l

-10-

It took the Norns two hours to calm Keiichi down. The man was beside himself with horror, his fingers digging so hard into his scalp that he'd drawn his own blood, and this without even realizing it. Words did not reach him, despite every effort on Skuld's, on Urd's, on Belldandy's part to soothe him. And he couldn't stop screaming. He screamed long and loud until his they grew ragged and hoarse, until his voice became clipped and broken, eyes bulging in their sockets and roaming their surroundings like an animal trapped in a corner. The man had seen too much that night; too much magic, too much madness, and the resulting concoction when combined with the adrenaline and Keiichi's own definition of how the world was supposed to work could not process the full extent of events that evening.

He shied away from everyone in those horrible two hours. Not just Belldandy but Skuld too. Not just Skuld but Urd, though the woman still rested in his own hands. Hell, had there been a mirror he'd have recoiled from that too, for the man reflected back at him would have been a stranger; a man with sunken eyes wide with fear and bright with looming madness, hair matted with dried blood and red stains on his crusted nails. He didn't look like Keiichi. He didn't look like a SEAL. He looked like a man who'd witnessed some Eldritch Horror from the mind of Lovecraft himself, yet the Cthulhu of his world was in the form of three women who even now crowded around him, their eyes dark with worry and, though he did not recognize it then, hurt.

At some point Urd vanished, and when she returned there was a paper cup in her hand, filled with some noxious substance that made him retch when the smell hit his nose. Someone, he didn't know who, held him as he lost the contents of his stomach, rubbing his back in slow, gentle circles in a manner that reminded him of Debra. She used to do that when he got sick or when he drank too much, especially towards the end of their relationship. He'd drink himself into a stupor trying to rid himself of the young boy who's face so haunted his dreams, and when it became too much and he lost his stomach, Debra had always been there, whispering calming reassurances in his ear and rubbing his back like he was a child once more.

This one didn't whisper, but he could feel the heat of her body pressed against his side. Something about that heat was calming, almost like a protective sentinel that stood watching over him, chasing away the Cthulhus and the destructive auras and the Debras of his mind and bringing with it a peace that slowly began to slip into his skin. He felt weak by the time his stomach emptied itself, and when he straightened there was Belldandy, a cup of water in one hand and her other resting on his back, guilt and terror and concern naked and warring for dominance on her face. She handed him the cup and he took it with trembling hands. Half of it landed on his bare legs and more on his face, but the small bit he managed to get into his mouth he swished around and spat, ridding himself of the remainder of last night's half-digested meal.

Belldandy took his cup without comment, replaced it with something else, and the noxious smell; a mixture of sulfur and pears, threatened to turn his stomach once more. His abs trembled with fatigue at the thought, and he glanced at Belldandy, as though asking her, why do you so torture me?

She nodded in that slow, deliberate manner meant to reassure the ill. "It will help." She murmured. "Urd is a master of potions, she knows what she is doing." She was nodding in the same way he had when she'd had her first panic attack, and he found himself nodding just as Belldandy had her first day in his house. "Drink it all at once. Hold your breath and don't think about the smell. It will help you adjust."

He nodded wordlessly, his gaze pleading, begging, but for what he couldn't say. Brown eyes darted down to the cup in his hand. There was no light but that provided by the stars and the moon above his head, and the liquid within looked like black tar. It'll kill you. Some piece of him whispered. It's poison. Nothing that smells like that can be good for you. A picture of him drinking the sludge came to his mind's eye. Of him drinking it all at once, just as instructed, and then him gagging and clutching his throat, his face turning purple and his eyes bulging in their sockets as the substance killed him, perhaps attacking his respiratory system like mustard gas or clotting his blood like the venom of a snake.

"It won't." Belldandy murmured. "I promise it won't. It will help you. Trust me, Keiichi."

He looked at her, then back to the cup. A long moment passed, and then Keiichi brought the cup up to his lips. Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn, he thought, and felt an overwhelming urge to giggle. The man tossed the drink back and downed the potion in a single gulp. It had no taste that he could discern, despite the atrocious smell, and it was cool and thick, leaving him with the impression that the SEAL was drinking mercury. Yet as soon as it passed down his throat an overwhelming sense of peace enveloped him. The anxiety fled his person, and in its wake was a calm so deep and so suffocating it felt as though someone had jabbed his veins with a cocktail of industrial-strength Xanax or Valium.

The man stared at the empty cup, then looked back at Belldandy. "Better?"

"Am I going to die?" he asked her, and the look of shock that transitioned across her face made him laugh.

"You aren't going to die, Magilla." Skuld voice was condiscending as she scowled at him, then turned her attention to Belldandy. "Give him a few minutes to adjust. Urd said the potion comes off a little strong at the start for mortals. It needs time to disperse through the rest of his body."

Keiichi stared at her, not even reacting to the hated nickname. "You get the license plate number off that bus that hit you?" he asked, and this time Skuld stared at him blankly.

She shared a look with Belldandy, then the two sisters looked back at the SEAL. "Keiichi, I wasn't hit by a bus."

He stared blankly back at her. "Oh." What was she hit with? Now that the potion was working through his system, he was having some difficulty recalling it; chunks of it were becoming a blur, a stain his memory wanted no part in and was going through great lengths to erase now that Keiichi was calming down. He let it, perhaps some instinctual part of him recognizing the dangers in the memories that had so brought him to the edge of madness. Ia Ia Cthulhu and a Waka Waka to you too.

A hand touched his shoulder, and he looked up, finding Urd with a stack of clothes beneath her arms. The welt on her right cheek was an angry bright red, and there was the first beginning signs of a bruise starting to form around it. She offered the bundle to him. "Doing better?" Her voice was soft and perhaps even a little scared.

"I feel like a loon who just got his daily dose of Happy Juice," Keiichi replied, sorting through the small stack and pulling a tan t-shirt over his head. "…Did I do that all in my boxers again?" he asked, and then, as an afterthought, "I'm not going to pop hot during a drug test, am I?"

"Yes and no, respectfully." Urd responded. She sounded relieved.

Keiichi nodded, then rose to his feet. His head exploded with stars (galaxies, all glowing in the ever-expanding universe and he's a mote, a speck, an atom of space dust and it doesn't matter, nothing matters) as the blood rushed to his head, and he paused, blinking, waiting for the moment to pass. "Okay," he said, then looked straight at Belldandy. "Hope you enjoyed the show," he said said with a smile, then proceeded to stuff first one leg, then another through the pt shorts Urd had grabbed while rifling through his laundry. The man didn't know why he'd said what he did, and the startled look on Belldandy's face suggested she didn't either.

But that was fine. Everything was fine. Everything was fucking amazing right now. His house was missing a chunk of roof and a chunk of wall. The guest bedroom was destroyed and so was his. There was a hole in the second floor and he could see where chunks of plaster and wood had just missed his Harley in the garage below. He'd seen fuck only knew what, but it was fine, it was cool, it was good. Ia Ia, Waka Waka, come on home and shake 'does tatas. Ride the waves, Janky-baby, ride the waves.

Skuld and Urd shared a look. "Keiichi, why don't you head downstairs and take it easy for a bit?" Urd suggested. "We've got everything up here covered, and you look like you need a moment.

A moment? I think you mean years, some piece of him muttered. "I'm good." He said. "I want to help. What can I do?"

Again, the sisters shared a look, this time between all three of them. Skuld pursed her lips, then stepped forward, taking Keiichi by the arm and guiding him out of the room, avoiding shrapnel, glass, and splinters with a care that spoke more for his care than her own. The Norn's grip was surprisingly gentle. Her tone, moreso. "Keiichi, you can't stay in there right now," she said. "The room is dangerous, and until we have a chance to repair it, we don't want you getting hurt." The words were surprising coming from Skuld, and perhaps for that reason, Keiichi took her words into careful consideration. "Belldandy's afraid right now, too," she continued. "She's putting on a brave face for you, but right now all it's doing is bottling up her emotions again. She needs a chance to decompress without fear of injuring you, and in order to do that you need to be away from her for a little while, okay?"

He knew that tone. That was the same tone the Lieutenant who'd called him in to talk with him used after the news of Aiko's rape had reached his ears. The comforting, gentle 'please cooperate with us it's for your own good' tone he'd heard time and time again throughout Basic and into 'A' School. I hate that tone. He thought, but it was a stray thought, one that just drifted through the mind like a school of fish. I'm supposed to hate that tone. They used that tone to tell me I couldn't be released to visit Aiko in the hospital. Now they're using it to tell me I can't help Belldandy. But I want to. She almost killed me but I still want to help her. Ah, the ever-so-wonderful 'Theys' of the world; those people of authority who's every action were 'for his own good'. Well, 'they' can shove it, 'cause I want to help. I'm going to help. I won't just sit by and let it happen like Aiko. Not this time.

Why? A voice asked in his head, another one of those 'fish-school' thoughts that just sort of drifted along through his head. It sounded a bit like Skuld.

Because I think I might be in love with her. He thought. And I want to see her smile. "There must be something I can do to help." Despite the calm that had so seeped into his body, there was a small hint of desperation in his voice. "Please."

Skuld was silent for a long moment, observing his face with the careful scrutiny one saved for administering judgement in a courthouse. Then she sighed and closed her eyes, perhaps seeing whatever it he was looking so intently for. "Are there any twenty-four hour groceries around here?" She asked.

"I can think of one or two."

Skuld nodded, the corner of her left lip dipping in a frown. "I want you to go out and grab a couple of things, okay? I don't often inhabit this part of the globe, so I don't even know if the stores around here would sell them, but its worth a shot and even if you come back empty handed, by the time you return Belldandy will be safe again."

"What are they?" He eyed her with fresh interest.

"Comfort food," Skuld replied. "Our nerves are all frayed, and I'm hoping this will help settle them, especially for Belldandy." A tint of rose graced her cheeks, and the goddess looked away. "Ice cream for me. Nothing big-just get the smallest one you can find and I'll be good. Sake for Urd. She'll never admit it, especially around Belldandy after Aoshima, but Sake's always been her favorite type of liquor-" She paused and looked at Keiichi. "I swear, she's not an alcoholic. Do they even sell that stuff here in the States?" She was rambling now but Keiichi didn't think she was aware of it, or if she was, didn't care. It seemed to place her at ease, and so he simply nodded. "And tea for Belldandy. Try not to get any of that bagged shit either, the loose leaves. I don't know if they have any of that in a store this late either, but it's worth a shot…no Japanese brands either. I don't know what her favorite type of tea is anymore, but I'm willing to bet it's not green tea. Try black tea, or maybe grab some cinnamon and cloves and milk if you can't find loose leaf. It's not much, but after growing up with Belldandy I know how to make Chai at least."

She fell silent a moment, crossed her arms and looked at the ground thoughtfully, drumming her fingers against her opposing arm. "Get something for yourself, too. I don't know what you like, but get something you know helps calm you down in a pinch or has a lot of good memories riding on it, okay?"

"Okay." A task. That was good. He needed a task. A task would keep him busy, keep him occupied, keep him from wondering about his house or how he'd once again slipped past Death as the wraith stopped to point its bony finger at him. He could do that. Hell, he wanted to do that. Something to let Belldandy know everything was still okay. Something to let Keiichi know he was still okay.

"And who knows?" Skuld looked up at him and attempted a grin. It looked strained and fake in the shadows of the house, but he saw it regardless, and recognized the Norn's own attempt at comfort. "Perhaps you'll make her smile."

XXX

Two thirty three.

Two thirty three saw Keiichi dressed in one of his uniform tan t-shirts and a pair of Navy PT shorts, leaving the house with all its holes and all its deities and all its unresolved conflicts. Two thirty three followed Keiichi down the road and into the forest, where there were no street lights and the road was nothing but different shades of black, illuminated only by the high beams of his truck. Two thirty three trailed behind him as those lights illuminated dark shades of browns and greens and the occasional bright lights of nocturnal eyes. Two thirty three left him at the bend of a road where another late-night driver came around the bend, the both of them flicking their lights to their low beams in passing before back to the highs which kept the monsters in the shadows of imagination. Two forty crept around the bend as the forest cleared into a plain. He passed a herd of does who watched him with glowing eyes in the early morning, and as two forty five stalked up behind him he could feel the potion that had so calmed his nerves into a coma ease its death grip on him.

He pulled over into a a gravel pit used for U-turns and parked his vehicle there at two forty-six, where he turned off his high-beam lights and turned on the trucks internal lights. The man turned off his engine and there he sat, in the middle of the forest in Virginia half-way between his house and the nieghboring town, and it was there he sat in silence, gripping his steering wheel in a death grip as his mind's eye replayed the events that had so destroyed his house. Taking advantage of the silence of the forest and the peace brought on by the potion, the man took a deep breath, and then looked inwards. There, he examined him memories, sorting them into two categories: Those that were Clear and those that were Not Clear.

Those that were Not Clear he deposited in the trash bin of his mind, left to decompose and fade into obscure shadows that he told himself would not and could not harm him. Those that were Clear, he forced himself to experience, to visualize and relive in an effort to examine, to analyze, to understand. The emotional section, he knew, he would have to experience another day; he could not rouse the same incomprehensible terror that had so gripped him during the event; not with the potion in his system, and the terror attributed to the event would stay ripe and infected, like a stye that needed to drain, until he'd gone through it several times.

But in the calm he could still watch it unfold, disconnected as he was, and with the calm he could see what else was happening, those tiny details that had not made themselves so immediately known to him. And he could think of what he'd have done differently, what he wanted to happen differently, that would have led to a better solution for everyone involved.

It was another trick, another exercise that he'd learned in Mental Health; one that had allowed the poison of his past incidents to fade and had made them easier to speak on, but one he'd yet to pass on to Belldandy. I should, he thought, watching as in his mind the Keiichi of the past began to scream and then soon after began to vomit, and this time he caught the fear that was so naked on Belldandy's face. I should teach it to her. It might help with the nightmares.

Lord, but she had ten years she needed to work though. His had been a couple of incidents spanning hours. Hers had been days and months and years. The man grimaced, recognizing the fact that he was cheapening the severity of his own encounters, and shook his head. It can still help though. He thought. If it can help me get past Fida…if it can help me get past this, than it's got to help her get past Aoshima.

Aoshima… Keiichi did not blame Belldandy for the actions that had so destroyed his house. He could not, and he would not. No, not after seeing the videos that had so destroyed her as a person. The blame lied with Aoshima and Aoshima alone. I should have killed him while I had the chance, he thought, and a surge of anger-hello darkness my old friend-surged through him with such suddenness he almost didn't recognize it. He slammed his fists into the steering wheel with a heavy thump, baring his teeth in a snarl. "Fucking Aoshima ain't no goddamned better the Stuart!" he growled, and at the mention of Aiko's rapist the man groaned and let his head thump down against the rubber steering wheel.

A car wisked by, highbeams bright. He grimaced and looked away, but the spots were still behind his eyelids as the vehicle passed into the darkness. He focused on them, watching the lightspots dance and throb behind his eyelids as he let his forehead rest on the steering wheel. He let it rest there with a sigh, breathing hard through his nose as he groped for his cellphone. The man found it after some searching, and opening his eyes once more he unlocked it and dialed Aiko.

"Kei?" Aiko answered bleerily after several rings. That was how she always greeted him. Maybe not always after the first ring, but always with that special nickname she had for him. Never, 'Hello', never, 'What's up?', never 'Are you drunk' or 'how ya doing'. Always 'Kei'.

"Hey Aiko. Did I wake you?"

"Of course, silly, it's almost three in the morning." She laughed on the other end, and Keiichi could hear the sleep still thick in her voice. "What's up Big Brother?"

He stared at nothing in the light of his vehicle, then closed his eyes and leaned back with a sigh. "I gotta question for you."

"Bring it." He didn't stop the smile that pulled at his lips. Always eager to help, that one. Even when he'd just woken her up from a dream with Prince Charming.

"How'd you get through your nightmares, Aiko?"

"My nightmares?"

The smile dimmed on his face, yet the anger didn't return. The potion was working its magic like before, and now the house and thoughts of what he'd like to do to pedophiles were long and distant; events he'd heard about but held no connection to him or the people he knew. If only that were true. He thought, then spoke once more. "From when you were younger. You know, back when I was in Basic."

There was silence from the other end, and for a moment he feared Aiko had fallen asleep on him while waiting for him to speak. Then she spoke once more. "You're asking a lot of questions about that time, Keiichi." She only used his full name when something was wrong. He supposed on this account, something was. "What's going on? What happened over there?"

For a moment, and just for a moment, Keiichi considered telling her. Explaining Urd, explaining Bell, explaining the godforsaken videos and the children he'd seen on the screens. The temptation was great, and Aiko and him were close; "like two peas in a pod", so Takano used to claim. Keima was more blunt. "Keiichi is what Aiko would be if he'd been born a girl." He used to grumble. "The way they act, the way they talk, it's like a mini-Keiichi is always walking around the house!"

Then the moment passed and Keiichi sighed. "I don't know if I can tell you yet," he confessed. The SEAL didn't want to lie to her, not Aiko, but he also didn't want to betray the trust the Norns had so placed in his hands. "But…things are tough, and you're the only person I feel comfortable with looking for advice."

"Do you need me to cancel my plans to come visit?" Aiko asked.

"No…I don't think that's necessary." Keiichi drawled. "I'm hoping things will calm down before the next three-day for you, but…"

"Until then you need my advice." Aiko finished for him.

"Yeah."

"Is it about a lady friend?"

A lady friend…that was a nice way to put Belldandy."It's... complicated."

"It's complicated?" Keiichi winced at his sister's tone. She sounded upset. "It's always complicated with you! That's why Deb was so good for you, because there was nothing complicated since we knew her since we were kids. If you really want my advice, I say call-"

"Don't," Keiichi interrupted. "Just…don't go there, 'kay?"

"Just say'in."

"Yeah, I know." The man rubbed his brow. "You and Megumi both are always 'just say'in'. Can we just focus on the current problem please?"

"Fine." Aiko sighed. "Are you sleeping with her?"

Keiichi jerked as though he'd just been slapped. "What kind of question is that?"

"Just answer!"

"No."

"Ok, good. You know what always helped me? It was that little sailor bear you gave me after you all did that marching-formation-thingy-"

"Pass in review."

"Whatever. Listen, Kei, I'm gonna level with you. I couldn't express my feelings properly back then, but that was the greatest present you could have ever gotten me." There was a long pause on the other end of the line, as though Aiko was thinking of the proper words to explain herself. "For me…it was an extension of you; like a little piece of you that was with me wherever I was. It helped me get through some of the worst of it. The…the nightmares. I'd go to sleep clutching that bear and—" She cut herself off abruptly. "You better not laugh about this, Keiichi, or I swear I will come down there and shove this bear right up your ass."

"Wow, easy Bengal," he soothed. "I'm not going to laugh. You know there's nothing funny about that time."

"…Okay." Aiko still sounded uncertain. "So…the bear. It, I don't know, was a representation of you, right? When I smelled it, I'd always imagine that what I smelled was stuff that reminded me 'a you. Saltwater. Gunpowder. Metal…" She sounded apprehensive. "You know, stuff that you'd attribute to the military or whatever."

"Asbestos and black mold?" Keiichi offered, and grinned when Aiko released a muffled laugh.

"No, you Goober! But…you understand what I'm saying? That bear reminded me of you because it was a gift from you; it smelled like you. And, well…"

"Scent is the strongest tie to memory," Keiichi quoted. He remembered reading that somewhere before, maybe in a book or a magazine during a deployment.

"Yeah." Aiko agreed. "So if I was you, I'd give her something that reminds her of you or someone she feels safe around." She paused. "She…does feel safe around you, right?"

Keiichi considered Aiko's question for a long moment, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel thoughtfully. Did Belldandy feel safe around him? She made a wish that the two of you stay together forever. But that had been a wish made in the spur of the moment, Belldandy freed at last, overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted after a hard night of revelations and battles. She kissed you. Another part of him reasoned, and felt a thrill of electricity traverse down his spine and into his groin as he recalled that moment. Yet Belldandy hadn't kissed him since, hadn't so much as smiled at him after arriving at his house, and, admittedly, that hurt. There was no sign of the woman he'd met in Japan, nor any steps he could see that might dictate a change for the better.

It's only been a week though. He reasoned, You can't expect her to just 'get better' after a week. That's not how it works. You think Aiko recovered in a week after her rape? Buddy, it took her fucking years to get past that. Yeah, he knew that, he'd seen it, and he'd helped her there too. But Belldandy…

She held you when you damn near lost your mind after whatever it was that happened. Another part of him muttered. And she'd been trying her damnedest to make a meal for you, even though you told her that shit wasn't necessary. She's trying hard to adapt to the concept that she's free, but you gotta remember she was stuck with that motherfucker for ten years.

"Kei? You still there?"

"Yeah, sorry," he mumbled. "I don't know. It's…she doesn't really open up a whole lot, even around-" He stopped himself before he 'her sisters', because in reality he couldn't say that. Urd and Skuld were around her more that Keiichi was because he had work, and he couldn't say what the trio did in the hours he was away from home. Was she more open when he was gone? When it was just her and Urd and Skuld? Did she smile and joke and laugh with them, only to return to that same stoic and solemn woman Keiichi knew when he returned home? I still know almost nothing about her, herealized. She likes Swedish Meatballs and loose leaf tea that may or may not include green tea. She showers with men's shampoos and soaps-my shampoos and soaps, but why?

He didn't know. Probably wouldn't know until he asked Belldandy or Urd himself.

"Then from me, personally? I would figure it out and then work from there. If she feels safe around you, then maybe give her one of your old shirts that you've outgrown, and don't tell me you don't have any-I've seen those arms of yours, Kei, and they get bigger every time I drop by for a visit." It was almost as if Aiko had tapped into his own thoughts there for a second. "If she doesn't trust you, then do not-and let me make this as clear as crystal, Keiichi-do not take it personally. You remember how when I was in sixth grade they had to move me to another class because of the teacher? I was afraid of him because he looked a little like Stuart. I would break down and start crying whenever I had to go into class even though he'd done nothing wrong. I couldn't take it, Kei, and it was stupid, the sixth-grade me knew it was stupid, but it didn't change the fact that I was afraid of him. I even wrote a letter to him trying to explain it, but Megumi was the one who had to deliver it because I couldn't look him in the eye."

He remembered that. Megumi had recounted the story to him when she'd come down to visit once. "I never saw a grown man cry until that moment," Megumi had said. "He opened up the letter right there in front of me while his class was at lunch. I don't even think he realized he was crying Kei. He just folded the letter and placed it in his desk, then thanked me all quiet-like and asked me to leave. But can you imagine, Keiichi? Being told you couldn't be around someone because you resembled their rapist? To know that your face alone would inspire that kind of terror in another person? Fuck, he must have felt awful." Megumi had been pretty drunk that night, which admittedly was probably the only way she could talk about it. In reflection now, he felt like he could use a drink, too.

"Now I'm not saying that's the case here," Aiko continued on, ignorant of the thoughts drifting through Keiichi's head. "I don't know your lady friend's story and I'm not a psychologist who can speak on that sort of thing. I can only speak on my own experiences, and if her story is anything like mine, you cannot take it personally Kei."

"I know." Keiichi's voice was gruff. "I guess for right now I'll have to ask her myself." He sighed with dejection. "Thanks anyway, Aiko. I'll keep the shirt idea in mind."

"Good," Aiko said. "Give her time and give her your support. Again, I don't know her story but… you know I pushed a lot of good people away, Keiichi. I didn't mean to, but I didn't know how to express the pain I was in, or the fear that kept closing in around me. Make sure she gets help, Keiichi."

"I will. Thanks again, Aiko."

"Anytime, Kei. Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you, okay? And…will you let me know how she's doing? Your lady friend?"

"Yeah…I guess I can do that for you," Keiichi said. "You'll probably get a chance to meet her when you come over."

"That will be cool," Aiko replied. "Take care of yourself, Kei. I know you're a big rough and tough SEAL, but I know when things get to you. Don't let this be one of them, okay? Love you, Big Brother."

"Love you too, Aiko. Get some sleep, okay?"

"'kay. G'night Kei."

"Night."

The man hung up the phone and stared at it, his gaze long and thoughtful.

His mind elsewhere, the SEAL didn't notice he was not alone until his new guest made its presence man stiffened and sucked in a startled breath as the truck dipped then leveled. Something heavy crawled across the pickup's bed. He heard it paw at the emergency toolbox he kept in back; a red, metal box that weighed at least fifty pounds, and heard it skate across the grooves that lined the metal bed. His eyes darted to the rearview mirror, and in it he spied a deep, black shadow investigate the other materials in his truck. What. The. Fuck. Is. That.

He heard a deep growl, and with his eyes glued to the mirror he watched the form slide across his back window, for a moment revealing short, tawny fur that scratched against the glass. That's not a dog. Too slender for a bear. Is that a goddamned mountain lion? There weren't any mountain lions in Virginia though; they'd all been hunted to extinction. Another growl, a curious chuff, and the man started badly as the thing climbed onto the roof of the truck. He heard the metal warp beneath its weight, and the man turned to look out the window, watching as a long, slender tail slipped up and out of sight.

It is a goddmaned mountain lion. Holy shit there's a goddamned mountain lion on my truck. He sucked in a deep breath and leaned his seat back as far as it would go, scrunching down into it to make himself less visible. Of all the times to be caught without his rifle. I survived god only knows what with Belldandy and it's going to be a fucking mountain lion that finishes me off. How much weight could the glass of his windshield withstand before it broke? How much did a mountain lion weigh? It's going to come down the front of my truck and break through the glass, he thought wildly. It'll get stuck in the windowpane and start clawing at anything within reach trying to get back out, and I'll be the first thing it shreds to pieces.

A paw came down on the glass, and Keiichi swallowed. The pad alone had to be bigger than his fist. How big do pumas get again? Fuck if he knew. The ones at the zoo he took Keigo to didn't look that big, but he'd been on the far side of the enclosure back then. This was up close and personal. Too close.

Another paw came down on the glass, this one a little further down, and the puma began to crawl down the windshield. The cougar was massive. It had to have been at least three, maybe even four feet tall, but that could have been the fear starting to circulate through Keiichi's mind. It's forepaws hit the hood of his truck, and there it stood, one back leg still on the roof of his vehicle, the other leg resting on the windshield and giving Keiichi a healthy display of the white fur of its underbelly. The creature looked around, its large head swaying from side to side like a king (no, a queen, Keiichi thought, that's definitely a female) surveying her domain, and when it became apparent that the beast held little regard for him Keiichi allowed himself to release the breath he was holding.

"Hello you dangerous, gorgeous thing." Keiichi caught himself whispering, "Please don't pay me any mind. Please just kindly hop off my truck and go about your morning. Please." As though hearing his words the puma's head jerked back at him, and Keiichi's heart skipped a beat as a pair of luminous, golden-ringed eyes met his. It sees me. Oh fuck a duck, it sees me. It's jaw parted a small bit, and it slid the rest of the way down the windshield and turned to face him fully. The window fogged from where it's breath hit the glass, and Keiichi spied long, sharp canines that held a yellow sheen in the light of his truck. Keiichi didn't move. It's a roamer. Gotta be. There was something he assumed was a tag in one of its ears. Didn't know roamers could get so big. Yet even despite his fear, he couldn't help but admire it. Oh, the fear was great. Even with the potion, he could feel it bottoming out in his bowls and crawling along the inside of his stomach, but Ho-Lee-Shit, what a sight. It's small, round ears swiveled to and fro, and again one of those massive paws came to rest on the windshield, this time letting it slide down the glass as though it was a housecat asking to come inside.

If you're cold, they're cold. Let them inside. He thought inanely, and felt a tiny little laugh slip out of his mouth against his will. "Sorry Beautiful, not this time," he told it, watching as it paused and then switched to the opposing paw. None of its claws were extended, but he could see the deadly points within the fur of the paws. "I got a woman back home already." A hand edged towards the horn, hoping that maybe he could scare it away. The great cat saw this and stopped, laid its ears back flat against its head, and released the most godawful scream he'd ever heard.

Keiichi screamed too, felt himself jump, and then without another 'how you may' the puma hopped off his truck and trotted off, leaving the man trembling and alone as it disappeared into the surrounding shadows of the forest. He laughed. It sounded perhaps a bit hysteric. "That-that was awesome."

He didn't find the strength to start his truck for another fifteen minutes.

XXX

By the time he got back home it was close to four thirty in the morning. "Thank god it's Saturday," Keiichi grumbled, hauling out the bag of 'comfort food' he'd bought and heading inside. The man felt spent. It'd been a long night, and now that the excitement of the early morning was past him, the idea of going back to sleep held looming appeal.

Locking his truck, the man looked up at his house. There was no evidence he could see of the destruction so brought forth by Belldandy, nor did he come across any remaining shrapnel in the grass as he climbed the steps leading up to his porch and headed inside. The living room was clean too; someone had even been kind enough to fold the TV stands and stack them up against a wall with their neighboring chairs. Maybe we can go shopping for that couch today. The idea appealed to him. A nice, simple task to help keep him distracted, maybe even keep Belldandy distracted. What kind of a couch would a goddess like? he wondered. Did goddesses even like couches?

He'd figure it out later. With a mighty yawn, the man moved into the kitchen, depositing items in the fridge, freezer, and pantry for later use. That done, he crept up the stairs, avoiding the planks he'd long ago identified as the noisy ones before checking his room. It was empty, the wear on it from the fight was gone. Like the TV stands below, someone had even taken the time to tidy up his room a bit; his bed was made, and he could just catch the lingering scent of a woman. Recognizing the fact that all three Norns used the same body wash as he did nowadays, it could have been any of them, but his mind decided it wanted to believe it was Belldandy.

Speaking of which…

The man left his bedroom as he'd found it, slipping into the guest bedroom Belldandy inhabited. The room was repaired, but the bed was empty, and for a moment Keiichi feared that Belldandy and her sisters had fled in the wake of the disaster they'd unleashed upon his house. He stared at the bed with its empty sheets with wide eyes, feeling his stomach knot with anxiety. I fucked up somehow, he thought. I freaked out on them with that magic-thing and they thought I couldn't take it, so they left. They just…no, no that can't be it.

With a lingering glance at the guest bedroom, the man moved to the next room over, finding the blow-up mattress deflated and rolled up neatly in one corner. It too, was empty, and the man felt his throat grow dry. No, no, please tell me they didn't leave me. They, she didn't even say good-bye, I would have at least wanted to say good-bye to them, please for Christ's sake no!

He moved to the bathroom, but the door was empty and open. The towels he'd bought for them and all the soaps and shampoos were still there, but they were gods. What use did they have for such mortal items? Souvenirs? A shirt that said I HEART MIDGARD in big, bold letters? He couldn't believe that, didn't want to believe that, but Jesus, where the hell were they?!

Grimacing, Keiichi returned to Belldandy's room, his brows furrowed with deep worry lines as he stepped into the room and surveyed it, wondering if perhaps he'd missed something, if they'd left a note, something to let him know everything was okay.

Nothing.

No note, no letter, no 'so long and thanks for all the fish', nothing.

His throat locked. It felt almost as though his heart might break. I just wanted to help, he thought. I just wanted to see Belldandy smile, is that so bad? Fuck, even Urd had left without a word, and he liked to think that they were pretty close as far as friends went.

"…Fuck." He could think of no other words to describe his feelings, and despondent, the man trudged back to his room, sinking onto his bed with a sigh. Now what? Propping his elbows on his knees, the man closed his eyes and leaned forward, burying his face in his hands. "I'm sorry, Belldandy," he mumbled. I didn't mean to scare you off like that.

A sigh came from a corner of his room.

Keiichi stiffened, then looked up. Where had that come from? He looked around, his eyes wide and searching, and in one of the corners near the entrance to the master bathroom he spied a lump of figures nestled together. What the…

It was the Norns. All three of them, piled together in a corner propped up against one another. Belldandy was in the center, with Urd and her right and Skuld on her left, and all three of them breathed the deep, even flow of a restful sleep. They were in the corner his door blocked from sight when opened, and so somehow they'd escaped his notice upon him first peering into his room.

The SEAL stared at them for a long moment, dumbfounded and relieved, watching as Belldandy sighed once more, squirmed in her sleep a bit, and then settled when Skuld leaned further into her. Urd muttered in her sleep. The red welt on her cheek was gone, he noticed, but in its place were bags from exhaustion beneath her eyes that made them look bruised, even in her sleep. She didn't so much as twitch when either of her sisters moved, but instead slid along the wooden floor. If not for the fact that she was pressed into the corner of the wall, Keiichi would have bet that the Norn would have eventually slid off Belldandy altogether.

A slow smile lit up Keiichi's face. They didn't leave. Fucking A, they didn't leave. How long had they been there? Why were they sleeping in a corner like that? Who fucking cared?The man dug into his pocket and retrieved his phone, then pulled up the camera app. One picture. He told himself. Just one picture, just in case they do decide to leave me. One picture to remember them by. He lined up the shot, grateful he'd disabled sounds on his phone, and took a single picture, taking care to ensure the light was good and that the shot wasn't blurry. He beamed at the resulting image, the turned off the phone and pocketed it again. How long have they been like this? He wondered. He didn't want to wake them, but… the man glanced at his bed, then hopped off and yanked off the comforter one of the Norns, hell maybe all of them, had taken so much time to smooth out across the bed. He dragged it across the room, the draped it across the sleeping sisters' forms, straying only long enough to make sure the heavy blanket didn't drift down from their shoulders.

They're here. They've stolen my bedroom, but who cares, they're here. Belldandy murmured something in her sleep. It almost sounded like 'ichi', but perhaps that was just his ears. Guess I'll go chill in the guest room, then. He decided, the slipped out, a large smile on his face as he closed the door quietly behind him.

So distracted with his own thoughts, he never saw Skuld's eyes crack open and follow him out.

XXX

It wasn't until noon that everyone roused that day. Urd took the longest; the others woke up around nine, but Urd was the only person to sleep in until twelve, and even then there were still heavy bags beneath her eyes.

"I've been overexerting myself," she confessed. "Between the lack of sleep and all that magic, I'm worn to the bone, guys."

Skuld punched her in the arm. Urd yelped, then glared. "Your own fault," the younger woman scowled at her. "And you should have told us what was going on."

Urd scowled back at Skuld but said nothing, instead rubbing her arm moodily.

Belldandy looked between the two of them with worried eyes. "Please don't fight. It's my fault, I—"

"It's not your fault, Belldandy." Both sisters were quick to interrupt her, and Keiichi watched with a start as they spoke in unison. Lind's words form earlier returned to him. They're a pretty tight-knit bunch, aren't they? …They're good for each other.

Yeah, they're good for each other alright. Keiichi agreed. Say what you want, but those two are probably the best thing that could a' ever happened to Belldandy. Urd and Skuld never started fights with Belldandy. They'd start fights and argue like a couple of cats with each other, but whenever the blame game came around one or both was always quick to shoulder it before Belldandy could so much as consider it.

"Still…" The goddess lowered her head, brow creased with apprehension. "What if it happens again?" she asked, and at that everyone fell silent. "I don't…the entire house could explode." She looked up abruptly, her face set in a determined frown. "I can't accept that," she said. "I—" She frowned, grit her teeth, then tried again. "I'm not sleeping tonight," she announced. "You all have suffered because of my nightmares, and I cannot allow that to continue further."

"Wow, hey now…" Keiichi said, staring at the woman in alarm. "You can't just 'not sleep', can you?" He paused, then looked at Urd. "Can you?"

"We can't." Urd shook her head. "Keiichi's right, Bell, that's going to hurt you and you know it. Sleeping is the alternate method you use to help link yourself up with Yggdrasil. You know what will happen if you deny that, especially while you're here in a third-dimensional body. These bodies require sleep just as much as Keiichi does, and you'll only worsen the condition if you don't get some rest."

"Yeah." Even Skuld was agreeing. "Sleep deprivation isn't going to make the nightmares stop. Just hold them back until your body shuts down and forces you into sleep." She shook her head. "And you know what'll happen then? You'll be in that deep sleep won't be able to rouse you from."

"I appreciate your concern, but my mind is made up." Belldandy inclined her head. "At the very least for one night," she protested. "You all deserve some rest without having to worry about me, and I can keep myself occupied until dawn."

"So what, you'll sleep during the day then?" Skuld stared at her in disbelief. "How will that help? You'll just be shifting the time you have nightmares!"

Belldandy shook her head. "No, I'll stay up into the following evening." She decided. "That way you all have at least a twenty-four hour time period to rest and recover without worrying about me." A flash of guilt rode across her face. "Besides, you've all been doing so much for me lately…I need to pick up my share of the burden as well." She shook her head. "I won't have you all making sacrifices for me when I've nothing to return."

"Bell, listen to me, please," Urd said gently. "You aren't a burden to anyone. What we do is by our own choice-you haven't asked us to do anything. We want to do that stuff for you, because we love you. But you can't stay up for a full thirty-two hours."

Belldandy stiffened, and then sighed. "Urd," she began, and her voice was quiet. "Last night, for the second time in two weeks I knocked you through a wall. My magic lashed out at you and Skuld and even Keiichi, and Skuld is still recovering from the cracked ribs I gave her." She sent a look to Skuld when the younger woman opened her mouth to protest, and Keiichi looked at the younger goddess in surprise. Skuld winced and looked away with a scowl. He hadn't realized the blow from last night had been that bad. "Not only did I almost kill Keiichi-twice-but I almost drove him to madness because I let my magic get away from me, and if forced him to see it in a manner that his mind could not fully understand." She eyed all three of them, her frown deep and gaze stressed. "What part of last night was something any of you wanted to do for me?" she demanded. "When I had injured you all in some way, either physical or mental?"

Silence fell upon the room, and Belldandy nodded, her expression bitter. "I am no fool," she whispered. "You all are suffering because of my own actions. At least allow me the chance to suffer in turn."

"We just want to help, Belldandy," Keiichi said.

Belldandy fixated a glare on him, but beneath the anger and resentment, he saw the guilt and hurt that dwelled within her eyes. Aiko's words from earlier that morning returned to him. "I couldn't express myself properly back then…I pushed a lot of good people away from me, Keiichi."

It's no different. Keiichi thought. So what would you do if it was Aiko in her place? The answer came easily enough. "Listen, if you want to try and stay up that late, I'll stay up with you, okay?" His words evoked a fresh peal of protests from Urd and Skuld, but the SEAL ignored them both. "It's hard and boring staying up late like that-trust me, I've pulled plenty of overnight watches before. It's easier if there's someone to help pass the time with." He nodded encouragingly to her, and saw some of the anger fade. "So I'll stay up with you. Hell, I'll even keep you awake, if that's what you really want. It's no biggie on my part. I'm used to getting only an hour or two of sleep a night." He grinned at her, hoping it was sincere. "Hell, it'll be like a slumber party, only without the ghost stories and pillow fights. We'll make pillow forts and have hot chocolate and popcorn, shoot, we can even play some videogames-you ever play Street Fighter? In fact…"

The man clapped his hands, startling everyone present. "That's the perfect reason to go out and buy a couch today! We'll get ourselves one of those nice big ones, load it in the truck, and have ourselves something other than these damned-uncomfortable chairs to sit on. What do you say?"

They were staring at him. All three of them. Skuld looked like she wanted to strangle him. Urd looked ready to protest, then paused, her gaze torn as she looked from Keiichi to Belldandy with worried eyes. Belldandy stared at him, her eyes burrowing into him as though trying to guess his plots. Keiichi held his peace and kept his eyes on Belldandy. I'm leaving the decision up to you. He tried to communicate to her. You have a choice. You've always had a choice and I want you to know that.

At length the goddess nodded. "Very well." She said. "Very well…I will accept this."

Keiichi's smile broadened into a more honest one. Urd and Skuld both scowled. "Sweet." He said, and pretended not to notice the death glare Skuld directed his way. "How about some tea to seal the deal?"

"Tea?" Belldandy's brows shout up in surprise, and he caught a spark of interest in her gaze before it vanished behind its usual wall of disinterest once more.

"Yup." Keiichi nodded, and caught Urd send an accusing glance to Skuld. Skuld was attempting to flay him alive with her eyes alone. "I didn't know what flavor to get you, so I got a couple different types. None of them are loose leaf, unfortunately, but I'm working on that."

"I-" The goddess closed her mouth, looking so stunned that for a moment Keiichi worried she might bolt. "I-I can work with that." She bit her lower lip. "Did…is there…black tea?"

God, she was so hesitant it was heartbreaking. Like watching a beaten dog being offered a treat from another person. He thought, and felt sick. Aoshima had wanted Belldandy to call him 'Master'. Had that been all she was to him? A dog to kick and beat on whenever the mood deemed fit? Never again. He decided. For a moment his hands throbbed, as though a pair of hooks had been forced through them, and then it was gone. I'll make sure no one hurts you ever again. I swear it.

"There's also some cinnamon and cloves." Skuld spoke up, and Keiichi looked at her in surprise. The goddess was glaring at a far wall, her face twisted into a scowl. She huffed. "Also saw some anise in there too-it's all powdered, but it'll still work, I guess. Milk too, but it's that awful 'skim milk' trash that seems to be the latest sensation sweeping the nation."

The SEAL watched as all three Norns made a disgusted face at the mention of 'skim milk', for a moment looking so identical to each other that even with Urd's more exotic features, there was little doubt as to the relation between the three. "White water," Urd muttered.

Even Belldandy grunted in displeasure. "Ugh." Then the goddess brightened. "Still…I can use that and a little additional cinnamon…maybe even a tad bit of honey…" A corner of her mouth twitched up in what Keiichi knew was the start of a smile, and despite himself he leaned forward, eyes wide with anticipation.

Belldandy caught him staring. The almost-smile vanished. Instead, she flushed, and with a quick 'excuse me', departed for the kitchen in a rush. Damn. Someone swatted his arm, and he flinched, looking back to find both Skuld and Urd staring at him, unamused.

"Creeper," Skuld grumbled, then followed Belldandy into the kitchen.

Urd sighed. "We all want to see Bell smile too, Keiichi, but stop making it so obvious." She rubbed her temples. "I hope you know what you're doing. I don't think I'll be able to stay up and help if things go south this time around," she warned.

Keiichi nodded. "I know what I'm doing." He had no fucking clue what he was doing. No idea, but it felt right, and goddamned if his instincts hadn't served him well all his life. "It'll go fine. Don't worry about it."


A/N: Next too chapters have some surprises for people. :)


Comments from a Madwoman: Remember how this is an AU story? Get ready for some different mechanics ranging in how magic works as well. Also in the next chapter, things get weird. Real weird. Loopy weird. As in I was not in my right mind when I wrote what's in the next chapter. But hey, it's all good, It's all cool, Keiichi called a cougar beautiful and all she did was scream bloody murder at him.