"He's perfect," someone uttered from the woods, hidden from sight.

"Yes," someone else agreed, "When?"

"As soon as possible," replied the first, "making sure he won't be missed of course."

The second man nodded, "Ok, I will begin to organise it."

A woman rustled a bush but was knocked down to the ground by a man much larger than herself.

"Why do you feel it necessary to destroy everything perfect," she spat in a whisper, "Why do you want a boy? He can't be older than ten and that's pushing it!"
"You are stupid and idealistic," replied the leader, viciously. "The whole world is corrupt; it is a matter of the lesser of two evils. Take her away."

The woman was dragged away with no complaints, silently crying to herself, what a fool.

Chapter 1: Safer?

Not too far away, a young boy, aged 7, played with his toys in his back garden. He made soldiers die for love and lorries crash, just for the hell of it!

"Kai!" The boy's mother called, "Your dinner is ready!"

Kai nodded and stood up, dusting his torn jeans free of the dirt that had gathered. After, he ran inside, wiping his feet on the way, and hanging up his jacket on the hook. He then excitedly sat at the table.

I love food, Kai thought, it is so tasty and nice in my tummy.

He bounced his legs up and down and stared eagerly at his mother. He thought food, food, food, over and over again, willing it to come to him.

"Stop it!" his mother snapped, "I will take as long as I need."

Kai pouted, he hated that. His mother telepathic abilities could be helpful, being a mute and all, but not when you wanted to think and someone not to hear it.

Kai just puffed his cheeks and glared at the fork. He leapt back when it began to float.

Daddy! Kai thought excitedly.

His father walked through the door, smiling gently.

"Hi Kai," he said, patting Kai's fluffy blue hair.

He then walked over to Kai's mother and hugged her from behind. She whipped her head round, her long black hair flicking around with the movement.

"It will be ready when it's ready," she said sternly.

Kai's father smiled then sat down, looking slightly troubled about something

"How was your day?" he asked politely, maintaining his constant calm.

Kai signed (in sign language) excitedly, 'Great! I played all day 'cause school was close. A pipe burst or something.' Kai moved his hands wildly and knocked over a glass. His father stopped it and gently levitated it back on its coaster.

Kai's father nodded, "Did you notice anything different today?"

He asked calmly but he was playing with his fingers under the table. It is amazing how much more stuff you notice when you're a mute.

Kai shook his head but continued to stare at his father, quizzically.

"Oh ok," he replied slowly, "It was just…nothing. Just curious."

Kai wasn't satisfied with the answer but put his hand on his Dads and smiled. He then mouthed 'I love you'.

"I love you too son," replied his father smiling, "tea time!"

"No!" begged his mother, though clearly suppressing laughter, "Please!"

Kai's father just smiled and held out his hands, using his ability, telekinesis, to move the plates to the table. Next, he moved the food over in equal chunks.

Kai's mother had given up and sat down, looking interestedly at the food flying through the air.

Kai's mother had long black hair, tanned skin and beautiful crimson eyes. His Dad had short brown hair, milky white skin and lovely, deep blue eyes. Kai had gotten his eyes from his mother and skin from his father. Kai had decided he got his hair from some distant relative he had never met.

After a long meal, Kai went for a bath. He was playing with 'Ducky', as you do, and he heard his parents talking (which was quite impressive, considering that they were talking quietly). Because Kai had been a mute since he was born, his other senses, taste, touch, sight, hearing, were all heightened.

"Gray," enquired his mother, "Why were you asking Kai that?"

He heard his father sigh loudly, "On my way here, I stopped outside, just to watch him. I thought I saw someone in the trees, just on the hill."

"Oh my God," gasped his mother.

"Yeah," Gray agreed, "Then I thought I heard someone fall. But when I looked, no one was there. Genie, I don't know what to do." He sighed again.
"Surely no one would take him?" half-asked Genie.

"You know as well as I do," said Gray reasonably, "that people think we're freaks. They blame us for Kai's mutism. I know they call us a family of freaks and I'm not the one with psychic abilities!"
His voice had unwilling risen to a shout. Genie knew it wasn't at her, but still, it was scary. Kai had pulled his knees to his chest in the bath. They were worried about him being taken away? But why?…he loved his parents…

"Gray," Kai's mother, Genie, said, "I would've heard them."

"Only if you were looking for someone," reasoned Gray, "I mean, I am his father and I am concerned. I just want to be careful."
"From now on," decided Genie, "I will look out for him. No one will take him."

Kai heard his Dad hug his Mum.

"No one will take me," Kai whispered, and it echoed eerily around the small bathroom.

He froze, feeling his mother probing his brain.

"Bugger," he muttered and put his head under water.

His mother's powers didn't work through water. It was the one place he could be completely safe with his thoughts, but the only problem was breathing. Kai surfaced quickly, his normally puffy hair flattened to his head.

"Kai!" Genie called, "Get out soon!"

Kai sighed with relief. Thank Gummy bears. He wasn't in trouble. Maybe she didn't know. Kai doubted it but he could hope. His mother didn't get angry, but something in her shifted. It was very scary. His father almost never yelled, or got angry, but when he did, Kai knew it was serious.

He quickly washed his hair with the nearest shampoo and conditioner, getting a minimal amount of soap in his eyes.

Once he was done, he threw on a baby blue bathrobe, a good few sizes too big.
He went down the stairs quickly after he towel dried his hair a little (just so it stood up more). His arms got tired quickly so he just gave up on drying it completely.

"Kai," began his mother, awkwardly, "I know you just heard…I mean I understand but…just please don't listen in. I know you're a mute and all, but I don't like it."

Kai nodded, looking guilty. However, he was swept into a hug by his father (an unusual gesture) and held tightly.

He felt he could ask something that he had wanted to for a while. He was still nervous but he looked at his mother.

"Are we all freaks?" Kai thought at her.

"Kai sweetie," she replied to his silent question, kneeling beside him, "We are not freaks! There is no such thing. We all just have gifts."

Except me, thought Kai grumpily. I don't have a gift at all. My 'gift' is not being able to talk!

(Just a note italics means thinking at someone. Normal means just thinking)

"Kai!" Barked Genie suddenly, "Never think that again!"

Kai's father chuckled, "oh, how left out I feel."

He bounced Kai on his knee and Kai just giggled. He loved his life, his family. That was why he wouldn't be taken away.

Just then, the door swung open and a great gust blew through the living room. It was eerie and dark. A thick fog rolled over the floor and slowly approached Kai's waiting family. Most people, especially a seven year old boy, would be scared by this. But they knew what it was. Kai was actually very excited by it. His brother was home!

"Daryn!" called Kai excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Through the mist, walked a tall teenager. He had a cloak hanging of his shoulders, billowing out behind him. He was dressed in black all over and looked very mysterious the more he came into the light. His lightening blue eyes looked as if they were glowing through the fog and his pale skin looked just as mystical as the rest of him. His hair was red and fell down over his shoulders with some shorter and some longer.

Then he stopped. He stood there and waved his hand, moving the fog and wind he had been controlling out of the house again.

His power: being able to use magic.

Magic was in the air all around us, but only some, few, people can use it. He was one. He could use it to do most anything, manipulate weather, curse people, the whole shebang.

"Hiya," Daryn smiled, waving a hand.
Genie got up and hugged him, "Not such a big entrance next time!"

"You know I will," he replied, hugging her back. He was a lot taller than her so he had to crouch to hug her properly.

Gray hugged him as well and kept smiling afterwards.

Kai was still bouncing on the balls of his feet, his hands playing excitedly in front of him.

"Kai!" Daryn cheered, "Come give me a hug!"

Kai was too excited to think clearly but suddenly he sprinted up to his brother and idol, and hugged him. Daryn was almost knocked off his feet but managed to keep upright.

"My Chibi," he muttered into Kai's fluffy hair. He nuzzled his neck gently, enjoying the feeling of having his baby brother close to him again.

Then he dropped his bag on the chair to his left and picked Kai up. He sat Kai on his hip, smiling at the giggling child.

Child, I haven't thought of him as that for a long time, pondered Daryn.

"Mother," tutted Daryn, "You know I can't keep you out but I can sure as hell feel you!"

She just laughed, shrugging, "I can try, can't I?"

They all sat down. Daryn told his stories of his adventures, people he had met, things that had happened. Kai curled up into Daryn and rested his head on his chest. He could hear Daryn breathing, his heart beating, and he even thought he heard the magic pulsing within him. He fell asleep half hearing about how his brother had helped someone he had never met in a place he had never heard of, half hearing the beating of his brothers heart, glad he could hear that much tonight.

Kai's eyelids flickered as he woke. He was being carried to bed but he didn't move. He wanted to hear what they were saying.

"I am worried," he heard his Dad whisper.

"Me too," muttered Daryn, "I just don't know what to do. I can't stay here for long, you know."

"I do, son," his father replied.

"I want to take Kai with me," he heard his brother say quietly, "I think he would be safer."

"I can protect him," Kai's father protested, a little more loudly.

"What are you gonna do?" asked Daryn sarcastically, opening the Kai's bedroom door with his knee, "Make then float away?"

"Daryn," snapped Gray, now using his full volume, "look at me."

He grabbed Daryn's shoulder and pulled him round. Kai felt his hair brush the corner of his dresser. How couldn't they realise he was awake?

"He wouldn't be any safer with you," Gray said, now more quietly again, "You travel, you fight all the time, you don't have food all the time either. It's not stable for a seven year old boy."

"But they would never find us," argued Daryn, "I could fight for him. I could find food, I always do."
"The closest thing you've come to parenting," Gray said, quite angrily, "is looking after a stray cat. And as I recall, Mr Bo didn't stay long, did he? Isn't he five, six feet under?"

"You know as well as I do that he would be safer with me than sitting here, waiting for social services to come," Daryn retorted, "or, as I believe, someone else."

"Don't get cynical," snapped Gray again, "We have enough shit going on without you bringing in more problems. Yes, I realise you could keep him safer. But you don't know how to look after a child! It isn't like life, you can't duck and weave around. Kai is the most gentle, sensitive child I have ever met."

Daryn now placed Kai in his bed. He tucked him in and kissed his forehead.

"I will keep you safe," he whispered, "always."

"Daryn," said Gray softly now, "I am sorry. However, he is my child and I don't think it would be in his best interests for you to take him."

Daryn sighed and walked out with Gray following him behind. They both hated the argument, and had a lot to think over. But no one more than Kai.

What had that been about? Why would social services want him? Why did Daryn think he was in so much danger? Why was his father so angry? He had even sworn…that was the first time Kai had ever heard him do that.

Kai didn't know the answers, but he would find out soon enough. Perhaps too soon for the young boy.

Yes, that was very strange, and no, I don't know how he heard his father hug his mother.

I know it seems like an OC (Daryn) but he's not really. He is actually $& but that will come later

I hope you enjoyed it and it will be updated very soon.

Love to you all hugs thanks for reading

Grufflump

PLEASE R&R