Author's notes: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! It's always nice to hear from you guys. And fanficlover, I usually update each week once I start a "book" and then I'll have coupla months or so in between each book. I post fairly regularly, lol. This book will have five chapters.
Art for this is up at my site as usual if anyone wants to look at it. :)
–...–..–..–..–..–..-..–..–..-..-..-
(Three)
Remy looked into the eyes of his son and couldn't breathe. It had to be his son, there simply was no other explanation that would suffice. They were not quite mirror images of each other - the boy's nose had been broken at one point and had healed badly, just like his left hand. Still, they were close enough of a match that a DNA test would be nothing more than a formality.
Well, that was true except for Julien's age, which was something of a mystery. The oldest Julien could be and still be pass as his son was fourteen tops, but Logan was right, this kid, though half starved, was at least sixteen if not more. There was a solid Adam's apple in his throat and just a hint of a future need to shave around his chin. But the eyes, the restraining collar around his neck, the scorch mark that had been at Kathy's trailer... there was no doubt. Nothing could change that.
My son, Remy was thinking. He shuddered and closed his eyes. I was always careful! Always!
/ There's a reason why they claim it's only 99.9 percent effective, my dear. Maybe you got just a little too drunk, too sloppy with your protection, Shi'ow-ri answered, his personal inner spirit, the voice of his empathic talent. Her voice was teasing, but serious enough with respect for the situation. / It could have been worse. You could have gotten more than a good time to bring back with you. /
Remy shuddered again. He had been a horrible slut, he knew it, but that was now so long ago it seemed like another life. He had been meticulous and careful in his exploits, always wearing protection and getting checked all the same. It seemed so wrong somehow that this got by him. Kathy certainly had never tried to contact him, but how could she really? Gambit was a ghost, never in the same place twice.
/ Time to forget the past, Shi'ow-ri whispered again. / You've got to face this now. His mother is gone and now you are all he has left. /
The thought was too hard to fully comprehend and for a moment it was lost under another deep surge of anger. All his life he had wanted kids, it was a side effect of growing up in a huge Southern family, even if it had been an adopted one. Now he had just found out that he'd had one all along, he just hadn't been told about it. It made him deeply angry, Kathy keeping this from him.
/ Like you said, she probably didn't know where to find you, Shi'ow-ri soothed, hoping reason would calm him. / You hid yourself from her as much as you had all the other women you'd been with. /
She could still have tried, he continued to argue uselessly, wasting time by running through all the possible scenarios in his mind, each one more pathetic and stupid as the last. It was true that he would have done right by the boy, if only he had known. The appalling conditions of the New Jersey trailer came back to smack him like a physical blow. No child should ever have had to live like that. Kathy's fears were justified – if he had but known he would have taken this child and his sisters and run just as she expected he would. Run as far away as he possibly could. No child should ever have to grow up so unloved. As an orphan himself he could easily relate.
Still he could not deny the truth – yes, he had moved on to become an X-man, but there had never been any front page publicity pictures with him in them. That had been reserved for the precious Inner Circle, no ex-Thieves allowed. Not many people outside the mutant community even knew he existed.
"Did you know Julie One Hand was your son?"
Remy blinked, not really hearing the question Logan was asking him. He was still lost in his thoughts, trying to work out this mess in his mind. It wasn't getting any easier to breathe and it was just a little too warm in here.
Logan repeated the question a little louder, demanding that he answer. All Remy could so was shake his head.
"Look at me."
Remy did, his eyes squinting with sudden impatience, irritated that he was being spoken to like a child.
"Did you know?" Logan repeated for a third time, his voice as hard as Remy's eyes. "You best not be lyin' now, boy."
"Look at my face!" Remy snapped bitterly. "What you t'ink, eh?"
Wolverine crossed his arms and sighed with his own impatience. The less than glib reply was answer enough. The thief hadn't had a clue.
Remy turned back to the boy who was still glaring at him. All of the boy's fear had melted into some kind of raw anger. Careful now, Remy peeled the duct tape from the boy's mouth, trying to be gentle about doing something that always hurt no matter how carefully you did it. He was more than a little angry himself, why had this child been so mistreated by Logan? Surely he was as much of a victim here as the other kids had been.
Remy could see that at least one Siskan had been in agreement on the mistreatment – the swirlings in the boy's shine and the mild glassiness of his eyes indicated some Kundatesh had gone his way just a few moments before. Remy concentrated, seeing by the flavor of it that it had been Aiden. Nice to see someone was on his side.
"What's yo' real name, fils?" Remy couldn't help but ask though the answer was about as obvious as anything could ever be.
The kid didn't answer but there were strange colors running through his shine - confusion, a sense of betrayal, but mostly a rage so huge the boy couldn't keep from shaking.
Remy reached into one of the deep pockets of his long coat and took out the battered photocopy of the picture Logan had recovered from his last trip, the one of himself and Kathy Tanner. "Dis yo' mother, non?"
The boy looked at the picture and all it did was muddy his shine with more colors – recognition, homesickness, betrayal, tragic loss. They didn't last long as a sudden burst of black washed them away – that same rage again, tinted now with shame. Whatever good Aiden had done the lad was gone as he was overcome with emotion. Julien hawked and spat, fouling the only copy of this Remy had. "Fuck you!" he snarled through tightly clenched teeth.
Remy stepped back in surprise, not getting the response he had expected. There was so much more to this, more than he could take in all at once. The boy was still looking at him, all accusation, letting Remy know he was going about this all wrong.
Remy nodded then to himself. All right - this was a child, an abused child like every other Siskan the thief had come across. For the moment, it would be easier to simply treat him that way.
"Je suis desole, fils," Remy apologized, trying a different tack in an effort to break the discomfort between them. "We got off on de wrong foot 'ere, eh? I'm Remy LeBeau, one of de X-men. We come 'ere wit SHIELD to shut Jason Frost down. You free from him now, nobody ever goan 'urt you like dat again. Now, what's yo' name?"
The boy turned away with a noise of disdain, as much disgusted by the man in front of him as he was with all of this. It was obvious that in spite of having been rescued, he wanted to be anywhere but where he was. There wasn't the least bit of gratitude there, only rage.
Remy's impatience was growing. They were not communicating well at all. Something was wrong. His voice was gentle, yet firm with authority when he ordered, "Look at me, s'il vous plait."
The boy continued to ignore him. He was exhausted, still shaking.
Remy squatted down, hoping that the lower position might seem less threatening to the boy. He took Julien's chin, forcing the lad to look at him. "I can see you upset, but you gotta do some listenin' now. Everyt'ing different now fo' you. Yo' momma, she pass from de Flush. Yo' stepdad an' yo' sisters, too. You on yo' own now. You know who I am?"
The boy refused to answer, his teeth still tightly clenched in anger. The rage was enough of a reply, it was growing worse with each passing moment, fouling the air between them.
Remy answered for him. "I know you be Julien Tanner and by de look of yo' eyes, it would seem like I'm yo' daddy, though I didn't know it 'till jus' now. Coupla days ago Logan 'ere go to Twilight, find dis picture of yours. Dat picture bring me to yo' house in Jersey. Everyone who live dere is dead now 'cept you. I come 'ere fo' you on account of yo' mother bein' a friend of mine. I 'ad no idea you was mine. You understand me now, fils? You belong to me now and I'm gonna watch out fo' you, don't you fret. You don' need to be afraid no more."
"Fuck you!" the boy snarled again, finally unable to contain his fury. He was spitting as he cried, "You're not my dad! Jason Frost is my dad! You're just a lying sinner who fucked a pestilent whore for money! Stay away from me!"
Remy's eyes grew wide and he rose back to his feet, hearing the last thing he expected. He knew the genetic heritage this boy was claiming was a lie, Jason Frost had nothing biologically to do with this boy. This kid was all him and Kathy, right down to the eyes. He could get it that this kid might deny him because he was a stranger, but why would he speak of his own mother this way? What had Frost done to him?
"That's enough for now," Wolverine suggested, using a hand to move Remy further away. "We gotta get going. There'll be a debrief when we get back. You'll just have to wait."
Remy nodded and staggered off, feeling the weight of the day crash down on him. " 'M gonna get some air," he said and headed for the ramp. His legs were shaking.
"Don't you run," Logan barked, some of that harshness returning to his voice. The last thing they needed was for Gambit to take off and make this worse.
"I ain't goin' nowhere. We leavin' in five," Remy answered without looking back. He went out the hatch and disappeared.
"I'll go wit' 'im," Aiden said as assurance, following the stricken thief outside.
Remy hadn't gone far, he had walked over to the rear of the ship where there were less people and was leaning with his back against the hull, his eyes closed as he tried to compose himself. He was shaking, just a wee bit overloaded from all of this. It was almost more than he could handle for his first real mission after being on leave. He hadn't been prepared for this at all. He covered his eyes with his hands, trying to get under control. He couldn't let anyone, Logan especially, see how much Julien's hatred of him had hurt. He knew they were watching him, grading him on how he had performed today. He didn't want to get bounced back onto the disabled list just from being slammed like this so unexpectedly.
Aiden said nothing but walked to Remy's side, reaching into a pocket for his smokes. He lit two without having to be asked and handed one over, nudging Remy gently.
Remy lowered his hands and looked at him, grateful that he was no longer alone. He had no fear of being tattled on for this show of weakness, Aiden would keep his secrets. Remy accepted the smoke without protest and took a long, deep, grateful drag. He would pay for this later, he knew it, the cravings that would follow. He had quit officially but every now and again, under moments of high stress like this, he wasn't about to refuse a smoke when it was offered to him so freely. He slid just a little sideways and leaned against the Siskan's shoulder, thanking Aiden without speaking. Aiden just laughed softly, giving back his own wordless comfort.
Feeling better now, Remy took out his cell phone and opened it, texting back to Molly. He wanted more than that, he would have given anything to have her in his arms right now, but this would have to do. He sent her a quick and simple message, letting her know that the mission was over and that he was all right.
He was surprised when she texted him right back, he thought she might be busy. It wasn't much, just a quick note about how she had taken the twins to the Solarium and was looking forward to his return. Was there anything special he wanted for supper? Kimble and Aiden were invited of course, they always were.
Remy's eyes misted over as a sudden streak of confused emotion washed over him. This was all so trivial, this other life, when he had another child sitting in the ship behind him, one who so clearly hated him with every fiber of his being. Guilt, his longtime companion swamped him. Did he even deserve his family when he had left this other child to rot and be perverted by Frost? How could he possibly tell Molly about Julien? He wasn't the least bit sure how to handle any of this.
"It isz not szo bad," Aiden said to him, turning his head to whisper in the taller man's ear to keep this private. "Patience. Molly, she luv you. 'E will too, when 'e get to know you better, eh?"
Remy looked into Aiden's eyes, wanting so much for that to be true. He was grateful to have the Dreamer's confidence when he felt none of that himself. It took the edge off and he nodded just so Aiden wouldn't say more. "Best to wait fo' when we get 'ome. I couldn't possibly explain all dis to 'er now. I wouldn't even know where to begin."
"Zen wait. You need 'elp, you know Keemble and I will be zere fo' you."
"Merci, merci..."
"We'd beszt be gettin' back. Logan and Julien, zey don't get along szo well."
"Sooner home, sooner done and over wit," Remy agreed, his heart still heavy. He sent Molly a quick reply, telling her to hold off on cooking. He gave a possible debriefing as an excuse, though he knew that he would be dealing with Julien's disposition all day instead. There was no way his boy was going to sit and rot in a cell, not if he had anything to say about it. That done, he crushed out his cigarette and they headed back inside the ship, ready for home.
(break)
Wolverine waited with some impatience for Remy to return, he wanted to be back home, sooner rather than later. He had so much to do – there were reports to file, kids to find rooms for, a new found red eyed son to dump into a holding cell. Grumbling a bit, Logan glared at Kimble, finding a target. "Put yer jacket on. We're still on mission here."
Kimble blanched, or did as much an alabaster Siskan could. He lowered his eyes with assumed guilt. He hadn't put his jacket back on even though Aiden had returned it. He had laid it on the floor next to his pilot seat in a rumpled pile, not even wanting to touch it. He knew he no longer deserved it. He couldn't hope to explain all that to Logan, so he gave his best excuse instead and said, "It got blowed up."
Logan squinted at him. He had seen the jacket returned but wasn't aware of its condition. Kimble's pants were torn and dirty, his chest marked with dirt and smudged. It seemed a good enough excuse. "You'll see to it that gets replaced soon as we get back home."
Kimble nodded and sat in his seat, trying to look busy so Logan wouldn't pester him anymore. The humiliation that had vanished because of Julien's unexpected appearance had returned to the Siskan and he couldn't help but pout a little.
Logan saw it and grunted, turning away in frustration to the open hatch, mentally willing the thief to return so they could just get out of here already. He hated Kimble's persistent immaturity with a passion. The guy should just grow up and get over himself already. It disgusted him, a grown man acting like a child.
Julien watched all this from where he sat, seeing enough to assume that Wolverine was pretty much an asshole to everyone. His own mistreatment might not have been as personal as it first seemed. Logan was just like Jerry, never happy unless things went his way.
If Logan noticed he was being scrutinized, he didn't show it. Fact was, now that the kid was pretty much contained, he was pretty much off his radar for the moment. Wolverine was lost in thought, thinking about home, and so startled a bit when Nightcrawler suddenly teleported into existence right in front of him on the ship's ramp. Logan took a step back, his hands coming up defensively without thinking. "Cripes, elf! Ya oughta be warnin' folks before ya scare the bejeezus out of them like that!" he complained merrily, not really upset.
"So sorry, mon fruend," Kurt apologized, not feeling the least bit guilty, grinning himself. "Just vanted to let you know that Kristalay vas never picked up. He is novere to be found."
"What?" Logan questioned sharply, angry. He'd had someone placed in the alley just for that purpose. There was no way Sabretooth could have just slipped out, especially not when under the toxic influence of the Honey. He motioned to Max to keep watch on the ship and said to Kurt, "Take me to the alley."
"Ya," Kurt agreed and then they were gone in a cloud of smoke.
They arrived at the alley and Wolverine staggered just a little bit. A jaunt with Kurt was always a bit rough on his stomach though he recovered quickly enough. The teleport left a small hint of brimstone in the air but it wasn't enough to hide what most others would have overlooked. Kurt had been wrong — Creed had been here after all. His scent was strong here and bloody.
"Who was here keepin' watch?" Logan questioned, his teeth clenched.
"Ze new guy, Klaus."
Klaus was a trainee from the Complex. He wasn't a member of the Gold Team, but had come along just for the ride and just for this reason only - to stand here and collect anyone who came this way on a Honey trip. He was a telekinetic and therefore, in theory, capable of handling anyone who had came through in a violent manner. "Where is Klaus now?"
Kurt was silent, not immediately answering. He wasn't evading, he was communicating telepathically with Jean, their connection still strong from today's outing. "He is not here. Something's wrong."
Logan nodded. "Somethin's wrong all right. Real wrong."
He wasn't going to explain, he didn't have the words exactly. Yes, Creed had come through from Twilight to here, here was his smell, tainted with Honey all right. But if Klaus had been here waiting, he hadn't been here alone. There was another scent here, one that Logan couldn't immediately place, but one that had all of his alarm bells ringing loud and clear. "Have Jeannie do a mental sweep, see if she can pick up Klaus or Creed anywhere near here. Maybe someone took them."
Kurt nodded and blanked out again. It might look odd to an observer, that distant, starry eyed, glazed over look in the face of someone communicating like this, but Logan no longer thought much about it. He was too worried now, pawing through some of the garbage here, looking for clues. There was a good amount of blood here, his half brother had not been casually wounded when he had left Kyle behind.
He also saw Creed's cloaking bracelet there, confirming what he already knew, but it was smashed and broken. It wasn't enough to tell him what had gone on here and Logan continued to look for more clues. He paused as he sifted, lifting out a silver medallion on a long chain. He couldn't help but snarl out loud.
"Vat is it?"
"I know this..." Wolverine replied, squinting as a headache suddenly exploded in his head, red and ugly. This happened sometimes when he was trying to wade through the shattered wreck of his own mind, trying to go through the jumbled mess of a memory torn apart and then badly reassembled again, trying to determine what was real and what was false. His mind had been tampered with so many times, things taken away and things brought back, it was hard to keep sane sometimes. The medallion was a flat circle with a wolflike face on it, three slash marks artistically cutting across its neck. It was a symbol that he immediately recognized, but not from where. It was like recalling something you had eaten when you were a child. You know you've tasted it before, but you can't recall the exact circumstances of when and where or who had made it. Still, he knew it well enough to be afraid of it. Very afraid of it. Just as he knew the medallion hadn't been left here by accident. He had been meant to find it.
"Creed is in trouble," he said out loud, his voice distant.
Kurt nodded, coming back to life at Logan's words. "Jean say she cannot find him or Klaus, They are gone."
"Of course they are," Logan spat out like a curse. He pocketed the medallion. "This wasn't Fury's doing, he didn't even know Creed was out with us today. This is outside. I'll have to tell Chuck when we get back."
"You vant to go back to your ship?"
"Yeah, I'm sick of all this already," Logan complained. What a day it had been, too many surprises and things he did not like. What more could possibly go wrong? Heh, better not to ask. "Take me back, elf."
(break)
When Logan was returned back to the Dragon 2 he was happy to see that Remy and Aiden had returned and were getting the small craft started up and ready.
Rogue had rejoined them as well while he had stepped out. He had no need to explain Julien's presence, Aiden had already filled her in. Logan was surprised to see her alone and asked, "Where's Simone?" He didn't want the Siskan to be left behind.
"He's stayin' to say goodbye to Leroy," she explained. "He said he'll be back home by the time we get there."
Logan nodded and took his seat, ready for home. He didn't really approve of leaving Simone in Twilight like that, but since the guy had been going there and back on his own already, it wasn't like they could stop him even if they wanted to.
Julien was still in his seat but he couldn't keep his eyes off of Kiden as she lay unattended on the floor. She had been swaddled in clean towels, dressed, and covered with a blanket, but she looked so alone, so alone. He wanted to hold her close but did not dare to ask. He had been treated badly enough to know better than to try.
Aiden saw him looking and he leaned in to Remy's ear. "Ze boy, 'e look to ze girl."
"So what?" Logan grumbled. He was tired and agitated, not in the mood to grant anyone any favors. He heard what Aiden had said even though the Siskan had kept his voice lowered.
Aiden looked back at him with a slight scowl of annoyance. "Mebbe 'e ride quiet wit 'er beszide him, neh?"
"I still got plenty of duct tape left," Logan replied to that with a grin of evil intent. "The squirt'll be quiet enough with that."
Remy's red on black eyes flashed on Wolverine then without an ounce of humor. The thief had turned around in his seat, dropping what he was doing to say, "You pull dat shit again, you ain't goan like what happen, patron."
They stared at each other, each daring the other to go one step farther. Both of them were tired and ready to leave, finished with all of this. Both of them were still agitated enough that one wrong move from either side would have them brawling. The tension between them now was thick, very noticeable to everyone else in the cabin. Remy was feeling particularly assertive after standing up to Cyclops and didn't back down now as he said, "Dis my ship. Dere ain't no 'urt in letting de fille share a seat. Bit cold on de flo' nohow." It wasn't a concession or a compromise, it was him showing who was in charge at that moment.
Logan chewed on that, grumbling internally. They could bicker over this or they could just do it and leave. "Fine, whatever. Let's just get the hell outta here."
Aiden didn't wait for the order. He moved to lift Kiden from the floor and gently lay her next to Julien, being careful to place her head in the boy's lap. Julien's hands remained tied, but his arms were loose enough that he could keep her there with his elbows. He nodded his gratitude to Aiden who smiled back in return as he secured her with one of the seatbelts as best he could.
Remy didn't stay to watch, he went back to prepping the ship. The only thing he wanted right now was home and Molly, nothing more. He was twitchy and aggravated, only thinly in control of his temper. Logan was grating his already sensitive nerves raw.
Logan could smell it and kept quiet but he was still pissed off, his mood not improving with this last act of indulgence. This was so typical of the thief – whether it was children or Siskans, there was no difference. Remy caved to them all, unable to resist them. He needed to grow up as much as they did, Logan thought with some bitterness, if he was really going to lead a team like this.
Julien didn't notice the dynamics of this crew or care. He had his precious Kiden right where he needed her to be. He didn't even notice as the ship lifted up and they departed. He was looking into her perfect face. She, the one who had saved him.
It had been years ago but he would never forget her, the night they had first met.
When Julien had fled the trailer and Jerry's dying screams he had run as far as his poor tired legs could take him. He had moved from the suburbs to the city, thinking there would be more shelter for him there. He was numb from the pain in his hand, aching from head to toe from the assault and from the fever that still racked his body from the Flush. He was sick and when his poor little legs finally gave out, he collapsed in an alley way, just outside of a Chinese restaurant, torture for his poor tiny belly.
He didn't know how long he lay there dozing in and out, but it was full dark when voices woke him. Two people had come into the alley and were rooting around in the trash nearby where he lay. He was too out of it to move but he could tell by their voices that there were two of them, a boy and a girl. He felt someone nudge him and the girl said, "Hey, there's a boy here. I think he's hurt."
"This one's a goner, Kiden," the other replied with indifference. "He's dead or will be in half a minute. Time to move on."
Julien heard them talking about him, but he was too exhausted to open his eyes. He felt dreamy, floaty and not even there anymore. He hardly felt it when warm fingers touched his face. The girl spoke softly again, "He's still alive, Lucas."
"So?" came the second voice again. It was definitely male and less than patient.
"Bring him."
"Come on, Ky," Lucas complained. "We gotta book outta here. Dark's comin' on and the gangs will be coming out. Kam Lee might give us something now if we ask him but he won't wait. You haven't eaten since yesterday."
There was a moment's pause as the girl considered what her companion had said. "Take him home," she ordered again. There was another pause, then she said, "Lucas, please. Just listen to me, okay?"
Julien heard a sigh of exasperation and then Lucas' voice, closer now. "You da boss, me da hoss." And then Julien felt his body get lifted up. It hurt so much being moved that he barely got out a moan of complaint before he blacked out.
The next thing Julien remembered was the smell of food. It was enough for him to rouse to a greater sense of awareness in spite of being so weak. "Momma?" he called out weakly. Was he back home again? It was all so dark and fuzzy, just like when Kathy had taken him away from Jerry the first time.
There was a shuffle and his head was turned. "Yo, you awake in there?" It was the boy's voice again.
Julien's eyes dared to flutter open and he knew without a doubt that wherever this was, it wasn't home. Through a foggy blur, he made out the rough face of a scraggly youth, of a boy not much older than himself. The boy's eyes were brown and his hair a long tangle of dark brown curls. His skin was a light brown, not quite black but somewhere in between a mulatto and Hispanic. He was dirty, dressed in a filthy t-shirt and ripped up jeans with holes in both knees. His shoes were well worn sneakers and his nails were filthy. He wasn't far from needing his first shave, a boy trapped in between youth and manhood. Even as Julien took in these details, he couldn't help but think there was something wrong with this kid, like he wasn't quite finished in some way. The guy was speaking to him again, his words rough and impatient. "You with us, kid?"
"Lucas, be kind," chided a girl's voice and there was another face, this one of a teenaged girl. She was just as dirty as Lucas, but far prettier. She managed enough femininity to make her more comforting than the young male next to her. She brushed some hair from Julien's eyes. "You okay?"
"Thirsty," Julien managed to croak, his throat dry and raw. He was momentarily mesmerized, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, reminding him of his own mother before time and heroin had had their way with her.
Kiden reached behind her and grabbed a bottle of water, lifting it carefully to Julien's lips. Julien sipped it at first, but then reached out in his greed, demanding more.
"Not too fast," Kiden admonished, holding him back.
Julien wasn't listening. He tried to take the bottle but then cried out in agony as he involuntarily flexed his hands. The pain in his damaged left hand was huge and he shivered violently before greying out. He was there but lost in the dim. Tears leaked from his eyes and he could hardly breathe.
Kiden shook her head and looked across at Lucas. This one had sat still during the whole exchange, an unreadable look on his face. "Lucas," she whispered, then repeated his name more sharply when he did not respond.
"What?" he snapped back at her irritably. His arms were crossed, impatient.
"He needs medicine."
"I don't know from pills."
"But you can still get some."
Lucas frowned. "What kind?"
"Aspirin at least. Maybe some antibiotics. He looks terrible."
"You a doctor all of a sudden?" Lucas snapped, moving away. He didn't want Julien here, he was an intruder and in the way.
Kiden was confused at first by Lucas' strange attitude, but then recognized it as jealousy. They had only been the two of them for a while now and Lucas had liked that just fine. "Lucas, please. Just do what I ask, okay?"
Lucas nodded and then threw his head back with a shiver, his body turning to a ghostly mist before disappearing. Julien saw it through the fog of his pain and tears, crying out softly. Who were these people?
"Don't be afraid," Kiden comforted, touching him again. "I'll keep you safe."
Julien basked in the glow of her beauty, her innocent kindness dissipating his pain as if she was his own personal angel of mercy. He wanted nothing more than to be with her, to be in the light of her grace forever. He closed his eyes and was out again, a soft smile curling the lips of his mouth.