Still in TF's flashback, which ends next chapter. When chapter 8 is done, the story will actually start moving forward some.

CHAPTER 6: A Girl In The Cold Is Worth Two Shoulders In The Overcoat

SUMMARY: Evelynn and Twisted Fate learn more about each other.

CHARACTERS: Pre-magic TF and Evelynn

WARNINGS: None, except maybe some tooth-rotting fluff (if it's too sweet for you).

"Evelynn..." Twisted Fate tested the name out. "That's a very beautiful name.

"What's a beautiful, kind, young lady like yourself doing in a place like this?"

Evelynn stared at him, starry-eyed from his compliments, before looking down at her lap with a sigh, feeling ashamed.

"You should know the answer to that." When he just stared at her with a single eyebrow raised, she sighed again before continuing. "I've no home, Mr. Fate. They kidnap young urchins, like myself, and homeless beggars off the streets and out of the alleys in the middle of the night, so that they can experiment on them. Isn't that how you ended up here?"

His response made her gasp with surprise.

"No, I chose to come here. They were advertising a chance at having magic for free."

"And you agreed?!" Evelynn hissed, incredulous.

"O' course." Twisted replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"You are a most strange man, Mr. Fate." Evelynn said, quirking a brow and shaking her head at the river man.

The rest of the day passed in a similar manner, one asking the other about themselves, their past. Before they knew it, it was evening and the sun had set.

"Lights out!" shouted one of Priggs' grunts. "Day is ovwer! Lights out!"

Without further ado, the lights were extinguished, casting the pseudo-prison into near pitch darkness.

Evelynn, now sitting beside Twisted Fate, rested her head on his shoulder as they sat against the cell wall for a moment longer, waiting for their eyes to adjust to the dark. Pale moonlight drifted in from the small window of the empty cell across from them.

Quietly, Fate stood before reaching down a hand. Evelynn stared at his hand like it was some foreign object, before looking to his face and back to his hand. She took it, and he pulled her up, his free hand catching her elbow as she stumbled.

"You alright?"

"Y-Yeah."

Focused on regaining her balance and re-familiarizing herself with using her feet to stand and walk, Evelynn jumped at the sensation of something heavy and silken falling onto her shoulders.

She looked up to see Twisted looking back down at her, an unreadable expression gracing his features, his hands on either shoulder after draping his large overcoat over her shoulders.

Realizing that she was looking at him, he gave her a soft smile before explaining: "You need it more than me. Gets awfully chilly at night."

Evelynn looked down, remembering her ragged garb: a long, filthy, white shirt that used to stop just above her bruised knees, but now stopped a third of the way down her thighs. It was so ratty and old that there were holes and tears everywhere, and the fabric had been stained a permanent brown.

She blushed, pulling down the bottom in a fruitless effort to conceal more of her body.

There was a hand on her back for just a second before it was gone as Twisted moved to the cheap, metal cot.

"We should get some sleep. They like to wake everyone up extremely early."

Evelynn nodded, her face flaring up again; she had never shared a sleeping space with a man before. What if he waited until she was asleep to do something to her, to violate her?! Certainly wasn't much to stop him, Evelynn was painfully reminded as an icy breeze blew through, grazing her bare legs.

She chastised herself; this man had been nothing but kind to her! Shaking her head, she stepped toward the cot, pulling Twisted Fate's overcoat tight around her shoulders. She climbed onto the lumpy, straw mattress, pressing herself against the stone wall.

Twisted climbed in after her, pulling the ratty, wool blanket up over them both.