A.N. Here you go :P Yes life has gotten in the way for a good long time and I am sorry about that. Other things have been going on and yeah, updates will be shaky but I will do my best.

: Yes she has a few talents and calming people is one of them. It is also Shadow being extremely protective of her.

To everyone: If anyone is still waiting for me to update out there I hope you enjoy this chapter!


After an early breakfast and a quick shower I followed Bea out to the horse barn. I was filled with energy that I hadn't had since escaping from Harrison. Magic thrummed at my fingertips and I was positive my feet were floating above the ground at least a couple inches. I had slept right through the night like a log, only waking up when Bea crawled away to use the bathroom. I had avoided Mr. Tiny which was easy because he didn't come down for breakfast.

"Do you like horses?" Bea asked, falling back to hold my hand.

I shrugged, making a flip-flop motion with my free hand. I hadn't really been around them enough to make up my mind. Only the occasional pony ride when I was little.

"You will like ours," Bea said proudly and tugged open the barn door with surprising strength.

There was two isles in the barn. We stood in the middle as Bea explained one isle was just for the stalls and the other had two extra stalls, a wash area and the tack room, along with a ladder to the loft. She entered one stall and I watched as she put a halter on one tiny pony no taller then she was and led it into the wash stall. After that she began a lengthy show and tell explanation of each grooming bush and how they were used, along with how to put a saddle, bridle and halter on. When she was done she handed me a curry comb and I took position on one side of the tiny pony, crouching down so I could make gentle circles on her stomach.

I loved the way the horses smelled to my nose; musky and wild at the same time with traces of freshly cut grasses. The pony didn't take long at all and Bea told me to go get another horse; saying it was my test and I could pick any of them. She vanished into the tack room with the mountain of supplies and I guessed she was getting another set and cleaning those. I wandered up and down the isle on the other side of the barn, studying each horse. Some of them came to see me and I petted their noses. But none caught my fancy and I walked back to the other isle, going over to the stalls set aside from the rest. One stall was empty, but the other held a stallion in the corner. He was spotted black and white and in the back of my mind I filled in that he was an Appaloosa. When he saw me he let out a snort and swiveled around. His head poked out and I brushed a finger down his velvety nose. In our strange way we were having a silent conversation, getting our meaning through with magic and body language. Eventually we reached the conclusion that he would not cause trouble if I respected him. I picked his halter up off the door and saw the noseband was a chain instead of soft leather. I frowned and grabbed the one off the empty stall, adjusting it so the thing would fit the stallions head. Neptune (or at least I guessed that was the stallions name because it was carved into the stall door) seemed happier with the leather on his nose when I slipped it on. I clipped the lead on and gingerly opened the door.

Neptune pranced out, his head held high. His body was quivering so I laid a hand, sending calming magic into his muscles. He didn't want to enter the wash stall so I loosely tied his lead to the empty stall. After that he stood quietly, nibbling on the hem of my shirt while I waited for Bea to come out.

When the little girl did she dropped the box of grooming stuff and went pale. "Don't move!" She whispered and dashed off. The moment she left the barn I heard her calling for her mother at the top of her lungs.

I frowned. The stallion hadn't been causing trouble, if you didn't count drooling on my hair. I picked up the grooming stuff and started on his hooves, only staring at him sternly once when he didn't want to lift up his back foot. I finished the hooves and a good amount of stuff had come out of them. Was Pandora and Albert not taking care of him? His coat was filthy too and the more I cleaned him the happier the horse got. He seemed especially interested in my wings that stuck out through slits in my shirt and wouldn't leave them alone, so finally while I did his neck and mane I let him groom one. I had only gotten his feet and part of his neck done when Pandora came rushing into the barn, followed by Bea, Mr. Tiny and Albert.

"Darren you need to step away from that horse now," Pandora said calmly. But the muscle twitching in her jaw gave away her tenseness.

Neptune squealed and I laid a hand on his neck, stepping closer to him. The horse quieted.

"Do as she says," Mr. Tiny said.

I sent the man a withering look and undid the lead on the stall, holding it in my hands; trying to ask with my eyes why I had to put him back. Neptune snorted loudly and pranced on the spot.

"He is dangerous," Pandora said and took a step closer. "We are unable to work with him. Whatever his past owners did ruined that poor animal." She sent a look at Bea. "I have already sold him. His new owners are coming today."

Bea's eyes filled with tears. "What? I told you they were bad men!"

I shot a look at the girl. I wondered if she had heightened senses like myself; able to tell peoples intentions.

"Bea I explained to you that I visited their stables myself. Everything is as it should be there. You are blinded by grief," Pandora said kindly.

"Look at Neptune now! He isn't being bad!" Bea said insistently.

Pandora shook her head. "Perhaps Darren's magic protected him, but he won't be here forever."

I huffed. If they knew Neptune was perfectly happy to go along with things after it was explained to him they would probably laugh. I stared at Bea and tapped my stomach, signaling that it did have something to do with my talents. Then I mimed speaking and cupped a hand around the horses ear.

"See he can talk to him!" Bea said. She seemed to be the only one that understood my odd sign language. "He can find out what is wrong." Tears were still streaming down her face. "They will kill him Mom!" She ran up to me and wrapped her arms around me. Neptune bent down and nuzzled her face, sneezing. Bea turned around and blinked at the stallion with wide eyes just as car doors clicked outside.

"They are here," Pandora said and turned to Mr. Tiny. "I suggest you hide his wings and tail." She left the barn. The sadness in her eyes told me she did not like doing this, but she felt she had no other choice.

I let Albert take the stallion and followed them outside after Mr. Tiny waved his hand over my body without looking at me. Neptune was prancing and yanking on the lead, squealing loudly. I laid eyes on the three men who had come with a pickup and trailer and instantly knew what Bea was talking about. They felt like the kind of people who would work under Harrison gladly. Their eyes were on the stallion greedily, and one had another chain halter ready to put on. My hands clenched into fists. I could tell by their clean clothes and immaculate trailer that they were able to put on a front of kindness though. I almost lunged at them when the closest man grabbed the lead from Albert.

The man chuckled. "Don't you worry," He called out when Pandora told them to take good care of the stallion. He pulled on the lead and Neptune dug his hooves into the ground, arching his back to stay put.

I knew directly confronting the horse would do absolutely nothing, but just watched, hoping their incompetence would show itself to Pandora.

Bea kept her hand tight in mine, tears still flowing down her cheeks. "No," she whispered.

After a couple minutes it became clear the men were not going to get Neptune into the trailer. I walked up to them and held out my hand for the lead, miming that I could help.

The man who seemed to be struggling the most to keep his cool barked out a laugh at Mr. Tiny. "Where did you get this?" He asked. "Out of the way," he barked and shoved me. Or at least tried too. His human power did not even make me rock a bit. He stared at me and a glimmer of…realization flashed in his eyes.

I held out my hand again and stared at the man challengingly.

"This works on em," the third man said and pulled out a gun. He raised it in the air and fired. The sharp crack sent Neptune into a wild frenzy.

The lead the other man had been in the middle of handing me snapped around my arm and tightened. When the horse bolted I was yanked off my feet and dragged along the ground. The ground burned against my skin as my jeans were quickly wearing away. I barely missed the side of the barn when Neptune galloped past it. I kept trying to get my legs underneath me; I was fast enough to keep up with the stallion if I could balance myself but rocks, sticks and other obstacles kept tripping me up. My arms were skinned and bleeding now. I sent a mental picture of a cliff to the horse so strong it would seem to the animal that it was looming up right in front of him. The horse ground to a halt and I got up, wobbling unsteadily. Pieces of my pants were gone and I was sore as hell, my wings were surely ruffled up but I laid a hand on Neptune's flank with no trace of anger. The group was running toward us and would soon catch up as we hadn't made it too far past the barn, but I concentrated on pulling the fear out of the stallion.

Neptune sent me a picture of prods and I recoiled with a flash of fear. The prods had been in the trailer, exactly the same as Harrisons. There was no way those men worked for him, was there? Unless he had recruited people all over the country to keep an eye out for us since his trackers had been removed. But then people did own those things naturally. Right?

Then screams shot into the sky and I was whirling around, uncoiling the lead from my bruised hand. Bea had been picked up by one of the men and he held a gun to her temple, dragging her back toward the trailer. Pandora was screaming and Mr. Tiny was standing stock still, as usual adding nothing productive to the situation. Albert lay on the ground deathly still. The man gestured and from the movements he made to me the message was clear: Get the horse and your ass over here or the girl dies.

I stood up and narrowed my eyes. I sent another picture to Neptune and he snorted in agreement. I braced myself on the fence and leapt onto his back, nearly falling off the other side. We faced the men and the magic burned in my veins, the dragon twisting on my skin in a fury reserved for those who took what I loved. I nudged my heels into the stallion's side and he took off like a rocket; I clutched to his mane and gave up on steering, only able to hold on and hope I didn't get thrown off. The men were hardly aware of what I could do. If they were then the prods would be in hand and not laying in a trailer. Perhaps finding me had been happenchance. I stretched at the charms Mr. Tiny had put on my wings and tail and snapped them in half with a burst of angry magic. My wings unfurled to their full length and I caught sight of them with a jolt of disbelief. They were whole! I was whole! My feathers were long, the blood was gone and the tears through my skin were gone.

I could fly. I could jump into the sky and wheel among the clouds, leaving everything behind. The sheer relief and joy was lifting me up to greater heights then I had ever been too. I would taste the wind on my face again. Neptune caught onto my elation and his hooves flew faster. We were almost upon them now; I had folded my wings again and I could see the whites of the mans eyes. I wanted to see them fill with fear, and realize what he had foolishly attempted to do. Then I wanted to watch his life flicker out.

I waved my hands in the air, making it look like I could not stop the horse. The man dove aside, pulling Bea with him, but my hands hooked on the back of her shirt and yanked her free of the mans grasp. My wings unfurled into the wind and I was buffeted into the sky and off the horses back. I flapped hard and dove sideways, still barely in the air. A bullet flew past and I pumped my wings hard, shooting into the sky with my arms wrapped around Bea who was screaming; but either in fear or happiness I couldn't tell. I felt on top of the world, like nothing could touch me. Already the people looked like ants, with one of them pointing an object at Pandora. I growled and dove, folding my wings to fly over the barn roof. I set Bea down on the roof, pausing for a split second to make sure she had a good handhold before taking off again. I drew fire, wheeling through the sky like a trick airplane until the gun ran out of bullets. Then I lazily gained height and dove again, listening to the clicks as he reloaded the gun. I slammed into the ground behind him, sending up a spray of snow and began to grow, and grow. Feathers covered my body and I leaned forward, hands turning into clawed paws and my face elongating into a toothy snout. My tail whipped through the snow, and finally the change was complete. I was the size of the house now. The man turned around and the gun fell from his fingers.

My lips curled back to expose fangs that could skewer the man through the chest with inches to spare. "Mine," I growled in English. I lunged and his body disappeared into my mouth with a crunch of blood. I swallowed him, burped once and then surveyed the rest of the humans standing in front of me with varying expressions of shock. I became aware of the other two men trying to escape in the car and swiveled around, gripping the top of the pickup with my jaws and crushed the cab of the truck with one swift bite. I dropped the truck in front of the yellow clothed man like a cat bringing a dead mouse to its owner and cocked my head. He didn't move and I breathed ice cold air in his face before going to fetch the little cub from the roof. She was an easy rescue and I set her on the ground, directly in front of her mother. She wrapped her arms around my snout and giggled.

"This is the secret!" She said proudly.

"What?" The yellow clothed man said.

"Yep! Except it was on his stomach before," Bea said. She was pale and shaken, but her body screamed protectiveness over me that was only rivaled by what I felt for her.

I snorted and lay down with a thump, scooting closer to Pandora who looked torn between grabbing her daughter and running and touching me. The latter won over and she brushed a hand over the feathers on my upper jaw. Her eyes widened. "He's so soft."

Mr. Tiny approached me but when he made to touch my leg I growled and got up, pacing away from him to sit on the side of the barn where Neptune had gone. The horse had headed right back to his stall.

"Darren," Mr. Tiny said sternly, eyes flashing with anger.

But Pandora came to the rescue, gouging holes in the man with anger only parents could summon. "You have treated him like shit since you arrived and I highly doubt you were a model caretaker before that! You ignore him, act like his gifts are a curse and a nuisance after you told me he went through hell before! It's a wonder the boy even functions, and is just feeling a bit quiet! You told me his wings would heal when he found something to care for and I guess he did, but it sure wasn't you and I bet that bothers you. Doesn't it?" She crossed her arms. "You don't deserve anything from him! And any anger or resentment he heaps on you is something you did to yourself." She gestured wildly at the sky. "My family was just attacked! I don't know if the twins are safe at school and I bet neither of you know if more trouble is coming! So maybe you should use what I just told you while I tend to my family." Pandora turned on her heel and stalked off toward Albert.

Mr. Tiny stood still for a couple minutes and I watched him without blinking. Emotions ran across his face so fast I couldn't read them. Was a piece of the old Desmond still under there, fighting its way to the surface? Pandora had been right. I didn't care for the man in front of me at all. I cared for the one that had learned to love, to care for others and relate to them in a human way. Mr. Tiny could put on the mockery of caring, with a hint of actual emotion but it wouldn't be real until his memories came back. Sure he could feel sorrowful that his plans hadn't worked out, upset that I was angry at him, but love. That he could not understand yet.

I growled and took one step forward, swishing my tail in the dust and stomped past Mr. Tiny to stand over Albert. Pandora had her phone in hand, dialing 911 before I snorted again and touched my snout to his chest. A bright blue light nearly blinded me and when I could see again the gash on Alberts head was healed and he was staring up at me with wide eyes.

Pandora bent down and explained to him what was going on, but Albert didn't relax until I had stepped back and curled my tail around my paws like a cat. The lure of the sky was becoming too strong and I spread my wings, bringing them down in one sweeping motion to lift me into the sky. The people shrank away and I swept over the farm in lazy circles. I knew better then to stray far from the farm and let humans see me. Mr. Tiny gestured for me to land but I ignored him. But when I was still in the sky I felt a lurching sensation in my gut and I knew the change was fading; I barely made it to the ground before I changed back into my normal form. My limbs felt like jelly and I wobbled back to the group, pointing at the disaster I had created and mimed sweeping.

Mr. Tiny rolled his eyes and waved a hand. The destroyed truck and bodies vanished.

"I need to get the boys," Pandora said insistently and headed for her car. I piled in after her with Albert and Bea and we tore away from the house, leaving Mr. Tiny standing in our wake.