Author's notes: I kind of feel like this is a long way to say a whole lotta nothin'. 2,201 words (sans notes) to be exact. I promise this night will come to an end, it's just that there's so much to cover that I felt like breaking things up would be a lot less stressful for me, and y'all wouldn't have to wait so long for updates.

Cheers, and thank you for your support!

Kindred Spirits

(Part One)

Allen shook his head, forcing back the tidal wave of negativity that would surely drown him if he let it.

There was no reason for a child's words to elicit such deep feelings of paranoia and fear. It was irrational, and quite frankly, it made him feel guilty that he was even capable of jumping to such dreadful conclusions about the girl and her mother.

He shivered slightly and pulled the covers up more closely as a dry and chill, late night breeze drifted in from the open window across the room.

An open window…?

Now he felt even more guilty. There was no way a Noah would have overlooked such an obvious escape route, and in fact, would have likely had him restrained by Dark Matter chains before he even woke up.

Or, Road would have, at least. The mere idea of the Noah of Dreams making him her personal plaything sent shivers down his spine, and he sunk down further into the soft bedding, as if doing so would erase the trauma she had inflicted upon him, mentally and physically.

A slight movement just off to his left broke through these dark musings, and he looked over to see Lucinda reaching up to rub her eyes. "Miss Luci…?"

Tears began welling from her eyes, and she gasped on reflex as Allen's voice broke through the haze left behind by the dead girl's chaotic emotional state.

Ignoring the pain in his side, Allen sat up straight and pulled a tissue from the box on the nightstand and offered it to the now-sobbing woman. "Miss Luci…are you okay?"

She took in another ragged breath and nodded, quietly accepting the tissue.

Several seconds passed, and she was able to steady her breathing while releasing the girl's guilt and sadness from herself, as well as the rest of the room before standing and walking over to the window.

Lowering it a bit, she turned to Allen, her voice a bit unsteady when she spoke. "You must be hungry by now. How about I get us both something to eat."

The whole thing lasted only a few minutes, but Allen was still left feeling vexed and uneasy. Maybe, though, it was best to save his concerns for later, and he rewound what little he could remember of the day in his mind, back to the last time he'd eaten. It had definitely been much longer than he was used to waiting.

He glanced quickly at the window, then back to her, a spark lighting his mercury irises. "Ah, I'd eat tree bark at this point if that's all you could spare." As if on cue, his stomach chose that exact moment to agree, and a hint of pink graced his light skin.

Her tension subdued and her emotions stabilized, Luci raised an eyebrow and giggled. "I don't imagine tree bark would do much to help heal that wound of yours. Would you settle for chicken and dumplings?"

Allen nodded, offering her a soft, somewhat chagrined smile. "Yes, please."

:::

Before heading to the kitchen, she walked across the hallway to check on Emily.

Carefully and quietly, she pushed the door open and walked over to the bed. Emily was sound asleep, with Tim perched on the headboard as if guarding the girl.

The golem greeted Lucinda with a grin, and she returned a smile, offering him a quiet 'thank you'.

She then crossed to the bed and gently brushed back a few strands of hair from Emily's face before placing a kiss on her forehead.

Satisfied that everything finally seemed to be falling into place, she left the room and crossed the hall, poking her head in to check with Allen. She sent him the 'OK' sign to him, and he replied with a smile.

In the relative dark of the hallway, she turned away and leaned back against the wall, hoping he hadn't seen her blush.

:::

A few moments later, Lucinda returned carrying a small, wooden tray holding two bowls, two glasses of amber, iced liquid, two napkins, and two forks. She turned slightly after entering the room, and pushed the door shut. Carefully setting the tray down on the nightstand, she ducked under the bed and retrieved collapsible table which she unfolded and set upright before putting her bowl and glass on it.

Reasonably confident that his stitches were still intact, Allen leaned over and took the tray. She was already catering to him far too much for his liking, and he wasn't about to let her do anymore than necessary.

Lucinda sat down and pulled the taller table holding her food in front of her. She picked up her fork, skewered a dumpling, nibbling on it as she watched Allen with amusement, who was clearly trying to pace himself.

After finishing her dumpling, she set her fork down and took a drink, smiling over the rim of her glass. "How is it?"

Allen nodded and hummed happily, not considering his reply. "I think I'm in love."

Suddenly flustered at his own words, he quickly stuffed another forkful of dumplings into his mouth, that ridiculously familiar heat licking at his skin once again.

Desperate for a distraction, he glanced at his drink, which looked suspiciously like tea, but with ice cubes.

A small smile tugged at Lucinda's lips. "Traditional southern sweet tea. I know it's probably not what you fussy Brits are used to, but I don't keep alcohol and your only other choices are milk or water."

He took a long drink of the lightly sweet liquid. "Oh no, this is perfect, thank you. I don't drink, anyway, so... "

She took a sip of tea. "So what are you doing so far from home?"

Allen's expression fell slightly and he took another bite of chicken before answering. "Hurricane recovery efforts."

She nodded. He wasn't the first person who had traveled such a long distance to help start clearing debris and recovering, waterlogged, decaying bodies in their sister city to the south. "Even if they were still talking volunteers, that's a dangerous task. Certainly not for the faint of heart."

"So I've heard."

She was surprised at the sudden hint of bitterness in his reply.

Allen scraped at the remnants at the bottom of his bowl, keeping his eyes fixed on the dish. "I just wish I could have gotten here sooner." A moment passed and he turned back to her. "The island isn't too far from here, right?"

"That's right."

"Did you visit there often before this?"

Lucinda nodded. "Aunt Charlie and Uncle Jack used to take me there all the time when I was a girl, We started taking Em when she was about six months."

Allen smiled softly. "That sounds nice."

"It was. We haven't been back in a while, though."

"Why's that?"

"Well, Uncle Jack passed about two years ago, and Aunt Charlie met a nice fella recently and moved away to be with him."

"I see… So…is it just you and Emi here by yourselves, then?"

She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear and tilted her head. "Are you asking if I have a man in my life?"

Allen held up a hand defensively. "N-No…that's not… I was just-" Somehow, he managed to find time to take a breath. "I'm sorry. That's not at all what I meant."

It really was a completely innocent question, though he would have been lying if he didn't admit to being a little curious.

She smiled, finding his awkwardness both amusing and endearing. "No, it's just us girls."

"Oh…" He paused, this time making sure his mind and mouth were in sync. "I'm very sorry about your uncle."

Smiling wistfully, she glanced to one side as if someone was standing nearby. "Thank you." She paused. "And you?"

"Me?"

She held out a hand, spreading her fingers. "Certainly you must have a girl waiting for you back across the pond?"

Just finishing the remnants left in his bowl, Allen shook his head in the negative. "Why do you ask?"

She raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "Just curious."

She stood, taking their empty dishes and setting them on the little tray before picking it up. "More?"

He nodded, suddenly feeling as though there was some sort of disconnect between her words and whatever she was thinking. "Y-Yes, please."

:::

Lucinda smiled to herself as she made her way to the kitchen. Aside from the occasional, woefully inadequate and sometimes difficult suitors, it had been a long, dry road since Tanner died. She couldn't help but admit how nice it felt to be appreciated by, not only another adult, but a member of the opposite sex, even if he did seem a little naïve.

Then again, she wasn't the worldliest girl either, having spent the last seven years primarily focused on Emily. Despite caring for a gifted child, and countless spirits in that time, there were many lonely nights when she wished for a level of companionship that neither could give her.

Setting the tray down on the countertop, Luci turned up the heat on the stove, then filled their glasses and waited for the chicken and dumplings to warm through.

Leaning against the cabinets, she sighed, running her fingers through her long, side swept bangs.

It really had been too long.

Something occurred to Lucinda as she returned to the bedroom and found Timcampy perched on Allen's shoulder.

She pushed the door closed once again and handed the tray to Allen, setting her own glass on the taller tray table before sitting. "You know, I didn't even think to ask – does he," she gestured toward Tim, "eat?"

Allen acknowledged her mid-dumpling. "Oh, he can eat, but doesn't need to."

Just then, Tim lifted from Allen's shoulder, turning to face his friend.

Lucinda could have sworn the little creature was pouting. It was an amusing and bizarre sight the very same time.

Allen sighed in defeat, knowing very well he'd never hear the end of it if he denied the golem at least a taste. Over the past four years, they had become accustomed to sharing almost everything. "All right, all right."

He cut a dumpling in half, skewered it and then held it out to his winged friend. "Here."

As Tim inhaled his prize, Allen regarded Lucinda with curiosity. "By the way, did you make all this?"

She nodded, a hint of melancholy in her voice betraying the small smile playing on her lips. "Would it surprise you if I said you're the first non-family member I've cooked for?"

He nodded.

She shifted in her chair and crossed her legs. "I never got a chance to cook for Tanner."

Allen gave Tim one last bite and rested his fork against the inside of his empty bowl. "Was he your," he glanced quickly at her unadorned ring finger, "…Emily's father?"

She nodded again, leaning a little on the table. "We weren't married, though. As soon as I started to suspect I was pregnant, he went out west to the coal mines to make sure we would be provided for."

Again, Allen found himself apologizing for something mere words could never mend. "I'm sorry. Do you…" He took in a deep breath, taking the opportunity to reconcile his curiosity and put his unease to rest. "Do you speak with him often?"

It sounded like such a ridiculous thing to ask. He'd freed more than his fair share of imprisoned souls, but they rarely spoke to him, and certainly never stopped for a conversation.

Thoroughly amused, Lucinda laughed. If she had a dime for every person who thought talking to spirits was the same as taking to living people, she'd have a decent-sized savings account. "Emily told you, did she?"

Relieved, Allen sighed mentally. In all honesty, he half-expected a tongue lashing for asking such an uninformed question. "She said he's 'in Heaven' and that she's 'never met him'."

She laughed again and shook her head, a smile lighting her eyes. "It's true. Tanner stopped by the day I brought Emi home from the hospital. I haven't actually seen or spoken with him since, though."

"Hospital?"

"She was a difficult birth."

"Oh?"

"You're surprised?"

He shook his head and laughed quietly. "No, I don't suppose I am." Another pause led him to what had set his nerves on edge in the first place. "Tell me… She also said she can see people's memories… Is that true?"

Lucinda sighed and rolled her eyes. "No, it's not that simple." She waved a hand. "Em tells people that because it's the only way she can make sense of things right now."

Allen tilted his head a bit and let her continue.

"Em is a psychic medium."

"And you?"

"I'm an empathic medium."

"Really…"

Lucinda nodded and folded her hands in her lap, offhandedly reminding herself to ask if he'd like her to close the window now that the weather had turned cold. "Do you…believe the soul continues to exist after death?"

"I know it does."

"Then it wouldn't surprise you if I said you have three spirits around you right now."

Allen paled. "…What?"

Lucinda nodded. "Does the name Lenalee mean anything to you?"

I don't remember if I mentioned it before, but the other catalyst for this story is the Great Storm of 1900, which leveled Galveston Island and killed at least 12, 000 people. Yes, that's three zeroes. Anyone who is familiar with this part of the US knows we (I consider myself a native Texan) have a seawall, but that wasn't always the case. Most of the casualties were a direct result of a 15ft storm surge. Just think about that for a minute. Imagine Katrina, but with little warning and being inundated by a massive wall of water all at once, in the middle of the night. By comparison, my research indicates that Houston, which is only a little over 20 miles away, was relatively unscathed. True story. Google it. The pictures of the destruction are mind blowing.

Lastly, she sees him as somewhat naïve in the romance department. But is he? I know there's some debate on that issue out there on the interwebs. I'm personally on the fence, so I'll say…not completely. ;)