It was cold. And dark. The only thing that was keeping me sane was the arms I could feel wrapped around me, holding me tight in a solid embrace. I pressed closer to them, burying my face in their shoulder.
And it was over.
It wasn't that bad, just a couple seconds. It was more the shock than anything that made it disconcerting. I could still feel myself shaking and whimpering. I really didn't know why; my world had stopped and my heart was numb; how did I even have any tears left?
I wasn't my parent's child. I was just an assignment. A mission, an asset, an object. My life was a lie. The people I'd thought were my entire extended family was likely in on it. Just as well, though, seeing as I'd never really had many people to care about me anyway. Even Sean was trying to use me. I wasn't human.
I was a tool.
I was wracked with a fresh round of sobs, causing the arms that cradled me like a child to tighten. Dark. He'd been holding me when Dr...when Mikhail had broken the news.
I knew I should have been fighting to get out of his grip. I knew I shouldn't let myself trust him, after everything he'd put me through. But Then again, I couldn't really trust anyone, could I?
I didn't fight back as I felt him sit down with me in his arms, rocking me and shushing me softly. I didn't protest as he began rubbing my back in slow, soothing circles. I just curled into his firm chest, gripping his shirt as I sobbed. I just held onto him for all I was worth.
It seemed like hours later that I finally began to calm down. It probably was. My eyes stung, my cheeks were stiff with dried tears, and my head was pounding with a migraine that was reaching critical levels. Oh God, the light hurt.
"It's okay, darling girl, I'm here... shhh, Hush now little Jericho, It's going to be okay, just relax, shhhh..."
I finally registered his voice that accompanied the gentle rocking. I opened my eyes slightly to see that we were sitting on the edge of a huge, luxurious king sized bed adorned with red and black and silver furnishings. There was a huge curtain rack that went around the entire structure. The curtain, which matched the beautiful top sheets, was pulled back on either side. I closed my eyes, not seeing anything important enough to constitute keeping them open.
He stopped rocking me as I quieted down, turning around to lay me gently on the bed. He undressed me, slipping off my socks and shoes and jeans, but keeping my shirt on. I barely noticed at the time. I felt him pull the covers back and tuck me in before getting in the bed himself, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me close. As I drifted to sleep, I dimmly registered that his arms were warm.
And then I didn't think anything else.