35:

Dean led me to Trumbly's office. He let go of me to pick up the phone and I took a seat nearby. Dean punched in some numbers and the phone rang a couple of times before someone picked up and asked, "Hello?"

"How's the search going?" Dean asked.

I knew it was Uncle Trumbly on the other end when he answered, "It's overcast, Dean. How am I supposed to do anything when it might rain?"

"Did you find Mrs. Chapfield?" Dean tried to keep Uncle Trumbly on point.

After a long sigh, Uncle Trumbly replied, "I thought we had her. We were so close."

Dean glanced at me. I stayed silent as Trumbly continued, "We checked the house, first. Hefram had packed some things and taken off. He's been using his real name to check into hotel rooms. He thinks because she's his wife that it's not considered kidnapping...that stupid, cold bastard-"

"Is she still in your sight?" Dean interrupted to get Trumbly back on track.

Uncle Trumbly cleared his throat and answered softly, "We're keeping tabs. Abbey is being treated well, as far as we can see. No signs of abuse, unless he didn't hit her on the face and arms..."

I swallowed hard. Dean cut him off once more by asking, "How much longer do you think it will be?"

"A week, maybe. It's really about finding the right time. Hefram's always with her. I'm concerned that Abbey's bond with him is too strong. She may decided in the end not to come back with us. I regret not bringing Elizabeth. She is the only one who might bring Abbey out of this nightmare."

Tears filled my eyes. Dean sighed and asked quietly, "Do you want me to bring her?"

"Not now; not yet. I need more time," Trumbly answered.

Dean grunted that he understood. Uncle Trumbly changed the subject by asking, "How is Randy getting along?"

"He's an asshole, as usual," Dean was blunt as ever.

Uncle Trumbly let out a short chuckle. It was clear that he knew what Randy was like. I was still wondering why Uncle Trumbly didn't pick Dean to lead when Trumbly said over the phone, "I know he's a struggle, but everyone's taking sides after Kane, and Randy's the only neutral in our family."

I assumed neutral meant that Randy wasn't a Reinhearst or a Chapfield. I began to think that Carnies were such hypocrites. They criticized me for not being one of them when Randy didn't seem to be one, either.

"He enrages people. He enrages me," Dean argued.

Uncle Trumbly sounded more irritated as he replied, "Now, Dean, you have got to let the past stay behind you! Randy is not going to lock you in a cage, again!"

I gasped and tried to cover my mouth to muffle the sound. Uncle Trumbly asked more quietly, "Are you alone?"

"Yes," Dean replied, adding gruffly, "I'm not bitter about how Randy treats me. I've had plenty of people think of me as something other than human because I don't resemble what they think a man should look like. Liz is with me, this time. He sees that, and he doesn't like it. I don't want him targeting her because of her ties to me."

"He wouldn't do that!" Uncle Trumbly stated firmly.

"If Sheamus wasn't so fucking good at his job and found my ass, I would've died from the heat being stuck in that fucking cage!" Dean yelled.

Uncle Trumbly was quiet for a few seconds, then he said calmly, "There is nothing I can do from here. I know you will protect Liz. If Randy targets her, you ask Sheamus to take over and send Randy packing."

Dean was quiet, so Trumbly asked, "Randy still listens to Sheamus, yes?"

"Only because Sheamus is the best sex he's ever had," Dean grumbled.

Uncle Trumbly cleared his throat and replied, "Painting that picture was not necessary!"

Dean glanced at me. I could tell that what he said was meant for me more than Trumbly. He wanted me to know why Sheamus had leverage over Randy. I remembered the night that Kevin came to our room drunk. He said something about Sheamus being some kind of a sex god. At the time, I thought it was just Kevin spouting off because Sheamus didn't have much of a reaction. Now, I was starting to believe that there was some truth to the hype.

"I'll keep in touch with you. Remember, Randy is only temporary," Uncle Trumbly said.

Dean grunted and hung up the phone. He looked at me and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

I opened my mouth to say it, but I started to feel stupid and I closed back up.

"You want to ask me something," Dean said.

My cheeks flushed as I nodded. Dean stared at my cheeks as he replied, "I can tell when you have a sex question because you look so damn terrified."

"Um..." I tried to speak just to get some of my emotions out, but I still felt overwhelmed.

Dean took a step closer to me and I looked up at him. He rested his palms on the arm of the chair and leaned in so he was even closer. He searched my eyes as he asked, "You want to know if I've ever fucked around with Sheamus."

I slowly nodded, feeling guilty for even asking. From what I knew about the straight guys I went to school with, even the mere mention of them being with another man was grounds for getting punched in the face. The only history I knew about Dean was with women, so I considered him to be a straight guy, but I also remembered that he didn't mind Sheamus and Sami having sex in our bathroom.

Dean pressed his lips to mine and kissed me softly. When he broke away, he replied just as tenderly, "He is my best friend. He knows about my sexual quirks because I've told him about it. He has helped me to understand my needs and he is trying to teach me how to communicate those needs to you."

He stood up straight and reached out to take my hand. I gave it to him and he led me off the chair. Dean concluded with, "Sheamus hasn't fucked me, and I've never fucked him."

I thought knowing that would put my mind at ease, but it didn't. I asked quietly, "Have you ever...thought about it?"

"It's hard not to because he has a very active sex life," Dean made a cocky half-smile.

I couldn't tell whether he was just teasing me or not. Dean pulled me into him and replied quietly, "I don't have that kind of history with Sheamus."

"Okay," I nodded.

Dean's eyes dove into mine as he asked thickly, "Do you think about it?"

"I want to be with you!" I blurted, then my cheeks flushed once more as I felt pure humiliation.

I thought Dean would laugh out loud, but instead he hugged me against him and mumbled, "I don't deserve you."

:-:

I was dreaming about Abbey. I would see her standing a short distance from me with her arms out to give me a hug. Her eyes were sad, but she was smiling like she was so glad to see me. I would try to run towards her, but she would drift further away. There were times when I was so close, but not close enough. I cried out to her, "Momma! Momma!"

Abbey would smile. That sweet, painful smile.

I woke up to a strange sensation.

My face was wet. I reached up to wipe my cheeks. They were splattered with tears.

I noticed that I was sitting up instead of lying down My back was against something hard.

There was a lot of light around. I breathed in and caught the scent of grass. I blinked a few times to register my surroundings.

I was outside, but not completely.

I glanced to my left. I was in one of the old cages on wheels. It had a wooden floor and rusty bars. The door to my left was shut and padlocked from the outside. I had seen Bo cleaning one of these cages when I first met him. I noticed some newer wooden steps placed outside of the cage leading up to the door. Someone must've used them to lead me inside while I was sleepwalking, because I couldn't have padlocked the door by myself.

A low rumble came from my right. I felt the cage rock slightly from side-to-side. I gripped one of the bars on my left to keep myself in place. I was afraid to look to my right and see who was in the cage with me.

I closed my eyes and swallowed hard. My sundress was wet from sweat. It was really hot and humid. I opened my eyes, again. I could see through the bars to the outside. The house was nowhere to be seen. I didn't recognize my surroundings.

The rocking of the cage stopped. I could hear the familiar sound of loud purring.

"Hi, Leo," I croaked.

I dared to look to my right. Leo the lion was sitting near the middle of the cage. There was nothing to stop him from coming closer to me.

The cage was flat except for a section up front. It was shady in that spot. Leo watched me for several long minutes, then he got up and wandered to the front section and took one quick leap to get up to the shady spot. He sprawled himself out with his tail and one of his back legs hanging off the edge. He continued to watch me with passive interest, as if he were a bored king and I was not a very entertaining jester.

There was a large bowl of water near the front section. It looked reserved for Leo. I didn't see any sign of food or other amenities. I remembered reading at school that lions like to sleep a lot. I also remembered reading that they eat a lot.

I could cry out for help, but Leo probably wouldn't like that.