Hey there! I'm really sorry that I haven't updated in a while; I've been real busy, what with school, getting ready for college, and a bit of family trouble (don't really want to go in to further detail with that). We now get to dive deeper into the mystery that surrounds this mysterious young girl that Abel has picked up. Who is she? What was her purpose of being out on that rainy day? Will she be in his care? Wanna know? Read on, my fellow friends! :)

Disclaimer: Just a little reminder: Trinity Blood DOES NOT belong to me. I give all credit to Sunao Yoshida, Kiyo Kujo, and FUNimation studios.

Chapter 2: Home of the Longing Heart

Light pierced through her delicate eyelids. The girl cautiously pried them open, only to behold a blurred world. Reaching for her glasses, she lifted herself up and looked around after putting them on. She rose from her spot to find that not all was what it seemed; it was a small hospital room. The room was a simple one, with just a bed, a side table, a desk and a chair. A few pictures hung on the wall, mainly of landscapes. Above the side table hung a small wooden crucifix. The settings didn't seem right to her. She looked at herself to see fresh clean bandages on her arm and her body clothed in a long-sleeved white hospital gown. Her long hair had been let down so that it touched beyond the small of her back. None of this seemed right to her at all.

Where am I?, she demanded in her thoughts, What am I doing here? Who brought me here? I don't belong in this place. I've got to get out of here...I've just got to get out of here!

The girl lifted herself up in order to escape. She then looked at the end of her bed. Someone had been so kind as to offer her some breakfast, which consisted of a tray of oatmeal, toast, and orange juice. The girl backed away from it for a minute or two, worried that it might be poisoned, but the constant growling of her empty stomach made her give in. With a loud ravenous cry, she hungrily tore into her breakfast, still fairly warm. Even if it was poisoned, food was still food, and so far, some of the best she had ever eaten in a long time.

"Good morning," said a familiar voice.

She looked up to see the priest that had taken her in from the rain. "Good morning, sir," she replied before going back and nibbling on a piece of toast. He came in and sat at the foot of the bed, watching her with gentle eyes.

"I see you've enjoyed your breakfast," replied the priest as he looked at the empty food dishes.

Nodding, she answered, "Thank you, Father."

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. Forgive me of my rudeness," he replied, "My name is Father Abel Nightroad. I'm a traveling priest for the Vatican. What is your name?"

She gave a small smile and replied, "I'm Prena Barthallowmen."

"Prena...that's a very pretty name."

"Thank you. The Sisters told me it means 'life's breath' in an ancient language, but they don't know which one."

He smiled, but then became worried when her once smiling face evaporated into sadness. She then lifted herself from the bed and walked over to the window seat, staring out the window with remorse. Abel proceded to follow her. He sat down across from her and looked as she sat there, her arms gripping at her bony knees. Focusing on what had caught her eye, he noticed a smoldered area close by, still black with ashes and soot, where a building had burned.

"What was that?," he asked gently, hoping to not cause her to go into hysterics if it was something important.

"That was once St. Mamas* Orphanage," she said with a sigh, "It was my only home. It was where I went to school, made friends, and lived. I had nowhere else to go but there."

Abel kindly listened as she continued with, "Someone had been so cruel as to burn down the orphanage. I remember it as if it were yesterday...the rooms were filled with smoke, little children were crying, and I should've not survived."

She was starting to cry. With a compassionate look in his kind eyes, he asked, "Why do you feel that way, Prena? Please tell me...I want to help you if can."

She wouldn't talk anymore. He took that as a gesture of resonance and left it at that, not wishing to upset the child any further. Silence filled the room once again, like water in a bucket. Prena sat there still staring out the window, thinking about the memories left in the smoldering pile of ashes. Father Nightroad then seemed to grow lost in his thoughts again and he then asked her, "You said your last name was Barthallowmen, am I right?"

She looked up at him with wide eyes and nodded. "I knew your father very well," he continued, "He was a good man, Prena. Strong, brave, and kind. We became very good friends and colleages."

"You knew my dad?"

"Yes, Prena. I knew your mother, as well. She was a sweet and generous woman, and beautiful, too. You know, you look just like her, but you have your father's eyes."

She smiled tearfully. So, she thought, he knew...

He tenderly brushed back her tears, and then took her into his arms and held her. She lightly gasped in amazement. It was just like a dream to her...like the sweetest dream imaginable. She was already starting to grow fond of him. Gently, she lay her head upon his chest and took in this feeling of new found peace that she had never known about. This man...this priest's prescence made her feel at ease. She didn't know what it was about him that made her feel so calm. Was it the light scent of soap bubbles lingering on his skin, or the lulling qualities of his heartbeat in her ears, or maybe it was the firm yet soft grip of his arms holding her close to him? She couldn't say for certain, but whatever it was...it renewed her...in mind, body, and spirit.

"Father? Had you called for me?"

She felt him jump slightly as she pulled away from his grip and looked up. A young nun, possibly in her late twenties with pale lavender eyes and dusty blond hair, stood in the doorway looking at the two.

"Ah, Sister Heather," he said as she came in, "Just the person I wanted to see."

He gently pulled Prena up from her spot and said as he pulled her alongside him, "If you would be so kind as to take Miss. Prena to go and freshen up a bit, I'm sure she would be very much obliged. Oh, and make sure she has a clean uniform, just in case."

Prena looked up and said, "But what about-?"

"Don't worry," he replied, "We'll have to discuss your joining the AX with Lady Caterina more in depth, but until then, you will be permitted to wear the uniform."

She nodded and then followed Sister Heather towards the bathrooms.

***

"Wow, you must be very brave to have lived out on the streets for so long."

Prena sat there in the tub soaking in the new feelings she had never felt before. It was definately better than having to scavenge for a small freezing cold rain puddle to bathe in. The feel of warm water tingled slightly along her parched skin. A content smile lit up her face. It felt so good!

"It was nothing," cooed Prena as she immersed herself further into the warm depths of the sweet cherry almond scented bubbly water, letting each one of her troubles rinse off of her body. Sister Heather watched her and smiled, a soft cotton towel lay across her arm. Suddenly, she gasped as Prena dunked her entire body into the water and held herself down for over three minutes. She rushed towards the door in order to call for Father Nightroad, but paused as she watched Prena raise her head from the water. The young girl shook her head, turned towards Sister Heather, and giggled.

"Did I scare you, Sister?," she asked, still giggling from her little joke.

Sister Heather shook her head and smiled. "Only for a moment," she replied with a laugh.

Prena climbed slowly out of the tub and felt Sister Heather wrapped the towel around her. She buried her face into the soft cotton terry weave and exhaled a long contented sigh. Feeling a pull at her long hair, she felt Sister Heather tousle her hair in another towel, shaking her head the moment the kind nun had finished. Sitting on the edge of the tub with the towel around her waist, she watched as Sister Heather brought out a small tin in her hands.

"Now, hold still," she said gently, "This may sting just a bit."

Prena tensed up a bit, but relaxed as Sister Heather's soft hands gently rubbed soothing ointment on the cuts along her back. She did not fret at all while Sister Heather took care of her. Once she had finished, she told Prena to be patient while she went to go and get a clean uniform for Prena.

"Before you go, can I make a request?"

Sister Heather turned towards the child and said, "Of course, dear. What do you need?"

"C-Could you please bring me the priest's uniform?"

She raised her eyebrows in surprise, but then smiled and answered, "Yes, dear. I'll do my best to find one in your size."

***

"Here she is, Father Nightroad!"

He looked up at her and smiled in amazement. She stood beside Sister Heather with a shy smile on her pale coral pink lips. What was once dull mouse brown hair had transformed into a beautiful tawny color like sunlit honey flowing fresh and golden from the comb, and her skin was like fine porcelain. Her cheeks gave a healthy pinkish glow, and her steel blue eyes glittered like sapphires. She was clad in the traditional priest's uniform: a long black cassock with a white stripe going down alongside the zipper, a large golden pectoral cross and gold neckpin, and a long black mantle with the same white stripe as the cassock.

"What do you think, Father?," she asked as she did a twirl to make the mantle bell out like a lily's flower petals in the breeze.

He smiled and answered, "I think it looks wonderful on you, Prena, but there is something missing..."

"What's that?"

Smiling gently at her, he placed his hand in his pocket and pulled out a long black hair ribbon. She softly gasped as he said, "It's one of my spares. I thought you might like to have one, as kind of a...token of your ordaining."

She reached over and pulled from out of her long braid a dingy red ribbon, given to her by her best friend at St. Mamas. It was very special to her. She thought it over for a little bit of time. Then, with a smile, she held the old red ribbon in her teeth, while she put on the new one at the top of her long braid.

"There," he said, "Now you're ready."

He then looked at his watch and exclaimed, "Good heavens! We're going to be late for our appointment with Her Excellency. Come, we must hurry!"

***

Sitting in the office of the great Lady Caterina Sforza was a bit unnerving for the young girl now sitting in one of the fine crushed velvet chairs. Prena bit her lip in anticipation and fear. She didn't really know what to say to her. Her Ecellency looked over the child's paperwork and looked up at the child.

"Your name is Barthallowmen, is it not?"

"Ye-Yes ma'am."

Her Excellency gave a faint smile and said, "We knew your parents vrey well. Both of them were wonderful assets to the agency. I miss them dearly."

Prena nodded sadly. The way everyone here talked about her parents around there made her feel sad; she never got the chance to meet them. She then watched as Lady Caterina turned her gaze towards Abel and say, "And you said you found this child in an alleyway?"

"Well, I, uh...yes ma'am. She was alone and needed me at the time."

"I see...and yet you offered her a clean uniform without any identification that she is an officer?"

Prena bowed her head submissively and tried to hide it in the thick fold of the mantle's collar. Abel gave a nervous glance and replied, "But she was in rags. I didn't want her to feel like she had to wear those dingy worn-out clothes to her ordination--"

"That depends on whether or not she wants to be ordained, Father Nightroad."

She then turned towards Prena. The child flinched slightly, but felt reassured as Abel placed a hand on her back and murmured, "Go on. I'm right here."

With a clearing of her throat, Prena stated, "Your Excellency, I wish to imform you that I will be joining the AX prior to this day. I have been treated so kindly by all of you, what more could I ask but to come with you? I promise to you and to all fellow AX officers that I will do my part to make the best of my abilities and provide a strong asset to the organization."

Lady Caterina smiled and said, "Very well, we accept your terms of acceptance. But because you are a young child, you will be granted a guardian to keep watch over you. Therefore, I'm assigning Father Abel Nightroad to be your guardian. Mayhe watch over you, keep you, and teach you in the ways of our agency."

With tears of joy in her eyes, she nodded in acceptance of the offer, and then turned to Father Nightroad. "I get to stay with you," she said as she grabbed in him an embrace.

He smiled and replied, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Then, taking her chin in his hand, he said, "I am truly blessed, little one. You do not know how much it makes me happy to be your guardian."

She gave a wistful smile and said with thought, "Someday, I hope to be as great as my mom and dad were."

"No...," said Abel as he shook his head. Prena frowned and turned her head away to hide her unhappiness. But then, her face broke out into a smile again as he said, "You'll be better. Trust me."

She laughed and embraced him again. "Thanks, Father," she said, "I won't let you or the others down." Then, with a turn of her heel, she ran out of the room and towards the gardens.

ChapterSong: "Lyse Rom" by Anita Skorgan**

Author's Notes

*St. Mamas was the patron saint of guardians, orphans, and torture victims.

**"Lyse Rom" translates from Norwegian as "Bright Room".

I know that this wasn't written during one of my best writing moods, but I do hope you liked it :) I'll try my hardest to post more ASAP, which should be easy since next week is SPRING BREAK!!! :D YAY! Party time!!! *puts on Kate Skate's "Omnibus" and starts dancing like a maniac*

Reviews and constructive criticism are always welcomed and appreciated :)