort of sister, she looked very pretty laying on her back with her hair spread out against the pillows and her hands resting on her stomach.
"Do you think a kiss will wake her?" asked Brainy.
"I don't know," said Superman honestly. Lightning Lad had told him that Saturn Girl could still hear things while she was in a healing trance. Did that mean she could feel things too?
Brainy squirmed in Superman's arms until the boy placed him on the ground. He walked over to the bed, crawled onto it next to Saturn Girl's head and kissed the corner of her mouth. He waited a moment and turned to Superman.
"It didn't work."
"Well, in the story it was her true love who kissed her," said Superman.
"So we need Lightning Lad to kiss her?" asked Brainy.
It was really hard for Superman not to laugh at the face he thought either Lightning Lad or Saturn Girl would make at Brainy's innocent suggestion.
"Maybe, but for now, it's time to sleep."
Nodding, Brainy moved to get off the bed.
Superman raised a hand to stop him.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"To sleep," said Brainy.
"Where?" asked Superman.
"The floor," said Brainy.
"Brainy, I'd make myself sit in the corner if I let you sleep on the floor," said Superman.
"Then where am I sleeping?" asked Brainy. "You're not going to make me go back my room, are you?"
"No, I said I wouldn't and I'm not," said Superman. "You're going to sleep next to Saturn Girl."
"But I can't do that," said Brainy.
"There's nothing wrong with it," said Superman. "When I was your age, I used to crawl into bed with my parents all the time."
"Really?" asked Brainy.
"Really," said Superman. "So, I think you've stayed up long enough."
Laying down next to Saturn Girl, Brainy didn't seem to know what to do with himself. He tried to lay on his back as she was, tried using Fuzzy as a barricade between them, and tried to lay on the edge of the bed before he curled up his side with his head slightly resting on her arm and Fuzzy just above his head.
After wrapping the blanket around Brainy, Superman turned to go.
"Thank you, Superman," said Brainy softly.
Superman turned back and smiled, saying, "You're welcome Brainy. Good night."
"Good night," said Brainy, closing his eyes.
