--Gabe and Edith are still mine. Nothing's changed; I still don't own anyone cool. Oh, but wait! I'm sure we're all eagerly anticipating the release of COTC7 this Saturday! *crosses fingers* Can we hear a 'Micah's Return'? Heh, very unlikely, but not impossible!--

And then I saw her face
Now I'm a believer
Not a trace
Of doubt in my mind
I'm in love
I'm a believer
I couldn't leave her if I tried
--
from Believer by Smash Mouth

There was complete and total silence for about 30 seconds before Gabe finally broke the tension with a nervous laugh.
"Guess we found the party," she said jokingly, but her hand squeezed Micah's shoulder firmly. It was more for her own comfort than his, and it showed him that she was just as unnerved as he.
"Micah," murmured one of the little girls. it swept through the room as a collective whisper.
"Micah." He forced a smile. Yes, he knew every one of them; Jezebel, Matthew, Esther, Jacob, Luke... everyone.
"Hello," he whispered. The children shifted a little, their eyes blank and expressionless. Just like they had been
("Somebody!")
the night of the harvest moon
("Somebody! Help me!")
when he had lost his legs. Almost as if hearing his thoughts, the children lowered their eyes in silent guilt.
"You want to tell me who these people are?" Gabe asked through her false smile, glancing at Micah. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a small sigh. He did not want to deal with this right now.
"Later, Gabe," he whispered. She frowned, her fake smile collapsing.
"You can't tell me everything later, Micah," she murmured, sure to keep her voice down. "You have to tell me at least something. I have absoloutely no idea what's going on here--"
"Micah?" They both glanced up. Micah's once troubled face broke into a wide grin.
"Jedediah!" he exclaimed, and Gabe leaned away in quiet resentment. The curly brown-haired boy trotted towards them; he looked very briefly at the wheelchair and then back up to Micah.
"I haven't seen you in--" Jedediah gestured around helplessly with his hands. "--oh, forever." Micah grinned, surprised how happy he was to see his old friend.
"Yeah. Ruth told me." Jed laughed a little.
"She's told everyone," he said, and looked at Gabe. His face clouded over. "Who's this?" Micah glanced back at Gabe and grabbed her hand lightly.
"This? This is Gabe, my girlfriend." She pulled her hand slowly out of his grip, and Micah blinked.
"He always introduces me like that," Gabe murmured, smiling at Jedediah. "Supposedly, my name is Gabe My Girlfriend." Jed chuckled a little, but it sounded kind of forced.
"I'm Jedediah." Gabe extended a hand towards him. He didn't take it. After a moment, she pulled it back and rubbed awkwardly at the back of her head. Micah was suddenly aware of how the children were all staring at her.
"We gotta go get unpacked," he said quickly. "You mind if we talk later, Jed?" The older boy stuck his hands in his pockets and shrugged.
"Nah. You wanna meet me in the dining room later tonight?"
"N'kay." Micah glanced at Gabe, then at the stairs worriedly. "Ah--" His face flushed crimson as he beckoned for her to lean closer, which she did. "How are we getting up the stairs?" he whispered in her ear.
"You can stay in the ground floor guest bedroom," Jedediah offered tentatively. Micah smiled, relieved, and Gabe turned.
"Thanks," she said, and wheeled him out of the living room, away from the staring eyes.

Gabe took him wordlessly to the bedroom and stopped the chair by the bed. Micah felt the silence and immediately sensed unease.
"Gabe?" he murmured, and she walked out. He waited for a few minutes, afraid that she'd left him by himself, then let his breath out as she re-entered with two of their suitcases. "Gabe?" Micah asked again. "Is something wrong?" She threw one suitcase onto each bed.
"Nothing at all," Gabe said, but it was clear she was lying. Micah frowned and wheeled his chair slowly over to her bed, where she was unpacking her bags with sharp movements of irritation.
"Come on, don't lie to me." He tried to make her meet his gaze, and when she didn't, he swallowed hard. "Please, what's wrong?" Gabe picked up a t-shirt with Strawberry Shortcake printed on it and dropped it on the pile of clothes to put in the dresser.
"Every time I ask you anything about this place, Micah -- who the people are, why they're here, what actually happened -- you dodge the question and say you'll tell me later." She slammed her suitcase shut. "Well, I want to know now, Micah!" He chewed his lower lip, fear rising in his throat.
"Please, I know it sounds silly," he pleaded, and grabbed her hand. "I can't tell you yet, Gabe."
"When, Micah?" Gabe cried, jerking away slightly. "When?" Micah shook his head slowly. He couldn't tell her, he didn't even want to tell her, but he knew she'd find out eventually. He just wanted to keep that date as far in the future as possible.
"Gabe," he said, voice a pleading sigh, then glanced down at his hands. "Would -- would you mind putting me in the bed? I think I need to sleep on this." Gabe glanced at him, eyes narrowed. She did as she was asked, however; turning quickly from her suitcase, she hooked her hands under his arms and swung him into the bed. Micah hit the mattress and bounced, grasping for the blankets to pull over his legs almost immediately. "Thank you," he said meekly. Gabe grunted in response and began packing shirts into the dresser. He watched her for one long moment, then finally rolled over in the bed and rested on his side.
(she's mad at me again)
"Sorry," he murmured to his pillow, and squeezed his eyes shut. Gabe went about the room in silence, packing shirts and putting toiletries in the bathroom. Fifteen long minutes went by before Micah finally felt the approach of sleep. He was just starting to drift off when Gabe's little sounds of unpacking silenced.
"Micah?" It was nearly a whisper, and being too tired, he didn't respond. Her voice crept a little closer. "Micah?" she tried again. His eyelids felt heavy, his body like a weight, and he still didn't answer. There was a long pause before the bed sank just a tiny bit as Gabe sat on the edge. "I'm sorry," she murmured, placing her palm on his back and moving it in a soothing circle. "Here, you're facing something that's really painful and I'm being an ass and giving you a hard time." Another long pause. Gabe lifted her feet from the floor and scooted close, lying behind him atop the sheets. "And you know I'm not mad at you. I'm just sort of... frustrated. Confused, too. You saw how those kids looked at me downstairs. It's just a little... well, a little odd, I suppose." She hesitated again, almost as if waiting for answers between her sentences. Micah had finally pulled out of the hold of sleep, but didn't turn around. He wanted to let her finish. "At any rate," Gabe murmured, letting her head rest gently against the back of his, "that's no excuse for being so obstinate. I'm sorry. You tell me whenever you're ready." It seemed she was finished; Gabe fell silent and moved her palm in a slow, soothing circle over his back. Micah smiled a little, then rolled slowly over to face her.
"Well, at least it's out of the way," he murmured. Gabe looked startled.
"I thought you were asleep," she mumbled, then cocked a brow in question. "What's out of the way?"
"Well," Micah said, stroking her cheek absently as he talked, "at some point, it seems one of us always gets mad at the other, then we make up. Healthy relationships are like that. But I'm glad it's out of the way for this trip -- because I'm looking forward to the making up part." Gabe grinned, slightly embarrassed.
"That was sneaky. I really thought you were asleep." He shook his head and smirked out of the corner of his mouth.
"You're even sneakier. If you thought I was asleep, how was I supposed to hear you apologize?"
"Well..." She shrugged helplessly, moving closer as she did so. "I always thought that talking to people while they slept worked. Somehow, they always get the message, even though they don't hear you right away." Micah pressed his cheek to the top of her head and slid his arm around her.
"Makes sense," he murmured, pulling her close. "But there's nothing you can tell me while I'm asleep that you can't tell me when I'm awake." Gabe buried her face in his shirt.
"You'd be surprised," she muttered. He blinked.
"What do you mean--" he began, then stopped as she shook her head.
"Nothing. Forget it." Gabe yawned slightly. "I wish I'd used the car ride like you did. I spent the whole time reading that damned Stephen King book, and now I'm dead tired." Micah paused, running his hand soothingly over her hair, and remembered words from what seemed like ages ago.
"You're tired, Gabe," he whispered, and planted a light kiss on her hair. "Sleep." It had been the same thing she told him months ago in the hospital, when he was still trapped in the bed and being held hostage by Sarah Pruitt. It seemed so long ago.
"Good idea." Gabe ran her finger lightly over a crease in his t-shirt and gave a quiet sigh. "Just for a few minutes." Micah let his eyes drift closed.
"Mm hm." She paused.
"Love you," Gabe murmured. He smiled sleepily.
"Love you too," he said, and fell slowly into sleep.

"Well well well. Isn't this touching."

The voice at the door made them both shoot awake. Jedediah was leaning against the frame, smiling with the corner of his mouth. It wasn't a friendly grin, either.
"Jed--" Micah slowly pulled away from Gabe, not ashamed but surprised. "What are you doing? We locked the--"
"Door?" He shrugged. "I've got a key. Angela lets me help out with cleaning rooms and stuff." Jedediah paused, then added, "You know, I really should let Ruth see this. I think it might do her some good. Make her stop ranting and raving about how your return is going to bring Him--"
"Enough, Jed," Micah interrupted. Gabe frowned a little, leaning back on the pillow with her arms tucked behind her head. She didn't say anything.
"Whatever you say," Jedediah chuckled, and pulled the bedroom door slowly closed. "Lunch'll be ready in five minutes." The lock clicked into place before Micah heaved a mental sigh of relief. He had been that close to letting it slip.
"Who's that again?" Gabe asked quietly.
"Jed," Micah responded promptly, falling back on his pillow. "An old friend of mine." She was silent for a moment.
"Oh." Then she grinned and nestled close to him again, taking the folds of his t-shirt in her hands. "You know, we never did quite get to the fun part of making up." Micah laughed softly as a light blush crept over his cheeks.
"You heard him. Lunch'll be ready in five minutes."
"I'm sure we can find something to do in five minutes," Gabe retorted, and promptly pressed her mouth to his. Micah slid his arms around her, hugging her close, glad that they weren't fighting anymore.

Neither one of them saw Ruth peering in the bedroom window.