Falling... falling... Was I always to be falling?
"Pearl!" Father screamed as I hit the ground painlessly. A crash from a door somewhere...a shrill scream...
****
I awoke in my room,on my bed,shaking and covering a freezing cold sweat. The whispering outside my door probably wouldn't have been heard by a typical person,I figured that out later on. I felt as if I should clap my hands over my ears if they wouldn't lower the racket. After all,I had a pounding headache and I felt terribly ill to my stomach.
"I don't know what to tell you,Charles." I heard my father's softened voice whispering. "Is she still unconcious,Monseiur Barye?"Alec asked,matching my father's tone. He must have only nodded,as I heard Charles growl the next moment,"Stupid Jeanette...and all her little male harem! I ought to just-" He paused,or was silenced by something,I'm not sure which. I heard a weak sigh,almost a sob,next,"Monseiur Barye..what will I do? Pearl won't believe what happened,will she?"
I wondered what I wouldn't believe as I pushed my legs over the side of the bed and somehow managed to sit up. Instantly the room spun,my vision blurred and my stomach lurched. Lying down was considerably safer I concluded,so I let myself fall backward gently against the thick mattress. "So..nice.."I murmured under my breath. Apparently my voice carried outside,for only a second later my door burst open and Charles cleared the eight steps to my bed in a single leap. "Pearl! You're awake..." He whispered as he grabbed my hand carefully but quite tightly. I looked down at him with a smile,though it was rather weak. "I suppose so..." I answered back with a tiny sigh. A tear slid down his already red cheeks which,strangely,seemed to match his eyes,as he returned my smile.
"Sweetheart..." Etienne's voice came from just behind Charles,"How do you feel?" Honestly,there had been times in the past when I'd doubted my father's intelligence,but now I knew he had none. "I'm fine,Papa." I answered softly. He moved closer to me,watching my small movements quietly,"Get up then." Damn. I should have known better. One day I'd learn to never underestimate a Barye's mind. One day,but not that day.
As I stood up my knees buckled almost instantly and I fell directly into Charles' waiting arms. "Yes,dear,you look positively spiffing." Father and Charles growled at me in unison,then blinked at one another. Alec snorted in laughter and I couldn't stop a tiny giggle. Charles turned those big beautiful eyes on me with a mock angry glare,"Just what are you laughing at,Gemstone?" Blushing at the use of his nickname for me,I snickered and shook my head innocently,"I have no idea what you mean,Charles." He chuckled and grinned,pulling me tighter against his chest,whispering in my ear,"If your father and Alec weren't here,I'd have you squealing by now." Though his hold was almost on the edge of crushing me to him,he still treated me like a porcelin doll,afraid I may break if he wasn't as delicate as possible.
I laid my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes. There was nothing I would have enjoyed more that moment than feeling his hands roam my body in search of a tender spot,while mine did the same in return. Our snuggles usually ended in his pinning me to my bed and making me squirm and shiver. Once or twice we'd gotten rather loud and Melinda had had to come up and quiet us down. It's a shame she never joined us,she'd always said she had better things to do than have some 'silly tickle fight'. That led me to wonder what those sounds late at night comming from their room were. I think I made myself ignorant of certain human habits pertaining to my step mother and my father because the mere thought of them gave me the creeps.
I settled for simply snuggling against him until I could stand up. At once I tried to get up again,but I felt a hand on my shoulder,pressing me gently back down. "Pearl,stay down. You won't be able to walk for a week." Turning my head I frowned at my father. He smiled gently,reaching out to caress my face,"You did it to yourself,love." I did so hate it when he was right in cases like this.
Charles once again cuddled my body against his,I turned my head and sighed. Too much,far too much,for me to take had gone on that day,and all I honestly wanted was to be alone with my beloved for just a few short moments. Father wouldn't leave until Charles did,but I refused to cry with anyone in the room except Charles,alone. It didn't seem to matter to my eyes,which were already leaking and getting his shirt wet. I sniffed softly and buried my head into his neck,trying to shove it all away,if only for a second,but no.. It wouldn't leave me alone.
All those images kept ravishing my mind; Elliot's laughter,Jeanette and Annette apparently wanting me dead. I felt horrible,I felt filthy, just wanted Charles to keep holding me. He looked mildy shocked as I brought my head back to gaze up at him and whispered,"Tell me you love me Charles...I need to hear it right now." I didn't see my father's slight frown,nor his smile when Charles answered,"Always and forever,darling. I love you now and I'll love you when you're ninety or older." I sniffed again and pressed my head against him once more.
Etienne must have finally given up,since he left us. I fell asleep in Charles' arms that night and he never moved once during it's entirety. Little was I to know that,just because of this once,comforted night,a horrible thing would happen...and it would be all my fault...
"Pearl!" Father screamed as I hit the ground painlessly. A crash from a door somewhere...a shrill scream...
****
I awoke in my room,on my bed,shaking and covering a freezing cold sweat. The whispering outside my door probably wouldn't have been heard by a typical person,I figured that out later on. I felt as if I should clap my hands over my ears if they wouldn't lower the racket. After all,I had a pounding headache and I felt terribly ill to my stomach.
"I don't know what to tell you,Charles." I heard my father's softened voice whispering. "Is she still unconcious,Monseiur Barye?"Alec asked,matching my father's tone. He must have only nodded,as I heard Charles growl the next moment,"Stupid Jeanette...and all her little male harem! I ought to just-" He paused,or was silenced by something,I'm not sure which. I heard a weak sigh,almost a sob,next,"Monseiur Barye..what will I do? Pearl won't believe what happened,will she?"
I wondered what I wouldn't believe as I pushed my legs over the side of the bed and somehow managed to sit up. Instantly the room spun,my vision blurred and my stomach lurched. Lying down was considerably safer I concluded,so I let myself fall backward gently against the thick mattress. "So..nice.."I murmured under my breath. Apparently my voice carried outside,for only a second later my door burst open and Charles cleared the eight steps to my bed in a single leap. "Pearl! You're awake..." He whispered as he grabbed my hand carefully but quite tightly. I looked down at him with a smile,though it was rather weak. "I suppose so..." I answered back with a tiny sigh. A tear slid down his already red cheeks which,strangely,seemed to match his eyes,as he returned my smile.
"Sweetheart..." Etienne's voice came from just behind Charles,"How do you feel?" Honestly,there had been times in the past when I'd doubted my father's intelligence,but now I knew he had none. "I'm fine,Papa." I answered softly. He moved closer to me,watching my small movements quietly,"Get up then." Damn. I should have known better. One day I'd learn to never underestimate a Barye's mind. One day,but not that day.
As I stood up my knees buckled almost instantly and I fell directly into Charles' waiting arms. "Yes,dear,you look positively spiffing." Father and Charles growled at me in unison,then blinked at one another. Alec snorted in laughter and I couldn't stop a tiny giggle. Charles turned those big beautiful eyes on me with a mock angry glare,"Just what are you laughing at,Gemstone?" Blushing at the use of his nickname for me,I snickered and shook my head innocently,"I have no idea what you mean,Charles." He chuckled and grinned,pulling me tighter against his chest,whispering in my ear,"If your father and Alec weren't here,I'd have you squealing by now." Though his hold was almost on the edge of crushing me to him,he still treated me like a porcelin doll,afraid I may break if he wasn't as delicate as possible.
I laid my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes. There was nothing I would have enjoyed more that moment than feeling his hands roam my body in search of a tender spot,while mine did the same in return. Our snuggles usually ended in his pinning me to my bed and making me squirm and shiver. Once or twice we'd gotten rather loud and Melinda had had to come up and quiet us down. It's a shame she never joined us,she'd always said she had better things to do than have some 'silly tickle fight'. That led me to wonder what those sounds late at night comming from their room were. I think I made myself ignorant of certain human habits pertaining to my step mother and my father because the mere thought of them gave me the creeps.
I settled for simply snuggling against him until I could stand up. At once I tried to get up again,but I felt a hand on my shoulder,pressing me gently back down. "Pearl,stay down. You won't be able to walk for a week." Turning my head I frowned at my father. He smiled gently,reaching out to caress my face,"You did it to yourself,love." I did so hate it when he was right in cases like this.
Charles once again cuddled my body against his,I turned my head and sighed. Too much,far too much,for me to take had gone on that day,and all I honestly wanted was to be alone with my beloved for just a few short moments. Father wouldn't leave until Charles did,but I refused to cry with anyone in the room except Charles,alone. It didn't seem to matter to my eyes,which were already leaking and getting his shirt wet. I sniffed softly and buried my head into his neck,trying to shove it all away,if only for a second,but no.. It wouldn't leave me alone.
All those images kept ravishing my mind; Elliot's laughter,Jeanette and Annette apparently wanting me dead. I felt horrible,I felt filthy, just wanted Charles to keep holding me. He looked mildy shocked as I brought my head back to gaze up at him and whispered,"Tell me you love me Charles...I need to hear it right now." I didn't see my father's slight frown,nor his smile when Charles answered,"Always and forever,darling. I love you now and I'll love you when you're ninety or older." I sniffed again and pressed my head against him once more.
Etienne must have finally given up,since he left us. I fell asleep in Charles' arms that night and he never moved once during it's entirety. Little was I to know that,just because of this once,comforted night,a horrible thing would happen...and it would be all my fault...