I played back everything that had happened recently to try and explain why Abraham Sapien had just kissed me. He had walked me to dinner while I daydreamed about different memories I had had of him. I didn't realize until just before we sat down that he had been reading me while we were walking. But he was being as gentlemanly as ever. And then he walked me back to my room, even though I had assured him that I knew where it was. Once we got to the door, he had grabbed my arm with his cold hand; since he had taken off his glove. He then asked me to call him Abe instead of Abraham. And then he asked me on what I think is a date. Then he kissed my hand. From what I have read, which is from
many sources; that is not normal etiquette for any time period. This was the first time that I was actually glad that I did not live at home and that my brother was no longer here.
I practically floated into my room and through my shower. Within a few minutes of lying on my bead, I was asleep. I did not dream, for I hadn't since Damian passed. He and I had shared dreams since we were infants. I was awoken by the beeping from the communication piece that Krauss had given to me before dinner. I blinked a few times and glared at the annoying device.
"Shirak." I mumbled and the ring around my neck lit up. I looked back at the device to see what color, thus who, it was who was trying to get a hold of me who knows how early in the morning. The light was blue, so it was Abe. I put in the earpiece and hit the button. "Hello?"
"Cara," he was out of breath and there was a great commotion in the background. "We need your help in the lobby." There was a crash followed by a sting of curses from Hellboy. "Hellboy, don't hurt it! Just get up here quickly."
"Alright." I turned off the device, slipped my uniform on, and grabbed my sword. As I ran down the halls toward the lobby, the sounds of the struggle grew audible. Some of the rooms I passed had the heads of groggy FBI agents who were posted at the B.P.R.D. sticking out of them. As the elevator began to climb, I rested my left hand on the hilt of the sword hanging at my waist.
When the elevator reached the lobby, I saw a red blur too small to be Hellboy dart across in my peripheral vision. Whatever it was, it was avoiding Abe like the plague, not caring about Hellboy, and always running at Liz like she was its savior. And then it saw me. It jumped off the ground, gave a soft caw, and scrambled toward me; its claws not getting much traction on the marble floor.
Realization hit me just before the dragon did. It was Bahia. She careened into my knees, knocking me onto the ground. Then she walked onto my stomach and curled up. I couldn't stifle the giggle that came up as she circled a few times to get comfortable; Bahia always forgot that I was ticklish.
"What's it doing; tickling her to death?" Hellboy asked, taking out one of his guns and pointing it at Bahia.
"No, Hellboy! You'll hurt Cara!" Abe raced across the room to stop Hellboy. He glanced at me and his eyes told me that he knew what Bahia was; my familiar. Hurt a familiar, you hurt the master; or vice versa.
Just before Abe could reach Hellboy, he had pulled the trigger. I rapped my arms around Bahia and mumbled a quick shield spell. A grey wall appeared just in time to stop the chunk of metal from hitting either of us. When I looked up at my teammates, I was clearly visibly shaken.
As soon as he saw that I was alright, Abe did something I never thought he would: he punched Hellboy across the jaw. A small bit of blood trickled out of the side of his mouth. "I told you not to shoot!" he shouted.
I scrambled to my feet, dragon tucked under on arm. I ran to Abe's side and grabbed his arm before he could throw another punch. "He didn't know, Abe. He thought that you meant not to hit me with the bullet." I told him. Bahia was struggling to get away from Abe, but she stopped when she understand that he was a friend with no powers related to water; he just happened to be wet.
Hellboy eyed the small dragon. "It wouldn't make a difference, that thing's a dragon. It would have bounced right off. And it still wouldn't have hurt Cara."
Now it was my turn to shout. "She's just a baby! It would have killed her! That's why she didn't fight you, she doesn't know how. All she knows how to do is fly messages." Bahia bared her teeth at Hellboy to put across the point that she didn't like him for taking a shot at her.
"Oh." He mumbled. "But it wouldn't have hurt you!" he whined.
"This little creature," Abe reached across me to pick up Bahia, who went surprisingly willingly. "This is Bahia, Cara's familiar. Any major pain inflicted on one in a pairing like that is inflicted on the other. Shooting Bahia would have the same effects as shooting Cara." Bahia turned in Abe's grasp to lick his face. He gave a small chuckle.
I relaxed my hold on his arm, but still kept in my grasp. "She likes you." I whispered in his ear.
"Why was she always running after me?" Liz stepped away from the corner to join the group. She slowly extended her hand to touch Bahia's head, which she lowered to allow the gesture.
"She's a red dragon; their main breath weapon is fire." I explained, lightly patting Bahia's rump for her good conduct.
"So she breathes fire?" Liz asked. I did not know if she found the thought of another fire powered being comforting or angering.
"Not yet. She can give off sparks, though. But she is just a baby. Only two years old." Liz nodded and dragged Hellboy back to the elevator. This unfortunately left Abe and I alone; unless you counted Bahia. I was still holding his arm, and he was still holding my dragon.
"This is something I never thought would happen, a fire dragon befriending a fish." Abe muttered as he slowly stroked her shining scales.
"Well, that same fish; as you call yourself, has also befriended an evil princess bent on revenge against her own mother." I slowly slid my hand down Abe's arm, so as not to startle him. I stopped at his hand and wrapped my small fingers around his.
He looked down at our hands, then up at me. A small smiled played across his lips. "You're not an evil princess. A princess, yes; but you're not evil. I'd say more of a chaotic neutral.
I realized that two could play at that game. "And you're not a fish. You're as much a human as I am. Sure, that's only half; but it disproved your fish theory. You can only be half-fish with my logic." I smirked up at him.
He likes you. Bahia thought to me.
I gasped and glared at the little reptile nestled in the crook of his arm. "He does not!"
And you like him. Her scaly lips pulled up in a smile.
Now I really annoyed. "Again, you are completely and utterly wrong; you overgrown flying lizard."
"What's going on?" Abe asked, glancing between the two of us. The dragon was wearing a smile while I wore a scowl.
"Nothing, we…" I was cut off by Bahia communicating something, not to me, but I heard the mumbling. She was talking to Abe. There was only way that was possible. And that was a way that I had deemed as never going to happen. "Bahia, never do that again!" I hissed at my familiar.
Sorry. She whimpered. I could help but feel sorry for her. I did not mean to snap, but it was the first reaction that had come to mind.
"I didn't mean it like that, Bahia. But some people don't like to have random voices popping into their heads." I looked up at Abe, who nodded slightly. He thought I was just trying to teach the hatchling manners. And if that's what he thought, then that would be our excuse.
On the way back to our rooms, Abe bent his head down to whisper in my ear. "You know, you're the first one who has ever held my hand like this. Well, the first in over a hundred years; and the first whom I actually remember." We both knew that I knew about his previous life, and his wife in that life. I also knew that he remembered nothing about it.
"Well, if what's happening tonight is what I think it is, this might not be the only time." I looked up at him, a little scared of what his reaction would be to my rash and straight forward assumptions.
Instead, he smiled down at me. "Well, then let's hope you're right." By this point, we had reached my room. I opened the door and set the already sleeping dragon in one of the chairs. When I turned to say good night to Abe, who stood at the door, I was stopped in my tracks. He was the picture of frustration. His forehead knitted together, his eyes staring at the ground, and biting his bottom lip.
I walked over and rested my hand on his shoulder. "What is it, Abe?" I asked softly.
He looked up and faked a smile, "It's nothing." It was obvious he didn't want to talk about it, so I didn't push it. "Well, good morning." We both smirked. "I will see you in four hours for breakfast. Would you object to me walking you there?"
"Of course not, Abe." I touched his arm again before he turned to leave. I shut the door and crawled back in bed. Not surprised to find a scaly lump taking up the left half of the bed. Now to look forward to what I thought tonight was; which Abe had indirectly confirmed. I only had to wait approximately fifteen hours.
Idkaname here again. So, what do you think?
Here's our standard "ponder and review" questions. What allows Bahia to talk to Abe? How did Abe know about the familiar thing? We don't even have an answer to that one yet. And what was Abe thinking about?
As always: we value your time and opinions and will reply all reviews.
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C M + L W idkaname