The first time a child had run to greet Heather, just after leaving the hospital for the first time, Edward had cringed, and began to warn him off; her parents, seeing his reaction and knowing Heather's condition, tried to call him back. But Heather had greeted her former student with open arms, pulling him in for a hug. As they watched Heather talk with Mark, they saw her smile.

It didn't take long for word to spread. Now, when one of Heather's students saw her on the street, their parents sent them to say hello. Frequently, they had a gift for her – a drawing, a flower, some trinket they had made. And always a hug. There were occasional instances of a child being less than cautious in their affection and hitting a sore spot, but Heather forgave them instantly, just as she had Elly when Elly had come to visit. Or, as she'd told Edward, told her she'd forgiven her. Elly had done nothing wrong, nothing that needed forgiveness, but she wouldn't understand that until she was older, so she had accepted the apology with a smile and a hug.

These days, it took them longer to get anywhere. But Edward didn't mind; Heather would arrive at their destination with a smile on her face. And if she was feeling really bad, he'd take her for a st(roll) through the park; it was better than any medicine they had in the pharmacy. He remembered fondly the day they'd talked her into joining them on the swings. He'd done the pushing, but Heather's childish cries of 'Higher! Higher!' had left him smiling all day.

Heather knew exactly what everyone was doing, but it didn't make it any less effective. She needed the reminder of hope for the future, of the kindness that still existed. And children were its most potent carriers. They let her know that their child would be born into a world where cruelty was the exception, not the norm, despite her experiences.

They were at the monthly town barbeque when it happened. A tradition born out of the new way of life, it was the social event where people could relax, dance, play football, date, and enjoy fresh meat instead of salted or smoked.

He and Heather were sitting next to the bonfire with Jake and Emily when raucous laughter started behind them. Heather's reaction to the sound was instant and total. She went rigid with a hiss of recognition. She didn't have to explain anything; Edward immediately rounded on the trio of laughing men.

"YOU!"

The laughter immediately stopped, as did the conversation of everyone around them. All three men in his field of vision looked at him in fear, but it was easy to spot the one he wanted. The other two men were scared and confused; the one in the middle was simply terrified. As Beck's focus narrowed on the one he wanted, his companions hastily scooted away.

The remaining man froze, like a deer in headlights. Time itself seemed to pause. Then, like hitting play, the scene began to move again. The as-yet-nameless man turned tail and ran. There was initial resistance from the crowd, until they realized what was going on, and opened a path for the major. Nobody tried to slow down the runner, either; there was clearly no need, and nobody wanted to get involved when there was the slightest chance of coming into contact with an enraged Beck.

In hindsight, he was glad the bastard had run away from the crowd. It meant that the children didn't see what happened next. How he turned his years of army training on its head. He had been trained to kill quickly, and when need be, quietly.

This was neither.

He was simply pounding away. Despite the blood pounding in his ears, he'd heard bones break; he knew there were likely ruptured organs and internal bleeding. From the way he was breathing, there was probably a rib in his lung. Taken individually, emergency surgery could fix his injuries. Together, they equaled a slow and painful death. Something the bastard seemed to grasp.

"Just…just kill me… already."

The words actually caused him to pause. He considered it.

"No."

And he walked away, leaving him to die a slow, agonizing death.

He returned to Heather, taking over for Emily who was comforting her.

"Eddy."

"It's okay now."

"Is he dead?"

"He will be soon. Is there anything you wanted to say to him?"

"No. But I want to see his face. I want - " she broke off; Edward understood. Being able to identify your enemy was important. Otherwise, you saw him everywhere, in every stranger's face.

"Later, then. After."

"Okay."