Chapter 2.

The next morning, Josh didn't go down for breakfast. He just dressed, made his bed and then sat in his window, looking out over the fields and forests behind the mansion. Someone knocked at his door, but it was securely locked, and he didn't answer. They left him alone for the lot of the day. Not untill after dinner, he had a visitor. There was a couple of knocks on the door, but when he didn't answer, it went quiet for a moment, and then the lock clicked.

The door opened, and Remy let himself into the darkening room. Josh had really managed to change the room into one fitting his personality - a poster with a howling wolf on the wall, some papers spread out on the desk, other than that it was neat and tidy, heavy darkblue curtains that cut out most light, a little silver wolf as a paperweight... The kid liked wolves. Perhaps because he longed for a pack of his own? He turned his thougths from the room to the reason of his visit. Josh sat in the window, with his head turned from the door, looking out over the backside of the mansion. 'Evenin' Josh.' Remy said quietly. No answer. He stayed at the door, and closed it carefully, then leaned towards it. 'Y' 'kay?' Still no answer. 'See, y've been gettin' us all kind o' worried, an' we're wondrin' what we've done wron'..' At least that got him a reaction. Josh turned his head, and seemed to get a little confused. 'Done wrong? You?' he asked uncertainly. Remy nodded. 'Oui. Wi't y' lockin' y'rself in like dis, all day, dere must be somethin' wron', right?' The boy blinked, and then looked out the window again. 'No. Nothing's wrong here. It's just something...' he hessitated. '..something I need to think through. Make up my mind about.' Teenage angst? Remy thought, and smiled a little. 'Alright. But if y' need to talk, we're all 'ere for y', remember?' Josh nodded, and continued to look out the window. 'I promise.'

When Remy left, he smiled a little to himself. Josh looked like a kid, one that shouldn't have any more troubles than the occational homework and crush on cute girls. Still, there was that way he avoided to talk about his life before he came to the mansion, or those times when he seemed all lost in thoughts. Well, surely it would pass, in time. He shruged and headed towards his own room and a couple of hours relaxing with that new cassette Blade'd given him. Some jazz perhaps would give him rest in mind.

Josh let out a sigh when the door closed behind Remy. How could he tell him? Or anyone, for that matter? And tomorrow it was his birthday...he knew that, because his mother had told him once what day he was born, and what year...Tomorrow, he would be thirteen. Nearly a grown up. But today, he felt like he was the smallest little baby, with nowhere to be safe. So he stayed up, and watched the stars fade into sight on the sky, and the moon rise. He didn't dare go to sleep, not with all memories running around in his head. He didn't want to dream.