Author's note: I'd like to thank Juniperlei for all the reviews. It makes my day when people review. Also I'd like to thank them for their suggestions. ^^ See what happens when you're a good reviewer! Huh? Huh? Xp You get yer name posted!
. Yeah… Ok.
T^T Back to the angst!
Chapter Ten: Insecurities
Tilly stood in her bathroom and changed herself quickly as possible as she eyed the door. She threw her soiled pajama pants in the hamper. She felt so terrible for wetting the bed. She hadn't done that since she was small. She quickly cleaned herself of the urine and then forced on some fresh pants.
She stared at the bathroom door as if Erik were about to storm through it at any moment. Her teeth began to chatter as her anxiety grew. She looked at the mirror, but couldn't recognize herself. She knew it was her, but it was different. The girl she saw was stupid and dirty. Her heart felt nothing but disgust from the sight. She looked away from her own reflection. She couldn't stand to look at herself anymore.
She turned on the water of the sink and washed her hands thoroughly. She collected some water in her hands and splashed it on her face. She washed her face and then looked down at the water.
She did not see herself like she suspected, but saw the snarling beast, Rage. She leapt back and fell into the bathtub. She could hear the monster snarling now. Her head began to throb and the world around her felt as if it were changing.
"Good girl…" Erik's voice cooed sickeningly.
"Stopitstopitstopit!" She said quickly and began to rock. "Kate, help me. Help me Kate! Help! Make him stop!" She cried and curled into a tight ball as her fear increased.
"Erik! Get off of her!" Kate's voice said.
"I'm sorry Kate! Kate! No! Don't die! Kill me !Don'tkillmymother! No!"
Tilly pulled on the chains even though her skin began to bleed. Kate's heart began to slow as her breathing stopped. Then life escaped from her blue eyes.
Thump, thump…
Thump… thump…
Thump…
"No! NoKate!No! Why not me!" She screamed as she felt that part of herself die again.
Hollowness embraced her soul. She wished she was dead like Kate. She had no idea where she was. The room felt too unreal to be any place at all. She then felt as if she was fading away somewhere to die. Her pupils dilated so much that her eyes turned black and a wicked smiles spread on her face.
Rage.
Rage stood up, oddly she didn't change herself into an Amorian. She kept her more pleasant form.
She left the bathroom with a sassy sway in her step. She ran her claws along the walls as she left her room. She needed to confirm something. If Tilly was to live here, then Rage needed to make her she was safe.
"Ring hh-around the-hh rosy… pocket-hh full hh-of posies. Hh-Ashes, hh-ashes… Ve hh-all fall-hh down…" She sang with death in her voice.
She smiled sweetly in amusement. Funny how the children's song was about death. Humans were so careless to expose their children to such things.
Wintergreen prepared breakfast for Slade and himself. He put the pan in the sink and grabbed Slade's plate. He stopped when a familiar melody ringed in his ears. A cold finger of fear moved down his spine. It was not a sweet voice singing that song, but a demonic one.
"Hello." A sweet voice said and he turned to see the girl.
He almost leaped back. Instead of her sorrowful pastel eyes there were numb black ones glaring at him. She smiled sweetly at him and moved closer.
"Is that for me?" She asked and he shook his head, trying to hide his fear.
"This is for Slade, but if you want something, then I'll make you something." He replied.
He turned the strove back on and hoped that Slade would wake up soon. The villain didn't sleep much, but he did normally sleep three hours a night. He should be waking up in any minute
He took in a deep breath. The girl scared him. He wasn't going to lie about that. It wasn't the fact that she was only part human, but it was that fact that she was unpredictable. Unpredictable people were dangerous.
"I don't wish to eat," She said and gave him a look that convinced Will that she was possessed.
"Come on… Slade's not around. Don't you want to do something to me?" She said in a smooth suggestive voice that gave him chills.
Wintergreen turned blood red. "Of course not!" He exclaimed. "What on earth gave you that idea?" He said and back away from her.
She glared at him for awhile with murder in her eyes. It was as if she were studying him closely. Will didn't understand what was wrong with the girl or what gave her that idea. Sure, he stayed by Slade's side- the crime lord of Jump city; but he wasn't evil enough to do that.
She smiled smugly. "Smart-hh man…" She growled in her familiar accent and her eyes turned into their normal green.
She dropped to the floor as Rage retreated back into her mind. Tilly looked around with her soft eyes and then stared at Wintergreen.
"Where am I?" She asked softly.
"You're in the kitchen." He said as he recomposed himself.
He helped the girl up and she shakily took a seat at the table. He put a lid over the food he made and made her a cup of Chamomile tea. He sat it down in front of her and took Slade's meal.
"If you would like I could make you something to eat." He said and she nodded.
He took the meal where Slade normally ate and then returned. He shook the memories of what she said earlier from his mind and heated up a pan. He cracked a few eggs and then mixed them.
"Why are you frightened of me?" She asked.
"It's nothing, Matilda." He said, avoiding the subject.
He did not want to speak about what happened. He knew the girl was ill, so he wasn't mad at her. He sighed. Slade would be upset when he found out what happened. He hoped that his friend won't go back to his sadistic tendencies. She might just kill him.
He heard her emit a dog-like whine and turned around. She had her head on the table and she gripped her white hair tightly. A waterfall of silky hair covered her face, so he couldn't tell if she was crying.
"I'm not angry with you." He said finally.
"I understand that." She said softly.
He put her eggs on a plate and then took an apple from a bowl and placed it on the plate as well. He moved toward her and she visibly tensed. Her small arm muscles suddenly were visible under her skin, like steel cables. He tensed at this apprehensively.
"I'm no monster… I won't harm you…" She said softly without lifting her head from the table.
He set the plate down in front of her cautiously. He got his own and sat across from her.
"I never said you were," He finally replied.
"You did not have to." She said flatly and sniffed her food.
Quickly, she devoured her meal and then pushed the plate away with her head. She sat her head back down and jiggled her leg nervously. She began to twirl her hair in her finger. Wintergreen shifted in his seat. She was getting nervous and he didn't want to be near her if she switched back to her alter.
"Did you enjoy your meal?" He asked to get her mind off of whatever was bothering her.
She nodded her head and then lifted her head up. She looked at the door and then back at him.
"Slade's awake," She said and laid her head back down.
No sooner than she said that, Slade walked through the door. How did she know that? Slade looked down at her as he came near them.
"You're up early." He said.
"I had a nightmare…" She replied softly. "I wet the bed as well… I am sorry." She added and tensed.
He laid a hand on her shoulder. "That's all right, dear. It's to be expected." He said gently and she relaxed.
After finishing his meal Wintergreen left. He didn't want to be near Slade and his latest pawn. Oh, how he wished Slade would change his life around… Wintergreen hated when he did this to people.
Slade sat across from the girl and studied her body language. It was obvious that something bothered her more so than usual today. Her head was laid on the table and her whole body was tense.
"I'm not angry with you." He said, even though he knew that it wasn't exactly why she acted like this.
She didn't relax a bit. "Just disappointed." She said.
"Disappointment is different than anger."
"That is true…" She replied and gripped her hair tightly. "I'm sorry." She whispered, almost like she was unsure if she should apologize.
"There's no need for an apology." He said and got more comfortable where he sat.
"No, not just for soiling the bed. I'm acting like a babe again… I'm scared of everything, I soil myself, I hate being left alone and I need to be watched. I must be a burden to you. I know I was when I was at B.E.R. labs." She explained softly and held herself.
"You're not a burden, dear. Out of the goodness of my heart I saved you. If I thought you were more trouble than you were worth I wouldn't have let you stay." He replied gently.
"How can you be so good?" She inquired. "Most of you do not have the patience…" She whispered.
"It's in my nature. You'll find that I'm a patient man." He replied.
Tilly tensed at this as it triggered a flood of memories of Kate. The more time she spent with this man the more he reminded her of Kate. He cared for her, what she said mattered to him and she could murder but he wouldn't see her differently.
Tilly heard Erik scream at Kate from the other room of what a terrible thing she was. She curled into a ball and wept. She had only harmed those doctors to keep herself from being harmed. Was that really a bad thing?
Kate walked in with her neck red. Tilly tensed and wiped her tears away. She didn't know if Kate was mad at her or Erik. She hoped for the latter.
Kate looked down at Tilly with weary eyes and grabbed a blanket. She wrapped it around the small child and held her. She sat down in a chair and rocked the creature.
"Sh… Don't cry," She cooed. "No one's mad." She said and kissed her head.
Kate flinched when Erik and another doctor went into a shouting match. She looked down at Tilly's frightened green eyes and softly began to sing Ring Around the Rosy. The child relaxed and studied the doctor's face with loving eyes. She wanted to say something that her and Erik said to each other when they aren't mad. Erik stormed in and she decided that maybe saying 'I love you' right now wouldn't be the best.
She felt a heavy hand on her back, which snapped her out of her memories. She lifted her head up when she realized that she was sobbing. She looked at his masked face and noted the concerned look in his grey eye. He tucked a strand of hair out of her face and behind her ear. Just like Kate would do…
Quickly, she left the kitchen. Fresh tears streamed down her white face as she ran into her room. She crawled onto her bed and clung to her pillow.
No. She wouldn't do this to Kate. Never. She would never replace Kate. She would never forget the love of that woman. Plus, she couldn't stand to lose someone like Kate again.
Author's note: Ok chapter ten done. Next chapter will be something more exciting than Tilly crying and Rage disturbing Wintergreen. Please review!
