Author Note: Hi, my readers.

Sorry that it took me like an eternity to update this but I did my best to come up with this chap. Anyway, I think it's quite important to warn all of you that this story might be a bit intense and violent. I might have to rate some chapters M just in case, so please, please, and please, read the author note so that you can be warned first what you're about to read. Not every chapter is gonna be M, that's why I prefer to rate the whole story T. I will make the warning bold so that you all can see it clearly.

This chapter is also M. There are blood and a body though I don't describe them that much. If you don't like those stuff, I suggest you wait for the next chapter, my dear readers.

Okay, now, back to not-serious mode. Thank you for every kind review from all of you as always.

For Harpyl, welcome to Long time no see. Thank you so much that you appreciate it. I, too, always want to know more about their background. The thing is I can't find that in the books nor the movie, so I decided to come up with it by myself. I like Caul as well. I just love his relationship with Miss Peregrine. You can find many other marvelous fics of other authors with Caul as the main character here, in . And they are great, super great. Some of them become my inspiration. There are so many great authors around here and I love their works so much. I think everyone should be afraid of Caul, even the bravest one. He is dangerous. And yes, I'll continue this story as far as it can go. As long as there are still readers, I won't stop writing. Thank you again for your support. Thank you.

For WOAH, WOAH, thank you. And yes, Enoch did get some swing. I'm so glad to hear that you like it. Thank you again.

For Sarah1224, thank you, dear. I'm so flattered.

For Axe, I'm sorry for the rate. I put it in Author Note but I didn't make it obvious enough to be seen. I'm terribly sorry that it upset you. Sorry.

For a guest who asked about Olive, the ice man, Malthus, will come soon. I won't miss him for sure. For Enoch's pain, it's my friend's idea and I think it's great. I mean you don't need to be peculiar but somehow, when something bad happens to those you love, you might feel something. Some strange feeling that you cannot explain. Olive just feels it stronger than others, that's all.

For I follow my heart, thank you and I suggest you sign up for an account so that you don't have to check it everyday, dear. Anyway, if you don't want to, I normally update this story once a week. You can check it every 7 day instead.

For Lily, thank you and yes, I promise I'll keep updating. Thank you so much.

Now, a very special thank for my twin sis, Yuna McHill, for beta-reading this piece of work. Without her the language wouldn't have been this perfect. Thank you so much my dear sis.

Okay now, I'll let you go but before that, please, don't forget to give me some reviews after finishing this. I'll wait to hear from you, my dear readers. Thank you in advance.

Enjoy!

Chapter X

'I want the blue one. Miss Peregrine's-feather blue. Can we do that?' Claire asked after dipping her whole right hand in the bucket of yellow color and imprinted it on the paper.

'Of course, the blue one. Why don't you ask Enoch to mix colors for you? I think this blue is too bright to be Miss Peregrine's-feather blue.' Olive, whose right hand was bright orange and left hand green, looked inside the bucket of blue color.

'Cawwww.'

'Really?' Little Claire asked the Twins, who seemed to agree with what Olive had suggested.

'Caw.' They nodded.

'Let me see.' Enoch who had sat there silently stood up and looked at the bucket of blue color. 'I think we just have to make it a bit darker, that's all. Could you please bring me the black one there?'

'Which one?' Claire tried to find the one Enoch asked for.

'The one in a corner.'

'Got it!'

Little Claire lifted the bucket and walked back to Enoch. She stepped past other buckets, making sure that she wouldn't cause a colorful disaster in Miss P's parlor, but when she almost reached Enoch, the girl jumped across the very large paper on the floor and -

CRANK!

What came next was the moment of silence, before it was completely des-

troyed by Olive's and the Twins' laughter.

Claire was stunned on the floor for a few seconds, but she couldn't help laughing at what she saw. Enoch knew right away what he looked right now must be quite... funny.

He hadn't seen his face yet since there was no mirror around, but he could feel a drop of color drip from his hair. It tasted quite weird on his lips and thank Birds that it didn't get into his eyes.

'I'm sorry.' Little Claire tried to hold her laugh but she just couldn't. So did Olive and the Twins.

'Here, let me help.' Olive giggled and used her hands to wipe Enoch's face, but after she had finished doing so, they all laughed harder and Enoch knew why when he saw Olive's hands. They were orange and green.

'I'm sorry.' Olive held her stomach, trying to breathe for she couldn't stop laughing.

Enoch gave them all a look which didn't really help. He couldn't speak, for he didn't want to taste the color more than he had already tasted. He stood up and found out that there were many drops of the color on the floor. He looked at his hands which were entirely black, as if he had just bathed in a pool of ink.

It was quite sticky, the color on his hands.

It has dyed his whole palms black.

It smells so disgusting like... blood.

It is his blood. That monster's blood on his hands.

His whole body trembles uncontrollably when he realizes what he has done. He looks at the body right in front of him and wonders for a few seconds how that wight died. But the answer is quite obvious in his hand. He quickly throws away the bloody metal pipe as if it were a snake. But blood, the wight's blood, is still on his hands.

Enoch has never been afraid of blood before, but the fact that he has just killed a man makes him quiver. It's not like he going insane or something, he just feels... hollow. Suddenly, he just automatically shuts himself from everything. He doesn't see, doesn't hear, doesn't feel, but the smell. The disgusting smell is too strong to be ignored. It keeps bringing the pictures of the body back. The wight's beaten face keeps flashing up in Enoch's mind.

'Enoch. Look at me. Come back to me, Enoch. Enoch.'

The voice, the voice that he longs to hear.

'Enoch, it's alright now. Enoch.'

'It's alright now.'

It was raining outside his bedroom. She held him in her arms, her hand rubbing his back. The pictures of Victor's body were gradually fading from his mind. Her presence slowly pulled him back into reality, the reality which is cruel but true, truer and clearer than the dark world he had fallen into. Her warmth gave him hope, hope that everything would be better, hope that Victor was in a better place, hope that they all would be safe under her wings. Her voice gave him power, power to rise up again, power to be himself, power to go through what would come.

'Let him go, Enoch. Let him go.'

It was hard, but Enoch knew it was time to say goodbye to his best friend. He saw Victor again. The blurry figure of his friend appeared in his thoughts. Victor was waiting, waiting for Enoch to let him go, to free him, to be happy again.

'Let him go.'

Enoch let go of his friend's hand. Victor gave him a last smile, before tur-ning around and walking away into the light.

'It's alright now. Come back to me.'

He heard her. He heard Miss Peregrine.

'Come back to me, Enoch. Come back.'

He hears her. He hears Miss Peregrine.

'Enoch.'

Enoch blinks repeatedly to clear his vision and his mind. He can't see anything except the navy blue collar of Miss Peregrine's dress. The boy tries to turn around, but Miss Peregrine quickly cups his face with her talon-hands, not allowing him to do so.

'Don't look back, Enoch. Look at me.'

The teenage boy swallows the lump in his throat. It doesn't go down at his will and it still robs him of his breathing.

'What you have done,' Miss Peregrine's eyes lock on his face, 'is self- defense. You saved me, Enoch. There's nothing wrong. Understand?'

Enoch looks at his hands, his bloody hands.

'Look at me.'

They are black, black and sticky.

'Look at me, Enoch.'

Miss Peregrine uses her dress to clean them, to wipe that disgusting liquid from his hands.

'It's alright, Enoch.'

His lips tremble, his hands tremble, his whole body trembles.

'It's alright.'

She holds his hands in hers and raises them up a bit. His eyes follow his hands until they meet her eyes, her sharp green eyes.

And finally, he sees her. He sees Miss Peregrine. He sees the woman he longs to see. She is here, with him, in front of him, beaten, bruised, bleeding, crying, yet smiling. Smiling her beautiful smile as always. To him. At him. For him.

'It's alright.' She tells him again, squeezing his hands, making them warm.

'Miss...' His tongue is numb, hard to move as if it were swollen. But he doesn't give up. 'Miss-. Miss P.'

'Yes,' Alma cries in relief, 'yes, it's me.'

Slowly Enoch leans forward and holds her tight. He has never done this before, but who cares? He has got her back. He has got his ymbryne back. His foster mother. The woman who loves them with all her heart. And in that moment, it's as if the armor he always wears has tumbled down. He has nothing to hide. All of his feelings, his tears of relief, his tears of joy, his tears of despair come out and that makes him feel better. That makes him feel alive again. That gives him strength. No matter what, he has to protect this woman. No matter what, he has to protect his brothers and sisters.

No one knows how long they have stayed like that. But this is not a proper place to linger and cry. Dangers are still lurking around them, eating the other children. Both Miss Peregrine and Enoch know their duty very well.

'We should go now.' Enoch mumbles. He doesn't want to leave this warm hug but it's true. They should go now.

'Yes.' Miss Peregrine answers and they both struggle to rise up, to stand on their feet. One can't stand properly, for her ankle is twisted and another can't stand tall for the pain in his torso is beyond imagination.

'Are you alright?' Miss Peregrine asks, trying to help her boy as much as her condition allows her to.

'Yes.' Enoch breathes out, gritting his teeth to endure the pain. 'I'm still fine.'

She knows he is not, but in this situation, she has no choice. They have to move on. They have to get out of here. They have to.

'Here, let me help.' She offers him a hand. He takes it, but doesn't transfer all of his weight to her for he knows her leg is hurt.

They both limp to the door like weary warriors losing the battle they didn't choose to fight. They try to ignore the fact that their injury would not allow them to go so far. They try to ignore it to preserve their last fragment of hope, the very forlorn hope that they could somehow get out of this nightmare and be happy again.

'Ready?' Miss Peregrine looks at her oldest ward, searching for something she doesn't have now- confidence.

Enoch nods and tries to appear strong. He has to be strong. She needs him as much as he needs her.

The Bird grabs the rusty knob and opens the door.

Fortunately, standing before them is not a hollow nor Caul nor Barron, yet they might not be lucky enough.

A man looks at them, a man, not a wight. He looks clean, tall, skinny, and fragile, even too fragile to be scary or... dangerous. Enoch thinks he can knock this one down but he still hesitates for the man doesn't have scary white eyes. He might be someone who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Besides, he isn't that strong, judging from his bony limbs and hollow cheeks. But the man steps forward and Enoch feels threatened. It doesn't matter whether which side this man takes since now Miss Peregrine's and his friends' safety comes first. Enoch is about to charge when Miss Peregrine holds him back and steps forward, her eyes fix at the man's. He doesn't really understand this and he has no idea at all that his headmistress knows this stranger's name. She whispers it, softly like the wind, still audibly in this moment of silence.

'Myron.'

Thank you, Duchessfairy, for Myron's information. I've just realized that he isn't a wight. Thanks to her.

And okay, I know. *ducking behind something* Another cliffhanger! And Myron is here NOW! Don't kill me, please. I'll write the next chapter as fast as I can, I promise. Say something, will you? Till the next time then. Thank you.