(Fourteen)

Fallen and Kimble went into the lav and Fallen shut the door on Valentin's contemptuous laughter. "What do you think you're doing?" Fallen hissed at Kimble, keeping her voice down so no one outside could hear. "Don't start something you can't finish!"

"He pisses me off so bad, Fallen!" Kimble complained. He sat down on the floor in a huff and put his head down. "Alla this just sucks!"

She crouched down in front of him. "I know and I'm sorry. We just have to deal with it, remember? Picking fights with Valentin isn't going to help."

"Aye, Fallen."

She tipped his head up to see into his eyes and he looked up at her with the adoring eyes of a child seeing its mother. Fallen was his Captain, but even more than that, she was his Mistress. As a Siskan Courtesan, it was his purpose to serve and please whoever was in charge of him. The fact that she regarded him as her Second only reinforced this idea in his mind. He wanted only to protect her and keep her safe. It made him feel valuable and loved. Her love was just as important to him as the power that sustained him and kept him alive. Fallen knew this just as she knew a lot of his macho posturing and bravado was a false front he put up to defend himself. He was usually a lot less serious and more playful than he was now. He was trying to be brave and strong for her and it made her smile, she loved him so.

"I didn't say that as your Captain. I said that as your friend. Just calm down and relax. We'll get out of this just fine, okay?"

Kimble laughed a little. "I thought I wuz suppozta be takin' care a you, not the other way around."

"We'll take care of each other, okay?"

"An Seth? He gonna be okay, too?"

"He will be. It's just going to take some time to get used to how things are, that's all. He'll be good as long as we stick together, the three of us. Don't shut him out. Don't leave him alone too long."

Kimble smiled. "He's my brother. I cain't leaves him alone, not fer long. He ain't gonna have the chance ta miss havin' me so close."

Seth laughed, popping up on the screen behind them. "Oh, sure. All those smelly cigarettes and stupid pictures of naked women. Right. Plus you snore really, really loudly. Yeah, I'll miss that."

"Them pictures, you will. I tooks 'em with me, justa keep ya outta trouble. An' I don't snore!"

"Yes, you do!" Fallen said with a laugh.

"Yes! Very, very loudly!" Seth joked, feeling better. "Besides, who got you those pictures in the first place, brother? What makes you so sure I gave you all of them?" Seth teased, his eyes merry.

"Cuz you got yer eyes on jus' one girl," Kimble answered in all seriousness, looking at Fallen. "I knows yer gonna waits fer her no matter how long it takes." There was a tone of sadness in his voice. "I jus' hope it don' takes too long, is all. I want yous both ta be happy."

"I know you do," Fallen replied, kissing him. "That's why I love you. Now do us all a favor and stay out of trouble."

"Aye, Fallen."

"Good. Now, I want to get some more sleep. I'm exhausted."

She stood up on wobbly legs and smiled as Kimble rose to help her. They left the lav and she lay down on her bed. He tucked her in again, putting the pillow to her belly and making sure she was warm and comfortable. Seth came up on the cage screen and watched over her, his face tight with worry. It was frustrating to him that he couldn't reach out to her anymore. He regretted now all those times he'd bailed out of the hologram so soon. If he ever got the chance to come out again, he would be sure not to waste it. He wouldn't be separated from her ever again.

Fallen snuggled down into the blankets and was quickly fast asleep. The two brothers looked down at her, protective and full of love. "I wish she could be yers forever," Kimble whispered softly.

"Someday, she will be," Seth replied. His eyes filled up with tears and spilled over. His tears betrayed his lack of confidence. Right now he wasn't too sure of anything.

Kimble looked up at him. He felt bad for having made his brother cry. "Wants ta play some chess?"

"Here?"

"No. In the Black Room. I wants ta see ya."

"Can you still go there?"

"I wants ta try."

"I'll see you there." Seth winked out and was gone.

Kimble knelt down next to Fallen and took one of her slender white hands in his. He closed his eyes and grew still, concentrating. He didn't think he needed Fallen to do this, but he was concerned about leaving her alone and unattended. If she moved, he hoped she would wake him. He relaxed, concentrated, and was gone from the outside world.

Kimble's consciousness slid through the invisible connection line between himself and Lucky. It was odd for him to be back in the system again. It felt the same, but different somehow. He wasn't completely here like before, he was just a visitor now. There were barriers all around him where before he had total access, it was as if Lucky knew he wasn't the same, too. He came to the Black Room and saw Seth waiting for him there.

The Black Room was a kind of home base where the two brothers would spend their time in the system. Seth had created it because they needed some place that was just for them, where they could speak privately and play uninterrupted. Fallen didn't know about it, nor did she have access to it - she had been the unpassworded client Lucky had spoken of before. It was a private place and theirs alone. Well, it had been until Fallen had recharged Kimble the first time. Somehow, she'd come here with Kimble for just a moment and then she was gone. The system had sensed her as an intruder and booted her out.

Kimble arrived in the Black Room, comfortable to be here. The room was a great big black empty space with a single large circle of light in the center. He walked into the circle of light and stood next to his brother who was there waiting for him. The endless black silky bed Fallen had experienced was gone, now there was a hard floor. Seth was seated comfortably in front of a chessboard he had placed on the floor. He looked up at Kimble and smiled. "You made it."

Kimble brushed his fingertips across the top of Seth's head and grinned. "Yeah."

Kimble was Seth's brother, but he was more than that. He was his protector, his father. The one who looked after him and kept him safe. They were two parts of one person, two fractions of a single splintered psyche. They needed one another and were bonded closer than any real brothers could be, save perhaps true twins. This separation had been violent and painful to them both.

Kimble sat down across from his brother, taking the black side of the board. As usual, Seth played the white pieces and Kimble the black. It's just how it was.

Kimble grinned and conjured a cigarette out of thin air, snapping his fingers to light it. He took a deep drag and turned his head to exhale, keeping the smoke from his twin.

Seth smiled and shook his head. "Same old Kimble."

Kimble grunted. "That's right. Same ol' Kimble. You ain't never gonna be rid of me, so don'tcha worry yer pretty little head none about it."

Seth, being white, made the first move on the chessboard. He couldn't hide the fact that he felt much better now in Kimble's company. They'd never been apart for this long before. Even when Seth would run and hide, he always felt Kimble's presence because they were both in the system. Kimble would often try to lure him out with soft music or a constant stream of dirty jokes to make him laugh. There was always some kind of Kimble noise going on. These past hours had given Seth only a terrible empty silence. Kimble's return here gave Seth a special kind of reassurance. Kimble would never leave him. Kimble was still looking out after him as always. Kimble still loved him and Seth needed that love more than ever right now. Kimble looked up and saw Seth looking at him with all of that in his eyes plain as day. He grunted and laughed, making his first move on the chessboard.

Moments earlier and outside the system, in the Main Room of the Lucky Dragon, Logan had watched Fallen lure Kimble away with a sense of relief. At least one of these crazy people still had a lick of sense. He saw Valentin back away from the door and disappear inside the barracks. He knew Valentin perceived Kimble as the most immediate obstacle between himself and Fallen. If Valentin regained control of Fallen, she might release him and the other Clansmen from their prison. Logan wasn't about to let that happen. They would have to keep Kimble and Valentin apart if they wanted to maintain any kind of peace.

Logan walked over to Remy who had resumed his earlier position across the seats. "What was that with Kimble and the cards?"

"Beats me. P'etetre, dey just turn 'im on," he replied with a laugh.

Logan grunted, leaning comfortably against the cage. "Looks like it don't take much ta get that boy all wound up."

Gambit snorted. "Dat's like de kettle callin' de pot black, furball. Seen you go off for nuthin' more dan once."

Logan sat down in the row of seats behind Remy and stretched out himself. "At least I start fights I know I can win. That boy won't be happy 'til Vally kicks his ass inta next year. If Vally gets out, Kimble won't last five seconds."

"Vally ain't gonna get out so stop worryin'."

They both looked up as Fallen and Kimble left the lav. Fallen lay down on her bed and Kimble tucked her in. The two brothers whispered softly but only Logan could hear it. He was confused when he saw Seth leave and Kimble kneel down. He thought they were going to play chess but instead Kimble took Fallen's hand and grew very still.

Logan sat up for a closer look. Kimble was completely frozen in place, it didn't even look like he was breathing. It was like someone had come along and flipped an invisible on/off switch. "What's he doin'?" Logan mumbled, more to himself than to his teammate.

"Sleepin', I guess," Remy answered anyway.

Logan got up and slowly walked over to the cage. He was forced to halt in the doorway when the security grid reactivated. Lucky chimed in but Kimble didn't move at all, the sound didn't wake him. Logan snapped his fingers. Again, Kimble didn't respond. This was a bit spooky so Logan looked at Remy and crossed his arms, a sure sign he was irritated. "This guy gives me the creeps," he complained.

"Seems all right to me. Even computers gotta sleep, n'est ce pas?" he laughed.

"I heard him say he was gonna play chess. He ain't doin' nuthin' now."

"Den leave 'im alone. You been houndin' 'im enough as it is. Dat boy gonna get a complex de way you watchin' 'im all the time. Chill out."

"He needs watchin'."

"Gambit gonna do dat, patron. You get some sleep. We all be tired now, been a long, long day."

Logan grunted and returned to the seats. He stretched out again and pulled a blanket over himself. They had decided earlier that this was going to have to do as their new sleeping arrangements now that the Clan had appropriated the barracks. Fortunately the seats were well cushioned and comfortable. He closed his eyes, surprised by how tired he was. It was so easy to lose track of time out here in space. No sun. It didn't take long for him to drop off into a comfortable sleep.