Author:  The Wanlorn

Title:  A World in a Grain of Sand 17/?

Summary:  This is a sequel to "Every New Beginning…"

Rating:  PG13 for language

Spoilers:  I honestly don't know, so beware.

Distribution:  Ask, and ye shall receive.  Take without permission, then screw the Law of Three, I will cures you with the nefarious curse of…da da dum…WRITER'S BLOCK!!!!  BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

Disclaimer:  Same as all of the last times, so far.  The lyrics are, respectively, the theme song from the movie 'The Last Unicorn'.  The 'shivvies' comment is courtesy of Chiana, from 'Farscape'.  The MacDuff one is Shakespeare.  Yes, I know that, in actuality, that's not what the guy really says in the play, but that's what everyone thinks it is, so… I'm going with the popular opinion.

Vastly Important Note: I'm sending out my most humble and sincere apologies.  I could have sworn that I had warned y'all at some point that the odds were, this was going to turn into a Mary Sue fic.  My apologies.  So, yes, I know what kind of travesty this has turned into, but I'm not changing anything, on the basis that this is ridiculously fun for me to write.  Sorry.  Well, no, onto my retarded fic.  :-D

Chapter Seventeen

            Natalie woke up to an empty bed.  At first, she glanced at the clock and assumed Nick was at work.  When it finally registered on her groggy brain that their shower was running, she realized that he must have taken the day off.  That was good - she didn't want to be left alone in the loft with a strange vampire, a brusque girl, and a young man who was apparently hiding something.  There was much to be said for moral support.

            Briefly, she considered joining Nick in the shower - *that* was always fun.  The reasoning piece of her brain quickly caught up with the rest of her.  She did not know if the vampire downstairs was awake, but if he were, he would be able to hear everything.  Instead, she sat up and grabbed her hairbrush, running it through her wild curls.  She needed coffee, but had to make herself relatively presentable before going downstairs.  Of course, that only meant brushing her hair and throwing on a robe.

            She stopped, just out of view of the living room, surprised to hear Abel's quiet laugh and Nire's voice.

            "No, I'm serious!  He did.  So I'm like, 'No Dan, only *you* think that-'" There was a pause.  "Someone's awake."

            It immediately went dead silent; Natalie could picture both of them intently listening.  How had the girl been able to tell she was up?  Natalie shook her head tiredly and went downstairs.  She needed coffee before she would be able to think.

            "G'morn'n'," Nire said brightly.  "Or evenin', depending on how picky you are."

            "Morning," Natalie responded, smiling a good morning at Abel.

            She went over and started the coffee.  They were almost out of filters, which meant she could have to go buy more.  That was scary thought - actually going out in public again.  Irina was encouraging her to go out of the loft (with Nick) more, but it wasn't happening so far.  And he still walked her to the door of the shrink's building every night, and waited for her when her session had ended.  It was pathetic.

            Abel rose from where he was sitting on the floor, a couple of feet away from Nire.  He felt vaguely guilty for staying downstairs all night, listening to Nire talk, but he didn't know why.  Realizing that Nire had been in the middle of a story and he had interrupted her, he froze, panic filling his eyes.

            She laughed at his panicked look.  "Easy, kitty kat.  No one listens to me anyways.  Go ahead."

            "I listen to you, M'ija," a soft, silver voice said.

            "You're awake!" Nire whirled around so she was kneeling, facing the vampire on the couch.  Her hands danced in the air lightly around his golden face, afraid to touch.

            Abel moved to the kitchen where Natalie was, walking carefully so as to draw the least attention to himself.  With someone else conscious, the mood and attitude of everyone could change.  He declined politely, if nervously, when Natalie offered him a cup of coffee.  Nick stopped on the catwalk, not wanting to interrupt something.  But he wanted to be downstairs just in case.  Frozen by indecision, he stayed where he was, with a bird's-eye view of the whole scene.

            Jander looked away, casting his silver eyes to the ground.  Nire's hands finally settled on his cheek, her thumb gently caressing the soft skin.  Pain, physical and emotion, was etched into his angular features.  Nire's face showed a tenderness that people rarely got to see.

            "Oh, baby," she crooned.  "Please don't beat yourself up over everything.  None of it was your fault."

            Silver eyes spoke a million words as his body slumped into the couch in shame.

            Nire sighed and lay her cheek on her chest.  "But I don't *care*.  It was…oh, love, if only I could make you understand."

            Love?  Nick's forehead crinkled slightly.  Nire was eighteen at the most.  That made the elf a bit too old for her, did it not?

            Jander's arms slowly crept around Nire's back, hugging her close.  "Easy on the left," she warned him.  His arms immediately loosened, but locked.  She could not get away if she wanted to.

            Nick heard him muttering, "Don't leave me.  Please don't let go.  Stay here."

            Nire broke into barely audible song, a comforting lullaby, of sorts.  "When the last eagle flies over the last crumbling mountain, / And the last lion roars at the last dusty fountain, / In the shadow of the forest though she may be old and worn, / They will stare unbelieving at the last unicorn…"

*  *  *  *  *

            Jander had exhaustedly drifted off into a deep sleep only a few minutes later.  Nire limped over into the kitchen and dropped into a chair, absently rubbing the marks on her neck.  Nick came and joined them.  Immediately, the girl turned to him.

            "This happened to you before, no?"

            He nodded.  It had not been a happy experience.

            "So, what's he going to be like for the next couple days?" she questioned him calmly.

            "Weak and sore," Nick answered.  "It's… not pleasant to recover from.  Stairs are a no for a few days," he said as an example.  "It will take about a week and a half for everything to be flushed out of his bloodstream."

            "A week, ey?" Nire paused.  "Can we stay here for that long?  If I take him home, he'll try to be up and about within a day or so."

            Natalie glanced at Nick and Abel before saying, "Of course."  Abel was remarkably calm compared to how he was yesterday.  She might as well agree to it.

            "You two are…ah…" Nick drifted off, suddenly unsure if he wanted to say anything at all.

            "He's my boyfriend, yes."

            Natalie looked quizzically at Nick.  What was he driving at so bluntly?  She prayed that he would not say what she thought he was going to.

            "Isn't he a bit…ah…old, for you?"

            Nire raised an eyebrow, meeting Natalie's shocked gaze.  "Did he really just say that?  Please tell me those words didn't just come out of his mouth."

            "What?" Nick asked, completely confused.

            "Nick, love," Natalie said gently.  "Think about hat for a moment.  Everyone's a bit too young for both you and him at this point."

            At least Nick had the good grace to look sheepish as he said, "Oh."

            "Step one, open mouth; step two, insert foot.  Right?" Nire joked to relieve the embarrassment that was hanging in the air.

            Natalie pushed herself away from the edge of the counter, downing the dregs from her coffee cup.  "My turn for a shower."  She kissed Nick's cheek on her way past and up the stairs.

            As soon as she was gone, Nire slumped in the chair, muttering, "Dren.  I have to get the babies.  I can't leave 'em with Rogue for that much longer."  She raised her voice, speaking to Nick.  "Can I seriously stay for, like, a week?"

            Nick nodded.  "Of course.  About my earlier comment-"

            "Eh." Nire waved it off.  "I get it a lot.  A'ight."  A pen appeared in her hand, and she began writing on her left hand, turning down Nick's offer of paper and muttering the list she was writing to herself.  "Send the babies home… get clothes… toothbrush… hairbrush… deodorant… paper 'n' pen… wait, no, I got the pen… history book… this is all gonna get washed off by my sweaty hands… a'ight."  She looked up, meeting Abel's eyes.  "Right," she glance at Nick, "I'm gonna go get my stuff."

            She limped to over by the couch, made a motion, and stepped forward, disappearing.  Immediately, the vampire shot up to a sitting position, his silver eyes frantically searching the expansive room.

            "She went to get clothing and such," Nick said.

            The vampire nodded slightly, sucking a wisp of hair behind a pointed ear.  He did not calm down, though, nervousness sitting close to his golden skin.  Nire was back within five minutes, a pile of stuff in her hands.

            "Don't get your shivvies in an uproar, Jander.  I had to get clothes for us and crap.  And my history book - if we're gonna be stayin' here at least a week, I'm gonna be missing school, and we got multiple tests coming up."  She dropped everything in a pile (a relatively neat pile) by the end of the couch.  Then she sat down next to the elf and wrapped her arms around him.  "Take a deep breath, love.  I have to go get the baby-babies.  I can't leave 'em with Rogue for this long."

            He sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and began gnawing on it.  "I know."

            "You gonna be cool with that?" When he nodded, she stood up and went over to Nick.  " 'Kay.  So, I'm really sorry about this, but I gotta go get my kids.  They're just coming in this gate and going right through to home."

            Nick nodded.  "Okay, sure."  It sounded easy enough.  Even though the area where she had disappeared screamed danger at him.  But she seemed fine, after going through it.

            Nire nodded and went over to the area, blowing a kiss to the nervous vampire on the couch.  After motioning once more, she disappeared.  A long moment passed before a teenage boy appeared with a toddler on his hip and one standing by each side.  They were gone in another second.  Then the boy was back alone, then gone and back with two more kids.  Then he flickered out and came back with a little girl.

            Instead of immediately taking the step and a half and disappearing again, the toddler struggled out of his arms and ran over to Jander as fast as her little legs could carry her.

            "Jan'ner!  Jan'ner!" she cried joyfully as the vampire swooped her up in his arms.  Her arms locked around his neck, obviously not planning on letting go.

            Jander motioned vaguely at the boy.  "Go ahead, Cay, go home.  I'll send her home soon."

            The boy, Cay, nodded, but didn't move.  After half a second, Jander motioned him over.  The teen flew to join the group hug.  Nick watched with jealousy shining in his eyes.  If he did not become mortal, and Natalie stayed with him, then they would probably adopt a child.  But the odds of them finding a baby… He knew that Natalie dearly wanted children, which he could not give her.  Perhaps it would be best if he left so she could have a normal life.

            Regretfully, Jander said, "You two have to go home."  His voice was muffled, his mouth buried between the two children's shoulders.

            Immediately, the baby began to wail.  "Okay, okay," Jander hurriedly said.  "In a couple minutes.  Just don't cry."

            Amazingly, she was immediately quiet.  A girl - not Nire - appeared and flickered out, carrying a backpack.  Minute by minute, Jander was growing visibly more nervous.  Finally, he stood up wobbly and handed the baby to the boy.

            Before she could start to wail, he said, "I have to… I just…"

            "He'll be back in a sec, 'Riyah," the boy helped.  "We can stay here 'till they come back."

            Jander unsteadily walked to the area, concentrating on each step.  He disappeared.  Immediately, the two children leaned over the back of the couch.

            "Hi," the teen said.  "I'm Caleb.  This is Amariyah.  We'll be gone in a couple of minutes."

            "I'm Nick."

            "I'm Abel."  Abel actually smiled slightly at the two children.  The little girl was so sweet and cute, he couldn't help it.

            Nire and Jander reappeared, Nire making a slight motion.  The baby slid off the couch and toddled over to the teen, grabbing on to her right leg.

            Nire pointed to the couch sternly.  "Go," she ordered Jander.  He stumbled over and heavily sat down.  " 'Riyah, you and Cay have to go home."

            Immediately, the baby started wailing, clinging to Nire's legs even tighter.  It was shrill enough to cause the three non-humans to wince.  Abel cringed as he winced, knowing what was coming - Nire would slap the girl to shut her up, or punch her, or something.

            "Tone it down, Amariyah," Nire said mildly.  The toddler quieted down to sniffling.  "I've got absolutely no right to ask if you can stay, too."

            Tears poured down the baby's face.  "No go," she sobbed.

            "Yeah, well, you have to.  Dan's waiting for you."  The baby's wails got louder.  Abel flinched as Nire reached down to the girl, expecting a sharp crack.  Nire slipped her hands between her leg and the toddler, pulling her up to be situated on her hip.

            "Cay, you might as well go home.  I don't want to send her to Dan all hysterical, so…"

            Caleb nodded, walking over to where Nire was standing.  "When are you guys coming home?"

            "Soon," Jander immediately said in a voice of liquid silver.

            Nire rolled her eyes.  "A week, kiddo.  We'll be home in a week at the most.  Tell everyone else, 'kay?"

            The boy nodded and took the step that made him disappear.  Nire sighed and set the baby on her feet, telling her to go to Jander.  Then the teenager scrubbed her arm across her eyes and sighed, turning to meet Jander's curious eyes.

            "I'm *really* sorry," she said, her gray eyes apologetic.  "I'll send her home in a couple minutes.  I just… I mean, how can you say no to a face like that?" she shrugged helplessly.

            "It's okay," Nick said.  "She's a cute kid.'

            Abel nodded his agreement from his spot in the far end of the kitchen.

            Nire grinned and nodded.  She turned and watched toddler clinging to the vampire on the couch, her cheek on his chest.  Nick watched with deep envy.  This was not fair at all.  Then again, life never was.  Nire finally sighed regretfully.

            "Let's go, Amariyah.  I can't keep the gate open much longer."

            "No," the toddler stubbornly said.

            "She's right, 'Riyah," Jander said quietly.  "Go over to Nire."

            "No."  Her face began to pucker up.

            "Now, 'Riyah." Nire ordered, the child pushing herself off of Jander and dragging her feet to Nire, her bottom lip trembling.  "Don't even start crying again.  'S not gonna get you anywhere.  C'mere."  Nire swung the pouting baby up and kissed her cheek, murmuring, "We'll be with you twenty-four/seven, and in a week, we'll be home."

            The baby whined and clung to Nire's neck.  Gently, Nire unclasped her chubby hands and set her on the ground.

            "Say thanks to Nick for letting you stay."  Nire patiently waited.

            "T'ank you Nick."  Nick grinned at the baby talk.

            "Now scat," Nire said, giving her a little push in the right direction.

            The toddler left, decidedly unhappy.  As soon as she was gone, Nire made a motion, and stumbled slightly as though dizzy. , The silver flask reappeared and she took a long draught.  Abel wondered if she was going to offer him some.  The stuff was good - he'd gladly have another mouthful.  Unfortunately, it disappeared back into her pocket.

            Natalie trotted down the stairs at that point, asking, "What was with the commotion down here?"

            "I had to get my kids and send them home, and they had to pass through here, and 'Riyah didn't want to go home," Nire said in one breath.

            "O-kay," Natalie responded in a tone of voice that clearly said 'I'm not even going to ask'.  She did not want to know what the teenager was talking about.

            "You happy?" Nire asked.  "I got stitches."

            Natalie raised an eyebrow.  So she had gone somewhere else for stitches in this short of a time?  "You seemed pretty set on the fact that no one was coming near you with a needle."

            "I was, but then it got pointed out to me that one of my friends has few enough friends of her own, and she doesn't need one of them dying 'cause they were too stubborn to get medical attention."  She paused for a breath.  "So I let the doctor at the school stitch me up.  Nothing personal.  You just didn't know the right arguments."

            "Right," Natalie said, dismissing it.  "I'm making breakfast.  Do either of you want anything?"

            "No thanks," Abel said quietly.

            "Noperz," Nire said.  "I'm good."

            "When was the last time you ate, M'ija?" Jander asked, making Natalie jump.  She hadn't realized he was awake.

            "Um…" She was quite obviously trying to remember.

            Jander transferred his attention from the teen to the other people in the room.  "Has she eaten since she got here?"  Everyone shook their heads.  Jander closed his eyes for a brief moment.  "That makes… too many days.  Make her something."

            "What do you want?" Natalie asked the teenager again.

            "Nothing." Nire glared at Jander.  "I'm not hungry."

            "Eat something, M'ija."

            "No," she said stubbornly.  " 'Sides, it's too early to eat.  I'd just end up puking up everything."

            Natalie wasn't going to get into any sort of argument.  She did not want to deal with a fat, anorexic kid on top of everything else.  Instead, she turned away and put a bagel in the toaster oven.

            "You have to eat *something* Jander argued.

            Nire grinned smugly.  "Then you have to eat something, too.'

            The vampire's mouth gaped open and shut.  Nire laughed slightly at his expression, turning to the three people in the kitchen.  "When that's done, pop me in some toast, 'kay?  And someone toss me over a bottle of blood."

            Natalie nodded, pulling out a loaf of bred.  Nick grabbed a bottle of straight blood from the very back of the fridge and threw a spiral pass to Nire.  She caught it expertly, grinning widely.

            "Stirred, not shaken."  She turned and held it out to the elven vampire.  "Drink up, love.  You need your strength."

            It was regretfully taken from her hands and regarded as though it were hemlock juice.  "M'ija…" he begged.

            "Its donated, chicolisto.  Were it not, 'twouldn't matter.  Drink up, and I'll give you a surprise when we get home."

            Nick could identify with how the other vampire undoubtedly felt.  How often had he held a bottle of blood before his eyes with the same loathing in his eyes?  With a fatalistic attitude, Jander pulled out the cork and upended the bottle.  After the first couple sips, he began to guzzle it, the gnawing hunger in the pit of his stomach overcoming his disgust.

            Nire smiled in relief when it was empty, taking back the bottle and tousling his golden hair.  "Thanks, love."

            "What do you want on your toast?" Natalie asked as Nire limped over to put the empty green bottle in the sink.

            "Eh, whatever."  She shrugged.  "Butter, I guess."

            When Natalie handed her the plate, she glared balefully at it.  It disappeared into her mouth no less regretfully than the blood had disappeared down the vampire's throat.

*  *  *  *  *

            Abel lay on his mattress, sleepy, but not wanting to sleep.  As he heard Natalie and Nick close the door to their bedroom, the last vestiges of light were extinguished in the loft.  He couldn't even see the warm glow of sunlight from behind the thick curtains.  The darkness, the silence, was total and complete.

            His eyes were wide open, searching the shadows for anything visible.  *Anything*, even if it was his brother standing at the foot of the bed, whip in hand.  He could feel the walls, the floor, the ceiling pulling away from the center of the room, expanding outwards until he was all alone.  The feel of the mattress beneath him faded, until it was just him, floating in a sea of nothing.

            It was cold – it was cold all alone.  He gasped in short breaths – the dark was pulling the air out of his body, pulling and leaving him with nothing.  Gloom swallowed up the world, swallowed up the sounds of people outside.  The walls crept outward, pushing everything away.

            He was all alone in the world.  No one was left but him.

            With a strangled whimper, he threw himself out of bed, thumping to the floor.  The walls snapped back, and the sounds of the outside world returned.  He rested on his hands and knees, head down, gasping in great lungfuls of air.

            Before he could loose his nerve, he got up and stumbled out onto the catwalk.  Nire sat up and unerringly met his gaze in the darkness.  Tears pricking at his eyes, he hesitated at the top of the stairs before creeping down, fear mixed with desperation sounding in each soft step.  At the bottom of the stairs, he dropped onto all fours, his head down, and crawled over to her.

            He whimpered, groveling on the floor before her.  "You can have me, do whatever you want with me.  As long as I'm yours," he begged her, chocking back a sob.

            "Whoa, easy there kitty kat," Nire murmured, lifting up his face with cool, dry fingers.  He flinched from her gentle touch, even though he tried his hardest not to, fearing she would say no if he moved.  He thought that he could do it, that he would be able to make it all on his own.  How wrong he was.

            "I don't want you, kitty kat."  Abel flinched and whimpered, crouching on the floor unhappily.  Nire winced at her phrasing.  "Aw, shit, I didn't mean it like that.  C'mere.  Sit down."  She patted the spot next to her.

            Abel warily sat, holding himself in the smallest possible place on the floor.  He sniffled, attempting to hold in his frightened, desperate sobs.  Nire did not try to touch him, to stroke him, to do anything other than talk.

            "Let me rephrase that sentence, okay?  If you're sure that what you wish is to join my pard, then so it will be.  But I expect no payment, not anything.  You're your own person, mm?  You get what I mean?"

            He nodded nervously – he thought he did.  She did not want him as a plaything.  That didn't mean that she wouldn't pass him around, though.  Would she protect him, too?  Although she could hurt him the worst, she would be able to protect him the best.

            "But I'm yours?" He whimpered softly.

            She laughed quietly.  "Hell yeah.  You've been mine ever since I saw you and realized you had no one else to protect you.  Not matter what you chose, you're mine to protect."

            He whimpered softly, shivering.  Exhaustion weighed down his eyelids, but he did not wish to go to bed.  He did not want to go back upstairs to be alone in the dark.  He could not be sure if she was serious, or if she meant everything she said.  Doubt and fear gnawed at him now, a dual fear of both being alone and of belonging to someone.  Both prospects now terrified him.  But being alone… Were he given his druthers between being on his own and being back with his brother, he would choose Kane.

            Nire yawned, glancing over at the trembling wereleopard.  "What do you want, kittykat?  I'm too tired to play Twenty Questions with you."

            He whimpered, drawing his knees up to his chest and resting his chin on them.   "Can I sleep down here?" he asked tremulously.

            "Wouldn't you be more comfortable in your bed upstairs?" She cocked an eyebrow at him.

            He whimpered again, a pitiful noise, as a few tears managed to slip down his face. "I don't want to be alone," he whispered.

            "Oh you poor, poor kitty kat," Nire murmured sympathetically.  "What if we all go upstairs," she suggested, " 'cause you have a big bed, right?"  When he nodded, she continued.  "I can't leave him alone down here, but it isn't fair to make you sleep on the floor.  Is that okay?"

            Abel nodded, brushing away the tears on his face.  He flinched away as Nire turned, her fingers gently smoothing through the wheat-gold hair of the vampire.  Immediately, he stirred, silver eyes sleepily flickering open.

            "Wake up my love.  We're moving upstairs."

            A golden-hued hand immediately grasped her wrist.  "Don't leave me alone," he begged.

            "We means you and me, chicolisto," Nire said gently.  "Let go of my wrist and sit up."  She helped him to sit and swing his legs over the edge of the couch.

            Abel scuttled away from them, keeping out of arms reach.  The motion catching her eye, Nire looked at him and smiled reassuringly.  Jander pushed himself up, unsteadily balancing on his feet.  One of his arms went around Nire's shoulders, using her for support.

            She grinned at Abel.  "Lead on, MacDuff," she said.

            He took that to mean that he was to go first, not recognizing the quote.  At the top of the stairs, he stopped, nervously waiting for the two slower ones.  Nire was murmuring words of encouragement to the weak vampire.  He was having serious difficulties with the stairs.

            In his bedroom, Nire paused by the door.  "Which side of the bed do you sleep on, kitty kat?"

            He shrugged.  It had never mattered to him.  Most of the time, he was lucky if he got a bed.  As Nire's hand suddenly lit up with purple fire, he backed away a couple steps, quivering.  The fear the sudden light had produced overwhelmed his instinct for staying in the same spot so as not to be beat for trying to run.

            "It's okay, kitty kat," Nire said gently, sitting Jander on the side of the bed closest to the door.  "It's just so I can see better.'

            Nervously, he licked his lips.  She dimmed the purple glow until it barely lit her hand.  With a steeling of his nerves, Abel crept carefully to 'his' side of the bed, and stood there, waiting permission to lie down.  Nire climbed over Jander, lying down beside him.  She patted the bed.

            "C'mon, chico.  Come lie down.  I promise, neither of us are going to hurt you."  She smiled slightly as Jander pillowed his head on her shoulder.  As he nestled into her side, he smiled complacently at the scared cat.

            "She'd comfortable," he said softly.  "Like a big giant pillow."

            Abel warily climbed into the bed, staying at the very edge.  Nire softly laughed.  "You're the only were I know who doesn't go for physical contact every chance there is.  It's going to drive you insane.  Come on closer."  She sighed, a mixture of sleepiness and happiness.  "A cute guy on either side of me.  Could life get any better?"

            Abel froze as she said that.  He knew there had to be an ulterior motive to her offer of protection.  Of course, he could not refuse her.  If she was into the S&M scene, then it was too bad for him.

            "I'm kidding, man," Nire said quickly.  "Relax and go to sleep."  She rolled onto the right side, scooting closer to Abel.  Fearfully, but seeing no choice, he rolled so his back was to her.  He whimpered softly as he felt her soft touch, going around his stomach and pulling him until he was lined against her body.

            "Go to sleep, kitty kat," Nire whispered, her breath tickling the back of his neck.  "Cross my heart, hope to die, I'll protect you, never hurt you."

            Abel could feel a rumbling in Nire's chest through his thin T-shirt.  When the soft rumbling reached his ears, he realized she was… purring.  No one had ever… The sound, combined with the obvious protectiveness of Nire's body actually did comfort him.  And he felt as safe as he supposed he ever would.

            Still afraid of what she would do to him, but somehow knowing that she would protect him from others, he drifted off into a restful (for once) sleep.

Note:  Chicolisto is Spanish for 'smart one'.  Yeah, you guys know what I mean, like when someone finally figures out something that's totally 'Duh!' and you sarcastically say "Hey, very good smart one, you finally got it."