A/N: This chapter is dedicated to two of my most loyal fans. Without them this story would probably not continue. Slash addict and JonnyCarnahan this one is for you!!!

Same disclaimer applies as the first five chapters...

Chapter 6

Lilith pulled from Malik's tight embrace and stood to leave the house. She needed to check on her charges. "I am fine Malik. Do not look at me so. They need me."

Malik sighed. "Kalila, you need to let yourself grieve; to feel the hurt even if it tears at your soul. I am so afraid that you will push all the grief and sadness to the side and soon you will be like your brother. He was gentle and caring at one time. Now I barely know him. I fear that I will lose you as well to the grief that you want so desperately to block out."

Lilith looked at him and her eyes softened. "My sweet Arabian knight, I will not turn into the person my brother has become. I have you to lend me comfort, to keep me centered. Right now I need to make sure that the boy and girl live. They are all that seems to hold my brother together. If one of them dies, the other will follow close behind. If that happens, we will forever lose the man we knew and loved. I don't think my brother could handle losing either one of them right now."

Malik nodded and said, "Then let me accompany you so that if you are in need of me I am there?"

Lilith nodded silently and led them both out to the medical building. She was quiet when she entered and the first thing she saw was how Emma was cuddled close to Jonathan and how he had his arms around her holding her so very protectively. She looked from them to the bed next to theirs and saw Ardeth finally sleeping, even if it was not as peaceful as she would have hoped.

Malik moved behind her and said, "See, they all sleep. Now I think that the healer needs some healing sleep herself. Let me walk you back home and tend to your needs."

All Lilith had the energy to do was nod her head. She was so tired. She let him lead her home and then tuck her into bed. No sooner had her head hit the pillow than she had fallen into a deep sleep.

Jonathan woke with a start. The pain in his leg was more intense than any pain he had ever felt. His stomach rolled as the waves of pain radiated throughout his body. He was hot and achy and all he wanted was his Mum. A realization struck him so suddenly and so painfully that he nearly emptied the contents of his stomach right where he lay. His Mum was dead! He did nothing to save her or is father. Then a thought passed through the pain. 'EMMA!' He opened his eyes and squinted at the light that crept through the crack in the curtains.

In a hoarse whisper he cried out, "Emma..." As he tried to get his bearings through the pain he felt someone pull closer to him. Immediately he knew who it was and relaxed just a bit. It was Emma. No matter what, he knew what it felt like to be by his sister's side. Slowly he turned his head and saw her smaller form pushed against his, clinging to him as if her life depended on it.

He moved himself so she was no longer lying on his badly wounded leg and then gathered her close. He had to push past the nausea, the pain and the grief. She needed him and he would be no good to her if he were sick and hurting. Jonathan swallowed hard but he couldn't get his stomach to stop doing flips. He started to writhe and moan, as the nausea got worse.

As if she was mentally connected to her brother, Emma woke with a start. She saw him writhing on the bed next to her. Momentarily forgetting what was done to her and how she was hurting, she pushed herself from his arms and off the bed. She wobbled for a few seconds and soon found her footing. Quickly she scanned the room and found a rubbish pail. Within seconds she was on the other side of the bed with the pail on the ground. Carefully she lifted Jonathan onto his side and whispered so only he could hear, "Shhh...Jonny. It's alright now. You can let go. I'm here. Just get it up so you will feel better."

Her throat hurt from the screaming and lack of water, but she knew that Jonathan would not get up what made him feel sick unless he heard her... unless he knew for sure that it was alright to let his stomach purge itself. It was always that way with him. Emma's thoughts were taken to another time long ago. In London, when Jonathan was only nine and Emma only seven, he had gotten into their father's liquor cabinet and polished off a bottle of his best scotch. After receiving the beating of his young lifetime, Jonathan became sick. Their father, wanting to prove a point, said that if Jonathan soiled the sheets, rug or his clothes that he would receive an even harder beating. Jonathan writhed around on the bed until the wee hours of the morning. Emma remembered how she crept into his room and rubbed his back. Once Emma told him that it was all right to let go and empty the contents of his stomach, he did. Since that time all those years ago, Jonathan had been like that. He would not throw up unless Emma said it was all right.

His retching pulled her from her thoughts of the past and she continued to rub his back and speak soothingly to him. It was then she noticed that a dark haired man was sitting up in his bed looking rather worriedly at the both of them.

Not knowing who he was, Emma moved quickly from Jonathan's side and hid in the corner of the room. The fear that she was still somehow locked up with the evil man that raped her surfaced quickly. Emma wrapped her arms around her knees and began to rock softly.

Jonathan heard Emma telling him all was well and he could let go. He felt a great relief when he could finally empty the contents of his stomach and stop it from rolling. Just as his retching was slowing, he felt Emma move quickly from his side. Chancing a look up and across the room, he swallowed hard and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He saw Ardeth looking at him, worry showing so clearly in the older man's eyes. At once Jonathan realized that the sight of Ardeth had probably scared Emma.

Once he was sure that he would no longer retch, he spoke in a raspy whisper, "Emma. Love. You are safe with me here. Please come back. Let me get a look at you. I missed you so."

Emma continued to rock and shake her head 'no'. She knew it was a trick. They had Jonathan and were making him talk to get her to come out. Her body shook almost uncontrollably as she tried to keep herself from screaming.

Jonathan looked around the room and saw Emma in the corner shaking and holding her self about the knees. He cursed inwardly and pushed himself up to a sitting position. With great pain he moved his leg and let them both dangle off the side of the bed. Once his leg was no longer straight he felt a wave of dizziness and it nearly over took him. He shook his head hard and bit his cheek to stop from crying out in pain. Emma needed him and he was going to get on the floor and get her.

Ardeth watched as Jonathan made it to a standing position but then fell over onto his face. He could not let the younger man hurt himself further, so he moved to get up. That is when Emma screamed. She let out a painful, terror filled shriek! "NO!!!!!! GET AWAY FROM MY JONNY!!" At once Emma was out of the corner and over by her brother's side. "NO! NO! NO!" She continued to cry out.

Jonathan heard her and felt the terror in her voice. That alone pulled him from the grayness that was claiming him. He rolled to his side and winced in pain. Carefully he touched Emma's hand and said, "Emma... love... shhh... we are safe. I promise..."

He kept saying it over and over until Emma's cries were nothing but an occasional hiccup and sniffle. "Jonny? You sure?"

He nodded, still sweating and trying hard to fight the darkness that was once again claiming his body and mind.

Ardeth made no second attempt to pick either of them up in fear of setting the young girl off again. Her terror only added to his complete fury at Loch-Nah and all he had done to all of them.

Ardeth did not want to frighten young Emma any more than she was already, so with some effort he made his way out of the building and found Malik coming from the house Lilith shared with their parents. "Malik... I need your assistance..."

Malik nodded and rushed over Ardeth who was now swaying and leaning heavily against the doorframe.

"Emma... woke and Jonathan got sick. He tried to stand and fell on the floor. Emma won't let me near him and I am afraid of upsetting her. She trusted you to carry her out. Can you help me get them into bed?"

Malik nodded and helped Ardeth inside, "First I will help you into bed then I will take care of the little ones."

Ardeth tried to protest but the wave of dizziness that hit him suddenly prevented him from arguing the point any further with his second in command.

Malik set Ardeth on the bed and then moved quietly over to where Emma sat holding her limp brother. "Emma... little one? Do you remember me? I am the one that saved you from the bad man. Little one, we need to get you and your brother back in bed. Both of you need rest and need to heal."

He sighed and saw that he was not really getting through to her. He then tried once again, "You know Jonathan is hurting badly and he needs to be on the bed. Will you help me move him there?" Slowly he reached for Jonathan and Emma backed away slightly. She had remembered the young man; he dropped her out of the window and took off with her into the night. He brought her to her Jonny.

Slowly Emma blinked and then nodded. "Help us..." was all she muttered as she let Malik lift her brother off the bed and tuck him back in under the covers. Malik moved slowly as he helped lift Emma off the ground and back into bed next to her brother. Immediately she moved so that her body was pressed against his. Even in her fear she was protecting her older brother from anyone that might cause him harm.

Malik made sure that Jonathan's wound was still stitched and then he pulled the covers over both Emma and Jonathan before backing up and leaving quietly out the door.

Ardeth lay back on his bed and pulled the covers over himself with his good arm. He fully intended to watch over the young siblings while they slept. Within minutes of Ardeth lying down the darkness started to crowd his vision and soon he too was pulled into a healing sleep.