"So as you can see, Your Maj- I mean Bean... I mean, ah… oh dear, not again."
Odval paused in his lecture (for the third time now mind you) and frowned when a soft snore filled the silence of the space. There was Bean, the Queen of Dreamland, with her head barely supported by her hand, eyes closed, mouth open, and quite frankly asleep. Again, or rather for the third time now. Odval sighed with exasperation: clearly this was a losing battle. The complex societal structures of the kingdom and its citizens were just too much for the exhausted monarch to handle.
Rolling all three of his eyes, Odval cleared his throat loudly. When that didn't work, he promptly picked up a heavy tome and dropped it onto the table with a loud thud.
That proved to be enough to startle Bean awake.
"Woah! I'm awake! I'm…! Oh, hey, Odval."
Perhaps she spoke too soon. As quickly as Bean shot upright with eyes wide open, she soon began to droop back forward into slumber.
"Bean! Wake up!"
"Yeah! Yes… I'm here, umm… Odval. Yes, I'm…"
Bean struggled to sit up straight, fluttering her eyelids and rubbing her face to try and wake herself up, but it was proving to be a lost cause. Her eyelids were as heavy as rocks, dark bags had formed under her eyes, and even with the help of Bunty in the morning (who managed to persuade Bean to wear a lovely mint green dress today) couldn't coax the look of dishevelment from the queen's appearance. Bean was in a rough state and if she didn't get a decent sleep soon, the madness that took hold of King Zøg could quickly get a hold of his daughter.
"Your Majesty. I am trying to help you to rule this kingdom properly, but I cannot be expected to do this if you keep falling asleep," Odval reprimanded lightly.
Bean groaned and wiped her eyes again.
"Oh, I know, and I'm sorry, Odval. I, ah… didn't get a good night's sleep last night."
"So I heard," Odval replied tightly, the ex-prime minister frowning. "Night terrors, from the sounds of it."
"Yeah, something like that," Bean admitted, slumping back into her chair with her eyes half open.
"Have you perhaps tried-?"
"Yes," Bean interjected with another sigh. "Bunty and I have tried everything save for beating my head into concussed consciousness, which I haven't ruled out. Still, nothing seems to be working. I just can't seem to sleep through the night and… whatever it is that you're trying to teach me, Odval, no offence, is not the most exciting topic. It's really not helping how tired I am."
"Well, Dreamland needs -as you yourself pointed out- a readily available and responsible ruler. It is not imperative that we find some remedy to lull you into a sound sleep."
Bean only grunted in agreement, her tired eyes nearly closed again.
"Know any angels?" she mumbled.
Odval only gave his queen a confused look, but this was quickly forgotten as the man sighed when he saw that Bean had, in fact, fallen asleep again.
"This won't do…" Odval muttered to himself as he considered the sleeping queen.
She looked so exhausted, so innocent, and nothing like the cold-eyed ruler who had stared him down a couple of days ago with the promise of a slow and agonizing existence lest he betray her and the kingdom again. The mere thought of Bean's words: the assurement of Sorcerio's untimely demise and Odval's lifelong imprisonment caused the triclops to shudder.
Who knew that Bean took after her father more than anyone could have guessed? Except, of course, that Zøg wouldn't have offered the ultimatum. The king would've just had Odval executed then and there. Fortunately Bean saw that there was still some usefulness in Odval's knowledge and he wasn't about to squander this second chance. He truly did only want what was best for the kingdom and he could see that with the proper advice, grooming, and instruction, Bean could make a great queen… given that she didn't go insane first from insomnia.
Frowning from his thoughts, Odval went over to the door and opened it to whisper something to the guard standing outside. The man quickly went off to complete the task. It would seem that Odval, who was no longer the prime minister (a position that would need to be filled eventually), as advisor to the queen he still had some sway to get people to do things he told them to do.
With the guard gone off to hopefully return quickly, Odval returned to stand by the table and watched the queen sleep. He thought of the last time he had watched a Dreamland monarch sleep and guilt quickly filled his being. King Zøg seemingly had been on his deathbed and the Arch-Druidess had fully implemented Odval into her treasonous schemes. Pendergast had been right there and bore witness to the pair openingly plotting to kill the king. Now here Odval was, alone with the incapasitated queen, and taking her life would be as easy as stabbing a knife into her back.
But Odval had already done that, metaphorically speaking of course, and wasn't about to do it for real. No, he needed Bean alive and well so that he could mould her into an appropriate and eligible queen for marriage. The kingdome, after all, needed a king and heir sooner rather than later.
A knock on the door roused Odval's aimless thoughts and he called for the door to be opened.
Speak of the devil (although, if Odval knew the whole truth, then "devil" was the furthest thing to describe the man who stepped in through the door).
"You, um, summoned me?"
Pendergast looked confused as he entered the room. He was out of uniform, as his shift to guard the tower wasn't until after noon (but a knight's duty never really ended, let's be real). His lone eye quickly saw the sleeping Bean and the standing Odval, to which earned the knight a distrustful frown.
"Yes…" Odval began, clearing his throat. "Thank you for coming on such short notice, Sir Pendergast. As you can see, the queen is not in the best condition for instruction today and I thought it best that you take her back to her room given how close you have become, or so I've heard."
Pendergast only narrowed his eye more suspiciously as he stepped closer to Bean's side.
"I don't quite care for what you may be implying, Odval…"
The knight allowed his words to trail off, the threat hidden between the lines. He also pointedly spat out the man's name to further punctuate that he no longer needed to address Odval as "Minister" or alike.
"Please, sir, I meant no offense by it," Odval replied evenly. "I only mean that I am aware that the queen trusts you, so I am asking you to watch over Her Majesty and assist her in getting a proper night's sleep. Rest is important for any ruler and Bean is the last member of the Royal Family who hasn't gone mad or ran off to galavant with pirates. We- I speak for the entire kingdom, need her in the best condition to rule. Think this as… oh I don't know, being the Queen's Watchman… yeah, sure, we'll go with that. That can be your new title if anyone asks."
Pendergast's frown didn't leave his expression, but he did turn his suspicious gaze down to Bean's sleeping form and his features softened slightly. Bean still hadn't slept well? How many days was that now… too many, for sure.
"Fine," Pendergast relented, turning back to Odval. "I'll do it, but only because it's for Bean and not because you asked me to."
"Whichever works for you," Odval replied simply, his hands clasping one another before him. "The queen seems to be comfortable being alone with you, so I'm sure that she won't mind too much to awake and find you in her bedroom."
"I wouldn't say that too loudly, if I were you… I don't think Bean would care for the implications and gossip at all," Pendergast warned darkly.
Odval only gave an uncomfortable smile and waved him off. Apparently it was true what the other guards were whispering, that the carefree, happy knight that Pendergast had always been was gone. He'd been replaced by a distant, standoffish, and dangerous knight who was quickly gaining favour with the queen.
Then again, death was sure to change a person, so Odval couldn't really blame the apparent shift in Pendergast's personality.
Meanwhile, Pendergast gave the man another distrustful frown. He then moved to easily and gently lift Bean up from her chair into his arms princess style (or perhaps queen style was more appropriate now?). Bean, however, did not even stir and continued to doze, proving just how sleep deprived she truly was. The knight looked down at her sleeping face and felt his expression crack with concern. However, he fought this back to keep up his knightly appearance, especially in front of Odval, and dutifully headed towards the still-open door.
Odval watched the knight carry out the queen and only once they were both out of sight did he let out the breath he'd been holding. He wasn't at all comfortable around that man and his throat still was sore from when Pendergast choked him.
The guards standing outside the door obediently followed Pendergast as he carried the queen down halls and up stairs towards Bean's bedroom. Curious eyes lingered on the unusual entourage as they passed, but no one dared to try and stop Pendergast or inquire what was going on. Surely they'd find out through the gossip chains. During the entire trip Bean continued to sleep, which was only mildly concerning to Pendergast. Even when he passed someone trying to chase a rat out of a suit of armour, with a whole lot of banging and cursing going on, Bean did not stir and slept on.
Once he arrived at Bean's door, the guards stationed outside stood straighter. They looked at Pendergast questionly for a moment before hurriedly opening the door for him. Pendergast stepped forward, but paused in the doorframe and turned to regard one of the guards.
"The queen needs her rest and I've been instructed to watch her, so make sure that no one enters the room and disturbs her."
"Is this 'bout the nightmares, sir?"
Pendergast hesitated with his response, seeing the clear concern (or most likely fear) in the man's eyes.
"Yes, Orton, this is about Bean's nightmares. I'll make sure that she wakes up before they get too bad, if they return."
"Oh, good, Pendergast! Y'should have seen her… it was terrible last night."
The other guards nodded in agreement to Orton's words: apparently the news of Bean's screaming had made their rounds around the castle.
"Well, let's hope that she gets her rest," Pendergast assured with a smile, before moving to enter only to pause again. "Oh, right. One of you men go and fetch Luci… please. If, or when, Bean wakes up, she'll probably want him around so he might as well come now."
The men voiced their agreement as the two that followed Pendergast up the stairs turned to leave, assumingly one of them would go and fetch Luci as instructed. Pendergast stepped into the room and the door was closed behind him. Just as he was about to move towards Bean's bed, reality dawned on the knight and he swallowed hard.
Him? Alone in Bean's room with her? How the hell did that happen?!
Pendergast's eye strayed downwards to fall on Bean's sleeping face. Her mouth hung open a bit, her breathing was even, and she felt really light in his arms. Then again, having died, gone to Heaven, and returned, physical aspects still felt weird to Pendergast. Breathing, eating, even sleeping, they all felt… unnecessary? He still needed to do all that stuff, but it didn't feel the same… it was a weird feeling and very hard to explain. It was almost like Pendergast had gotten stronger, hence why Bean felt so light, but that wasn't it either.
Whatever, that aside… Pendergast was still carrying Bean bridal style in her room.
Letting out his breath slowly, Pendergast shook his head and took a step towards Bean's bed to set her down when the woman in his arms suddenly stirred. The knight froze, his lone eye wide as he watched Bean stir, mumble a bit, before her eyes fluttered half-open.
Oh, fuck… was she waking up-? Oh, yeah… yeah she was.
Bean's eyes blinked open and confusion briefly crossed her expression before her eyes met Pendergast's wide eye. The pair stared at each other for a long moment before Bean slowly narrowed her eyes.
"Pendergast?"
"Y-yes, Bean?"
Bean reached up to poke Pendergast's cheek, her eyes narrowing more as she spoke, "Umm… why are you carrying me?"
"W-well…" Pendergast stumbled, his heart hammering, "you see, there's a completely logical explanation as to why I am-"
"Put me down, Pendergast."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
As gently as he could, Pendergast set Bean down on her feet, though he kept his hands up to catch her when she wobbled a bit. The white-haired woman yawned and groaned, rubbing her eyes, sniffling a bit, before finally looking around.
"You took me to my room? Wasn't I… ah, somewhere else before…?"
"Ah, yes. You see, you feel asleep during your instruction with Odval, and-"
"Oh, right," Bean said, turning to cock a brow at Pendergast with a suspicious frown on her face. "And how pray tell did I end up in your arms?"
"I carried you…" Pendergast replied pitifully, the man trying to cover his growing blush in his cheeks with a smile. "Odval a-asked me to."
"Oh?" Bean replied, genuine surprise spreading across her features.
"Yes. He'd heard about your, umm, nightmares and assigned me to be your, ah… Queen's Watchman? Yeah, that's what he called it. I was to take you to bed- I mean to your room! And, ah, place you in bed and then, umm… watch you sleep?"
The more Pendergast spoke, the more wrong his words sounded, until he finally just faded off into nothing with an uncomfortable frown as he looked at the floor.
Apparently, Bean also thought the same thing.
"Wow, that sounds bad," she exclaimed, before sighing and going over to sit with a huff on the settee (an old-timey couch) in front of her cold fireplace. "Though, I can't really blame Odval for asking you to do that."
"I also called for Luci to be brought up here," Pendergast stated, still awkwardly standing where he was. "Shall I, umm… leave now?"
"Naw…" Bean replied with another loud sigh. "You might as well hang out, Mr. Queen's Watchman."
Bean then lifted a hand to gesture for him to come over, which Pendergast did after a moment of disbelief. The man came and stood next to the settee, to which Bean yawned and looked up at him, lifting her brows expectedly.
"Well? Go ahead, light the fire, then come and sit. You don't have to just stand there like a suit of armour, which… speaking of. Where's yours?"
The knight knelt next to the fireplace as ordered and began to build up the wood from the woodbox.
"Well I was sort of not patrolling yet when Odval summoned me, but I can go and change once I'm done with this-"
"No, no, it's fine," Bean spoke up, interrupting him. "Actually, I kind of prefer you like this."
Pendergast paused and turned to meet her gaze, surprise in his expression.
Bean blinked and frowned at him after a moment.
"I mean like this! Not all knight-dressed, or whatever. Without your armour, you're just… I don't know, normal? I feel like I'm speaking to an actual person rather than someone I know will do whatever I ask. Or, well, I guess that's anyone in the kingdom… but you know what I mean."
"Indeed I would," Pendergast pointed out, but he was smiling from Bean's words.
"Yeah, I know," Bean replied with a sigh, turning her attention to the still-not-lit fireplace.
Pendergast frowned slightly at this before moving to continue his duty of building the fire. With little effort did he light the tinder and soon enough a warm and lively fire was burning in the fireplace. Bean curled up her feet and tucked them into her dress as she watched the flames, her exhaustion painted on her face.
"It's funny…"
"What is?" Pendergast asked, still kneeling by the fire.
"You're dressed in common clothes and I'm the one in a dress."
The knight gave her a look of confusion before a small smile appeared on his lips.
"Should I don a dress instead? I will, but only if you pick one out for me."
That roused a small chuckle from Bean and she looked down at him with an amused expression.
"No, you dork. What I mean is, usually I was always the one who wasn't dressed "properly," yet here I am, playing the part as queen, and you're the one out of uniform."
"Hm," Pendergast replied thoughtfully before slowly standing and wiped his hands on the sides of his pants, "I suppose that's one way to take it."
"Well? How would you take it then?"
Pendergast shrugged before moving to the other side of the couch and gently sat down on the edge. He glanced over at Bean, who was watching him critically, and he slowly slid back to sit more comfortably. Do note that there was some good space in between them, but all the same Pendergast was feeling very warm and this had nothing to do with his proximity to the fire.
"Well…" the man began, clearing his throat and shrugging again. "I see it as you doing your best: that you're trying, and… hey! If you want to wear a dress or not is up to you: you are the queen after all."
"Yeah…"
Bean eyed Pendergast, how the man fidgeted a bit as he spoke, and how it was basically impossible to read his expression, since all she could see was his eyepatch.
"I do, however, think that you, umm… look rather nice in whatever you're wearing."
"Is that the truth?" she asked, her tone light.
Pendergast looked at her and blinked.
"Of course it is! I'd never lie to you, Bean."
That made Bean smile, at least.
"Now that I believe."
The knight frowned in confusion and Bean just chuckled and waved him off.
"Don't mind me, I'm not exactly thinking straight," Bean relented with a sigh.
"You should try and sleep, Bean."
"I know," the queen admitted, but she frowned.
Pendergast leaned forward a bit to better see Bean's face and she turned to meet his eyes with a slight brow raise in question.
"Are you… afraid to go back to sleep?" he asked softly and cautiously, not wanting to piss her off.
"Wouldn't you be if you had scream-inducing nightmares for nights on end?"
Pendergast frowned and opened his mouth, probably to apologize, but Bean gestured for him to stop.
"I didn't mean it like that. It's just... I've tried everything! Last night I even had Francis, the court lute player, to play music all night. It's stupid now that I think about it… but, I figured that was why I managed to sleep while we were at the tower because you were playing music."
"And it didn't work?" Pendergast, though he felt his heart quicken a bit upon hearing that Bean thought his music playing was somehow special.
"Nope," Bean replied simply, shaking her head and pursing her lips. "In fact, it took a bucket of water and Luci slapping me to wake me up."
"Wow," Pendergast replied lamely, frowning. "I, ah… I can't relate, unfortunately."
'You've never experienced the same nightmare several nights in a row?" Bean asked, the sarcasm lazy in her voice.
"No," the man replied sheepishly, looking at her. "I've… never dreamed before, so I don't know at all. I'm sorry."
"Wait, what?"
Bean blinked and seemed to wake up slightly, for she shifted in her position to better face Pendergast: her expression slightly disbelieving.
"You've… never dreamed? Like, ever?"
"No, I haven't," Pendergast stated simply, shrugging lightly.
"Huh," Bean muttered thoughtfully, taking that bit of information and filing it away into her memory. "You're lucky, I guess," she added.
"I suppose so. I mean, it means that I've never had a nightmare, but it also means that I've never dreamed before, so… does that still make me lucky?"
"I don't know," Bean mused, a smile playing on her lips, "but it certainly means that you're even more interesting than I thought, Pendergast."
While Pendergast smiled earnestly at that, he asked, "So… I don't think you've actually told me about your nightmare. It's the same every night, right? What is it?... If you don't mind me asking, of course."
Bean shifted, looking slightly uncomfortable, before she sighed and slipped her hand between the cushion of the settee and pulled out a small bottle of whiskey. Pendergast wasn't surprised in the slightest.
"Well, I guess I can tell you since, you know, you were there."
Bean paused to unscrew the cap of the bottle and took a hearty swig. Smacking her lips slightly when she was finished she jiggled the bottle slightly and offered it to Pendergast. The knight smiled and reached over to take the bottle, but he only took a small sip. After all, if he was the acting "Queen's Watchman" or whatever, getting buzzed or drunk sort of affected how effective he'd be in such a role.
"My nightmares are always the same, it's true. I'm back in Hell, it's hot, I can't move, and the Devil is there standing over me before he reaches down to grab me. At first I'd wake up before he got ahold of me, but now…"
Bean frowned and sighed, taking back the bottle and drinking some more down.
"Now he does grab me. Last night in particular, Luci couldn't wake me up, and when he finally did I actually forgot about the nightmare at first before it all came crashing back. Apparently I was screaming so bad that it scared the guys outside, but… I don't remember doing any of that."
At first Bean just stared at the fire wearing a hard expression, but when she turned to meet Pendergast's concerned and worried eyes, the woman's features broke and her fear showed in her eyes.
"Oh, Bean… I-"
"Please, don't."
Bean was quick to shut Pendergast's heartfelt tone down with a weak gesture of her hand and her returning to look at the fire.
"I'm getting tired of people telling me that it's "going to be okay" and whatever. I'm too tired as it is, I don't need anymore. I just… I want to sleep. But, with each night that I can't, the more afraid I am to try."
Pendergast bit his lip but didn't press the issue. Instead, he allowed Bean to continue talking if she so desired.
"You know," Bean continued after a moment and another sip from her bottle and shifting once more to stretch out her feets towards Pendergast: her toes nearly touching his leg. "My dad actually told me why the kingdom is called Dreamland. Or, well, he told me that the castle affects a person's dreams. He said that "something about this castle makes dreams more powerful". He then told me that "You can't escape your dreams, but you can stop a nightmare by working through the issues causing it." In hindsight, it was pretty profound, especially for my dad, and I've been thinking about what he said a lot these past couple of days."
Bean looked back at Pendergast with a small attempt of a smile on her lips.
"I've been trying to figure out what issues I have, but I have too many, I think."
"We all have problems, Bean, but we don't have to figure them out alone, you know."
"Yeah, I know," Bean admitted, sniffling a bit and taking another swig.
Pendergast licked his lips and sighed softly, feeling his chest tighten once more. He felt so sorry for Bean and wanted to help her in any capacity and try to alleviate her worries. But how?
"If you want, I can tell you what I discovered about my father now, if you'd like."
Bean perked a brow and looked back over at Pendergast.
"Oh, you… you don't have to-"
"But I want to," Pendergast pushed, offering her a smile. "If anything, it might distract you for a bit, or maybe even bore you to sleep!"
A small smile appeared on Bean's lips and she settled in to listen.
"Fine. Go ahead."
Okay! Pendergast had successfully steered Bean away from her own dismal problems and she was now focused on his problems… shit. Now Pendergast had to reveal the problems that have been weighing his mind down for a couple of days.
Great… But! Might as well get it over with.
"Well…" Pendergast began, drumming his fingers on his knees. "So, I found the record for Sir Jolon and there were no children listed, which was to be expected since he died before I was born. My mother was listed as his wife and... all pretty normal stuff, really."
Bean blinked, glanced aside, before she perked a brow up in confusion.
"So… that's it? Mystery solved just like that? Not much of a distraction there, Pendergast."
In response, Pendergast let out a bashful half-chuckle. The man rubbed the side of his arm and gave his queen a half-smiling, half-unsure-what-the-heck-to-say expression.
"Not exactly," the knight continued. "I thought that that was it too, until I read the date of my father's death, and… it wasn't the one I was told."
"When was it?" Bean asked, her intrigue keeping her exhaustion at bay for now.
Pendergast bit his lip lightly before clapping his hands together softly.
"Apparently, according to the records, Sir Jolon of the Dreamland Knights died about six months before what my mother had said."
"Okay, but what does that mean?"
"It means that, umm… Sir Jolon was already dead when my mother was supposed to get pregnant. Which means…"
"He can't be your dad," Bean finished frowning in sympathy. "I'm sorry, Pendergast."
"It's fine, really. That was something I had expected, honestly, so I wasn't that surprised. I thought that was that, but then I saw that there was a note of Jolon's record. It belonged to none other than my old master, Sir Boyd, and I am positive of this because I recognized his signature… Plus, the note was a message to me, actually. So, I found Sir Boyd's record and with it was a journal belonging to him."
Leaning forward, Bean wrapped her arms around her knees and was very clearly wanting to hear what Pendergast had to say. In response, the knight smiled thoughtfully and continued his tale.
"Sir Boyd was Sir Jolon's best friend. This was why he had agreed to take me on as his page when I got old enough. I knew him my entire life, because he was my, well… who-I-thought-was-my-father's best friend, who was also close with my mom. He checked in on us from time to time, to make sure we were doing well. Then he became my master when I became a page."
"Let me guess, he's your dad!" Bean guessed, smiling for thinking she had guessed where Pendergast was going with this.
"Ah, no, he's not, actually," Pendergast replied, smiling a bit wider to see Bean so enthused: he thought she looked very cute doing it. "But don't worry! I actually had thought that too, that Sir Boyd could be my father– hell! When I was a boy, I sometimes would pretend that Sir Boyd was my father. I guess he was, in a way, because he had always been there for me. But… he's not- wasn't. He died about six years ago not long after I was knighted."
"I'm sorry," Bean replied sympathetically. "I think I remember that. Wasn't it because of a cat or something?"
"Yeah. He, ah, tripped over a sleeping cat, fell down a flight of stairs, crashed through a window, fell into the moat, went over the waterfall, and… it had been low tide, so..."
"Yikes. I think I may have to put bars on some windows. That happens way too often, I feel like."
Pendergast only nodded in agreement.
"Anyway, as I was saying, I know Sir Boyd isn't my father. We look nothing alike, for starters, and even he denied being my father when I asked him as a child. But, his journal really put any lasting thoughts I may have had that he could have been."
"Why? What did it say?" Bean asked.
"Well, at first nothing: just the normal ramblings and notes of a Dreamland Knight. But Sir Boyd wanted me to find his journal, eventually, or I guess when I was ready. Whatever, doesn't matter. I just knew that I'd find some answers in Boyd's journal. I read through it and found it: I found the truth. I found out who my father is… sort of."
"Who is it already?!" Bean explained, wiggling a bit in anticipation.
Gosh she was adorable.
Pendergast stared at her for a moment, his smile growing, before he looked away and chuckled. He slipped off the couch to the floor to feed the fire before leaning back.
And he shrugged.
"I don't know, and neither did Sir Boyd."
"You're kidding me…"
Bean slipped off the couch too to sit on the floor next to him, so that she could properly frown into Pendergast's amused and surprised expression.
"So, what? There was nothing? You don't know who your dad is?"
"No," Pendergast replied, feeling a blush bloom in his cheeks with how close Bean was to him now. "But I'm fairly sure that he's alive, whoever he is."
"He's alive?" Bean repeated before shaking her head. "And what about your mom? I mean… does this mean she just hooked up with some random guy after Sir Jolon died?"
"That would be the easy answer…" Pendergast answered quietly, settling his forearm on his raised knee. "But unfortunately, no. That does not seem to be the case."
Bean smacked Pendergast with the back of her hand (not too hard), earning a chuckle of surprise from the knight.
"Would you just spit it out, already!"
"Okay, okay!" Pendergast laughed, smiling at Bean.
Bean was smiling back and even as tired as she was, her interest in Pendergast's story was keeping her awake and aware that… huh. In this light Pendergast really wasn't that bad looking… he had a nice smile, no missing teeth.
"Umm, so, ah… Are you… going to tell me or what?"
Bean's voice shook a bit with uncertainty and her unsure smile did not stop the blush within her cheeks.
"R-right," Pendergast stuttered, clearing his throat and looking away. "It turns out that I was-"
"Bitch! Step aside! Don't you know who I am?!"
Both Bean and Pendergast looked over just as the door opened and in came Luci, looking smug and satisfied with himself as per usual. Fortunately the door closed before Luci saw the pair sitting there together in front of the fire all cozy-like.
"Oh, hey, Luci," Bean greeted normally.
Immediately the gossipy-bitch smirked a shit-eating grin and came and hopped up onto the settee to stare down at them, arms crossed.
"Well… don't you two look comfy! Don't tell me that I was interrupting anything now…"
Pendergast cleared his throat again and turned away and stood. Bean remained sitting and frowned before swatting at Luci (though it should be noted that there was a bright blush in her cheeks).
"Lay off it, Luce. Don't tell me you came up here just to try and tease me when all you're really doing is looking like a total idiot."
"Okay, I'll let that one pass, but only because your life right now is my best bet at some decent entertainment."
Luci scoffed and plopped down onto the settee as Bean stood, still frowning, which only deepened when Luci picked up her whiskey bottle.
"But… if you must know the reason why I'm here, well that would be because the very handsome and totally single Sir Pendergast requested that I be here. Something about… Bean, you're supposed to be asleep, young lady, and Pendergast is here too… for some reason."
"I was asked to, umm, stand guard as Bean slept-"
"He was going to watch me sleep and wake me up if I started having another nightmare," Bean finished, cutting off Pendergast's awkward words.
"Yeah, okay, we'll go with that," Luci muttered with a shrug. "Well while you two were doing that, I just finished talking with our good friends the Trøgs and-"
"About Elfo? What'd they say?"
"Well… you know… those little dudes basically do whatever we- I mean, what I say, so… yeah. It took a while for them to figure it out, but I think they got it. I think so, anyway. They just sort of ran off shouting something about digging, but I'm sure that they'll come through for me. I am, after all, like a god to them."
"Aren't we saviours to them?" Bean asked.
"Saviours. Gods. Whatever," Luci replied, waving her off, going to take a sip from the whiskey bottle. "As long as they listen to me, I don't question the details."
Bean was quick to swipe the bottle away from him, to which Luci scoffed and shook his head at her before hopping off the couch. The humans then watched the former-demon head towards the door.
"You're leaving already?" Bean asked, surprised.
"Yeah, I gotta head down to the bar, but I'll be back after I close," Ludy replied, turning back to Bean, only to smirk once more. "Besides, it's feeling pretty crowded in here with me."
Luci cackled and headed out the door, barely missing Bean's tossed boot that slammed against the wood just as it closed.
The fire crackled in the room and Bean sighed.
"He needs to get a hobby or something," muttered Bean.
Shaking her head once more, Bean yawned and groaned, taking a sip from the bottle herself. Pendergast stood by the room's window, hands behind his back, as his breath fogged up the glass. Even by the cool window, the man felt hot. Outside, the sun was hidden by thick clouds, casting the day into a dismal, rainy, and grey day. Perfect for a queen to snooze through. In the window's reflection, he saw Bean rub her eyes before going over to her changing screen. Seeing this, Pendergast quickly headed back to the settee so that Bean could have all of her privacy, and the man sat with a huff.
Get it together, Pendergast.
Bean tossed her dress over the top and changed into one of her nightgowns. Suddenly, she was feeling so tired again and was craving the loose and soft comfort of one of her nighties. Stepping out from behind the screen, Bean paused when she saw the back of Pendergast's head from where he sat. Who could've guessed that she'd be alone in her room with Pendergast of all people? Too bad that she was too tired right now to care too much about it.
Coming back over to the couch, Bean sat down and sank back beside Pendergast. Like, right beside him. Like, she was basically leaning against him. Stuck between the armrest and Bean, Pendergast couldn't move away. He glanced aside at her and watched her sigh, sinking deeper into the couch and against his arm.
"Bean… You should really go and try and get some sleep," he said softly, swallowing hard.
"I want to hear the rest of the story."
She sounded so tired, yet so innocent at the same time, it honestly was really cute. Pendergast felt his smile soften and he sighed softly, sitting back himself into a comfier position. He didn't want to jostle her, especially since it looked like she was falling asleep again. Honestly, he was loving this, just sitting and talking, but Bean really needed to get to sleep.
But Pendergast also wanted to enjoy this moment for as long as he could.
"Where was I?"
Pendergast spoke softly, so as to not rile Bean up again because he did want her to go to sleep. He was conflicted, okay? Selfishly he wanted this moment to last, but responsibly he wanted her to sleep.
Bean stirred and yawned before rubbing her face.
"Umm… something about… your dad being alive?"
"Ah, yes. Well, I sort of knew that from when I was dead."
"Mm, how so?"
The knight looked aside at his queen again and saw that her eyes were nearly closed, but that trademark-Bean look of determination was keeping her eyes fixed on the fire. It dawned on Pendergast just how much Bean was trying not to fall asleep again, and his chest tightened at the thought.
"When I first arrived at Heaven," he began in a soft tone, licking his lips slightly, "I was greeted and told I was dead and all, but that was about it. It wasn't all that special. Sure I got to become a master of the lute, but that came after. It was only later that I found out that usually when people arrive in Heaven, they're greeted by their next of kin. But, no one came to meet me."
Bean turned her head to half-look up at him with a slightly confused expression, now fully resting her cheek against his shoulder.
"How come?" she asked softly.
Clearly Bean's exhausted brain was currently incapable of connecting the dots.
Pendergast met her confused eyes with his smile. She was so close… he only had to lean down and he could kiss her...
"Because my parents were alive," Pendergast continued, mentally clearing such a thought away. "Unfortunately, I was too… distracted to fully consider that my father was still alive, even when the other angels told me I could find him down on Earth. I guess in hindsight, I should've taken their advice."
Bean's hand suddenly flew up and smacked Pendergast's chin, causing the man to flinch away in surprise.
"Wait. What did you just say?"
"Ah… I could've found out who my dad was from Heaven?"
"No!" Bean exclaimed suddenly sitting up and was much more awake now as she looked hard at him. "You mentioned other angels."
Pendergast blinked, his confusion clear in his face.
"Ah, yes, Bean. There are angels in Heaven-"
"You were an angel!"
The knight leaned back when Bean suddenly stuck her finger in his chest, earning a bashful smile from the man.
"Technically... in the end I was, I mean. I only became a true angel when God allowed Luci and I to come and save you. Before that I was just a soul-"
"But you're an angel!"
Pendergast, now thoroughly confused, opened his mouth to clarify that he's not an angel anymore. Instead, his eyes went wide and his cheeks turned red when Bean suddenly clasped his cheeks with her hands. It should be noted at this point that their faces were fairly close to one another.
"Pendergast, I am willing to try anything at this point. I need you to touch me as I sleep."
Silence filled the room for a good couple of seconds before Pendergast managed to reply.
"I'm, ah, flattered, Bean, truly I am! But I really think I should take you out on a proper date first before we try something like that-"
That earned a light slap across his cheek from Bean, who leaned back with an unamused expression.
"Stop playing around! And, okay. I realized right after I said it that that sounded bad, but let me explain. Last night I had asked the magical orb thing how I could sleep through the night, and it told me that I could sleep with an "angel's touch." I didn't know what the hell it meant, but it must mean you! I think... I mean, it makes sense, if you think about it, like why I was able to sleep for a few hours yesterday. It must be because you were an angel, Pendergast."
The knight looked aside, blinked a few times, before looking back at Bean with a half-smile. She looked hopeful and he didn't want to dissuade or disappoint her without at least trying.
"I mean… if you're sure, Bean. I did say that I'd keep guard as you rest, so-"
"Great!" Bean exclaimed, suddenly springing to her feet and walking towards her bed.
Pendergast just sort of sat there for a moment longer to allow his brain to try and piece together what exactly was happening. The heat in his cheeks and how hard his heart was pumping was making it difficult to think rationally. Nevermind the sudden onslaught of… suggestive thoughts in his mind. Spending the night in Bean's room was one thing, but touching her too?!
"Are… you coming or-?"
"Ah, yes! Coming!" Pendergast exclaimed, jumping up while he took a steadying breath, even smoothing the front of his shirt before he turned to face the bed.
The man immediately sucked in a breath and a small smirk appeared on his lips.
There was Bean in her bed, already under the covers, frowning at him as she waited for him. This was the thing of dreams… and since Pendergast had never had a dream, this was a pretty big moment for him.
"Ummm…" the man mumbled, slowly walking towards the bed. "Are you sure-?"
"A-duh! That's why I asked you, and- oh. Ah, Pendergast… you can… wow, yeah. You can keep your shirt on."
Pendergast paused with his shirt half-up, just enough for his yummy torso to be seen, before he pulled it back down.
"Right! Right… sorry. Umm... Should I… take off my boots?"
"Ah, sure," Bean replied, laying down and turning on her side away from him, her cheeks burning too. "Just, ah… yeah. Come sit on the bed beside me over the covers and, like… I don't know, put your hand on my shoulder or something as I sleep. That should be enough touching..."
Bean grimaced as she realized how bad that sentence sounded, but she was too tired to even try and clarify what she had meant to say. Frowning to herself, the woman's heart skipped when she felt Pendergast slowly sit down on the bed beside her, shifted to swing his legs over to lay them gently upon the covers, before she felt him subtly adjust his seat against the headboard and the pillow there to act as back support. She held her breath as he settled in until he wasn't moving at all. After a moment of nothing, Bean blinked as Pendergast's hand came to gently rest upon her shoulder, his fingers hesitant to relax.
Well this was… new. In the past when Bean has had a guy with her on her bed, he either... left early, or tried to take over the kingdom, or was performing an exorcism on her, or trying to arrest her or something. She'd never really just… hung out with a guy, especially not in her bed, and-
OH MY GOD! Get a grip! This was Pendergast, remember?! He should not be making her feel this nervous or… this comfortable.
"Hey, Pendergast?"
"Yes?" the man asked, surprised to hear that Bean was still awake.
"Can you tell me the rest of the story about your dad and stuff tomorrow? Or… whenever I wake up, I guess..."
"Of course, I will."
"Okay, and… If I…" Bean began, pausing as worry seeped into her eyes. "If I start acting like I'm starting to have a nightmare, please wake me up. Slap me, if you have to: whatever it takes. Just, be sure to wake me up as soon as you can."
"I promise I will. I won't leave, Bean."
"Mm, good," Bean muttered, closing her eyes. "I'd kick your ass if you do…"
Pendergast smiled and watched Bean's breathing evened out and slowly the tenseness in her shoulder released. He sat there watching her fall into a deep sleep for many minutes, smiling softly. Eventually, he leaned his head back against the headboard and stared into space while his thoughts began to drift. The fire in the hearth steadily died down until only smouldering embers remained. He sat like that all day. The sun travelled through the sky and dipped down towards the western horizon, eventually turning the grey day into a dark night. He didn't move, he didn't budge, and he only had to fight the urge to pee once before being able to bottle it back down.
The entire time, Pendergast just thought about… everything, really.
He'd occasionally look over at Bean, but not too much. He didn't want to be creepy or anything of the sort. He really only looked over at her when she moved, to be fair. Bean tossed from her side to her back a couple times, flung her arms up once and punched Pendergast in the throat (nearly making him cough), and she only started to snore softly for like an hour or so at one point. Either then those few movements, Bean was completely knocked out asleep. This was a great sign. For the first few hours, Pendergast was really worried that she'd soon start twitching from her nightmares, but that moment never came. She just kept on sleeping, which gave evidence to her notion that it was because Pendergast was actively touching her.
Yes… the humour has not been lost in that sentence.
The most prominent thought that Pendergast kept thinking about was what Bean had said about an angel's touch being the key to an undisturbed sleep. To the knight, this didn't make a lot of sense because, well for one: he wasn't an angel, and two: even when he had been an angel, it was supposed to have been a limited time thing. The majority of people who die and go to Heaven just become lounging and lazy souls being catered to in Paradise all day. Only those from the Beginning, created by God Themself, were angels.
It was all rather complicated and confusing and Pendergast didn't have the smartest brain to figure it out.
Eventually he just accepted that his prencese was somehow helping Bean sleep and that was all he needed. However, Pendergast did send out a silent prayer of thanks to God. The knight resigned himself to thinking that if this was the main reason why he'd been brought back, to act as sleeping support to Bean, then so be it. His death and subsequent resurrection was worth it just so he could now look down to admire how sweet and peaceful Bean looked as she slept.
Again, not to sound creepy or anything.
Once the sun went down and darkness consumed the bedroom, Pendergast really had to focus on the faint rumblings in his empty stomach to stave off his urge to fall asleep. He had missed lunch and supper, after all. This was really hard, actually, to do, not drift off into sleep, that is. True that ever since Pendergast had returned to the land of the living that he felt different, as in feelings like hunger or sleepiness didn't feel the same, but then there was Bean's bed. It was… so comfortable. A lot more comfortable than the beds the knights had in their bunkroom. It actually reminded Pendergast of the clouds up in Heaven, and while he never really lounged like the other heavenly souls, he could easily see himself drifting off to sleep with Bean here next to him.
If only, eh?
Nope! He had a job to do: a mission. A sole duty that only he could carry out, entrusted to him by the Queen of Dreamland herself (fuck Odval, he doens't count). Watch her while she sleeps and wake her up if she starts having a noticeable nightmare. That was pretty easy to do, but also hard to do, especially considering that all Pendergast could do was sit there motionless on the most comfortable bed he's ever been on. Falling asleep next to Bean would be a dream come true.
A few times he heard outside the door the scruffles and low murmurings of the guardsmen posted outside as they chatted amongst themselves or when their replacements showed up. Pendergast was able to keep track of roughly what time it was depending on when he heard the watch change. It sounded like there was one a little while ago, which meant it should be around nine o'clock in the evening. Bean looked like she wasn't about to wake up anytime soon, so Pendergast knew that he was in for a long night of sitting in the dark with his thoughts.
Not that different from any other guard duty, really.
The knight looked up when he heard a commotion outside the door: the swell of voices. The knight frowned with curiosity. Surely there wasn't another shift change already, right? It was also too early for Luci to be finished with his bar for the night so that couldn't be it. Listening closely, Pendergast narrowed his eyes when heard what sounded like… Odval's voice.
Fucking perfect.
The door was opened and, sure enough, in walked the three-eyes traitor himself. Pendergast immediately frowned with disapproval, especially because he had told the guards before that none should enter except for Luci. Clearly the disgraced former-prime minister had some sway and authority left… bastard. Pendergast didn't particularly care for being seen with Bean like this by the likes of Odval.
Odval looked around the dark room with his typical frown before he spotted Pendergast sitting on Bean's bed… next to Bean.
"This wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I asked you to watch Her Majesty," Odval stated with disapproval and he came up to the bedside.
"It was Bean's idea," Pendergast replied in a low tone, still glaring up at Odval, "so keep your voice down."
"Yes, yes, of course," the triclops replied, indeed lowering his tone, which held a subtle note of amusement. "But, do tell me, Sir Pendergast, why did Bean think it best that you, umm… share her bed in such a manner?"
God this guy pissed Pendergast off.
Gritting his teeth, the knight answered with a curt and quiet tone.
"She thought that perhaps me being next to her would help keep the nightmares at bay."
"Hmm, interesting."
"What are you doing here, Odval?"
"Oh, you know, just checking in before I retired for the night. The guards outside said that it had been rather quiet in here all day, so I thought it best to check in."
Odval looked over at the sleeping form of the kingdom's queen, who was asleep on her back, mouth open slightly, and her arms rested on her stomach.
"Well, this kingdom has certainly seen rulers conduct far more inappropriate things than this, that's for sure. If this is how we're going to get a well-rested queen, then so be it."
Pendergast just bit his lip and narrowed his eyes at Odval, who continued to study Bean's sleeping form.
"You know, in this light, and without her threatening my death and the death of those I love, she's actually kind of cute."
Pendergast looked aside at Bean.
"I think that our queen is rather beautiful," the knight replied softly.
"Yes, well," Odval began, leaning back and returning to his usual smug, prim, and proper composure, "you and I have very different tastes."
Odval then turned to leave.
"Very well, Sir Pendergast. I shall leave you to your… diligent watch. I trust you to keep your hands to yourself but if you don't, just don't allow for a situation like a pregnancy or something to happen. To be fair, I think it's a true marvel that that girl hasn't gotten pregnant yet… I trust you to be responsible. You usually are."
"And I trust that you pay Bean a bit more respect than that."
Odval turned to look back at Pendergast over his shoulder, an odd smile on his lips.
"Oh, believe me, sir, I respect Her Majesty plenty. As I've stated before, I only want what's best for the kingdom, and Bean certainly has made an effort to be an improvement over her father, at the very least. That's why it's so important that she gets her rest and… if that means that you're in the picture, then so be it. But, keep in mind that the kingdom will need a legitimate heir, eventually... and the bastard child of a fling with a knight simply won't do. Though, like I said, I don't believe that I have to worry about such a thing as that happening with you," Odval chuckled, before turning his back once more to the knight. "Well then, have a good night, Sir Pendergast."
The knight kept silent as the worm of a man returned to the door, opened it, and disappeared after it closed.
"What an incredible asshole…"
Sighing through his nose, Pendergast felt the burn of embarrassment and irritation in his cheeks. Bastard children? Flings? Is that what people were saying? That he and Bean were having some sort of affair?
'I mean… I've thought about it, sure,' the man thought, before he shook his head.
What was he thinking?! He should not be having such thoughts when Bean was literally right beside him asleep! Now that was creepy. Groaning internally, Pendergast closed his eyes and took a steadying breath to exhale the rest of his annoyance and to try and clear his thoughts. This proved to be a bit difficult, because now he was wondering what a fling with Bean would be like. Opening his eyes, Pendergast once again stared out into the dark room and frowned with restrained sadness.
Yeah, sure, like Bean would ever see him more than a knight… Although, she said that they were friends now, so okay! Pendergast was officially in the friendzone. Lucky guy...
The man listened to Bean breathing softly beside him: so close to him, yet metaphorically out of reach. Pendergast's hand remained upon her shoulder, just like she asked him to, and he was just thankful to be able to do this much. When he had been in Heaven, he proved that he would have given anything to see and touch Bean again, which he did. He helped save her, he had kissed her, and he had professed his love for her. Granted, when he did all of that, he had been disappearing into nothingness, so it had seemed a good time as ever to say all that. In retrospect, he may have jumped the dragon-whistle a bit… but it was still the truth.
Pendergast did love Bean, even if she never loved him back and he accepted that. Being there for her like he was, sitting all night next to her so that she could get a decent sleep, was enough.
Hours passed and Pendergast fought the urge to sleep as he maintained his silent vigil.
Bean turned over once more in her sleep and much to Pendergast's surprise and chagrin, she wrapped his arm around his leg and hugged it. The entire experience sent shivers up and down the man's spine. The poor guy had to put on his brave face and had to think really hard of other things when he gently pulled Bean's hand away from where it ended up… which just so happened to be dangerously close to Pendergast's crotch.
Some things belonged only in his fantasies, and not when Bean was passed out asleep.
Just as Pendergast got the sleeping queen back into a more appropriate sleeping position, though she still was half-hugging his leg, the knight jumped a bit when he heard the voices outside the door speak up. Was it the change of the guard already?
Nope.
The room's door opened and in the light spilling through the space, Pendergast could see the long, dark shadow of a familiar person. Sure enough, Luci stepped through the threshold, carrying with him a small bag, before the former-demon was nearly lost in the darkness when the door was shut behind him.
"Luci?"
"Oh! Pendergast! Where-? Ohhhh…. You're over there. Nice."
"Shh! Keep your voice down!"
Pendergast glanced down at Bean, who was still sleepily hugging his leg, and it appeared that she was unaffected by Luci's boisterous smugness. Speaking of which, the small, black cat-thing jumped up onto the bed and set his hand upon his hips.
"Oooo! Pendergast, you dog you! Well, not that it's very easy to get into Bean's bed, but still! I'm proud of you man!"
"I really must insist that you keep your voice down," Pendergast urged in a hushed tone.
Luci just scoffed loudly at him and waved him off, continuing to speak in a normal tone.
"Are you kidding? Bean could sleep through the castle collapsing, and that's without alcohol."
Luci then tossed his small bag at Pendergast, who didn't really catch it gracefully because it was rather dark in the room, earning a snicker from Luci.
"Oh, right. I forget that you humans can't see in the dark."
"What is-?"
"Eat up, buddy! I figured that none of these jerks came up here to give you some food, so I swiped you some so… yeah, you can thank me now."
Sure enough inside the bag was a small roll and what felt, and smelt, like a sausage. Pendergast smiled and looked at Luci's great, bright eyes.
"Thank you, Luci. You are a true friend."
"Yeah, I know: I'm the shit," Luci replied confidently, before hopping up onto Pendergast's leg to regard Bean hugging his other one. "Wow, you really got her wrapped around… well, I can't say finger, though she's awfully close to one of yours, I guess."
Pendergast felt his face burn as he bit into the roll.
"She hasn't woken up once. In fact, she's barely even twitched and it's been… I don't know, twelve hours? More? What time is it even? Bean's clock doesn't chime."
"She broke that a long time ago," Luci explained, still regarding Bean's sleeping face, "and she really hasn't woken up yet, huh? Interesting… Oh! Yeah, right, it's like one or something? I don't know, I closed the bar early so I could come here. I figured you were starving or Bean was writhing on the ceiling or something speaking in tongues. Classic."
Pendergast smiled at Luci's veiled thoughtfulness and concern for Bean.
"Bean told me that I could keep her nightmares at bay because of what that magical glass ball told her. Something about the "touch of an angel"? Which doesn't make a lot of sense..."
"Sure it does," Luci replied simply.
"How so?" Pendergast asked before biting into the sausage. "I think it makes more sense that since I can't dream, that maybe I'm somehow blocking hers…?"
The former-demon clicked his tongue and shook his head slowly at Pendergast.
"Oh, you sweet, innocent human, you. I would've thought that you of all people would've figured it out already, buddy. I, for one, figured out this little puzzle a while ago. And yes, I am bragging. Deal with it."
The knight just chewed slowly, frowning a bit, and blinked at Luci.
"Fine!" Luci sighed as he plopped down on Pendergast's knee. "Just think about it, man. You're not a normal human, anymore. Don't tell me that you haven't noticed it."
"I have," Pendergast admitted quietly. "I feel… different. I don't get hungry or tired nearly as quickly as I used to, and everything feels different. I'm guessing that you don't know what I mean."
"Sure I do," Luci replied. "It's called: you died! Of course things are going to be different for you."
"But I'm not an angel!" Pendergast argued, before clearing his throat when he realized he'd spoken a bit louder than he wanted. "I mean, I was only an angel briefly and I tried to tell that to Bean, but… yet somehow it does seem like I am the reason why she hasn't had a nightmare yet."
"You're not an angel now, sure, but you're not exactly the same Pendergast you were before either, are you?"
Pendergast met Luci's amused and smug eyes and the knight could feel the weight of the truth that Luci looked to be dying to reveal to him.
"What do you mean by that?"
Luci chuckled.
"Okay, so you died, I died, we met in Heaven, we saved Bean in Hell, and then boom! We're gone! Or so we thought, right?"
"Yes…" Pendergast prompted, still confused as to what Luci was trying to illustrate.
"Yeah, then we woke up again, alive! Now did you think that's weird?"
"Of course I did! Or, I do… I mean, God said that we'd disappear into nothingness. If I had known that we would be able to come back, I never would have told Bean-"
Pendergast glanced down at Bean and stopped himself, instead taking a breath and popped the last of his roll into his mouth.
"What? That you looooove her?" Luci teased, snickering once more. "My dude, that cat was out of the bag a long time ago, but that's not important right now. Right now you need to tell me where you woke up."
"Where I woke up?"
"Yup."
"After being resurrected?"
"Ah, doy!"
"Well… I woke up where I died, not far from the knights' locker room."
Pendergast frowned, not seeing why this was important.
"Well I technically died in the elevator as it was hurtling down towards Hell, but that's not where I woke up," Luci explained. "No, I woke up with the Trøgs, because that's where my body ended up. Bean had my head, but that disappeared and rejoined my body when I came back, or so says Bean. Now, what does this tell us? Why did you wake up where you died but I didn't?"
The knight very much felt like he was being tested by a teacher or something and it was making him uncomfortable. Also, he was not liking Luci's patronizing tone, but he also wanted answers. As he took the moment to think about it, Pendergast realized that he did already know the answer. Luci, seeing the realization click in the man's eyes, only smirked.
"Because of my body… I'd been dead over a month, so my body was gone: burned in the Corpse Pile."
"Bingo!" Luci exclaimed, hopping up onto his feet. "That's what I mean! You're not Pendergast! Sure you look like him, sound like him, and have the same soul, but that body is not the same that was found headless in your locker."
"The Arch-Druidess put my body into my locker?" Pendergast repeated, slightly aghast.
"Hey! Come on, let's stay on topic here," Luci chided. "But yes, she did, and your head was on a stake, but then they both ended up at Derek's wedding somehow… it was this whole setup, with a big payoff, I guess. Zøg was broken before that, but his mind was destroyed after he watched your head roll off your corpse! To be honest it really doesn't make sense, come to think of it, the whole head on the stake and body in the locker then be dragged to the chapel... but! Who am I to judge?"
Luci paused to think about it and Pendergast just stared at him looking perturbed.
"I'm not… Pendergast?"
"Well, yes and no. You're the same guy, just not the same body… I'm pretty sure anyways."
"Is that why I have this?"
The one-eyed knight reached up to undo his collar and pulled down his shirt to reveal the red line that encircled his entire neck.
"I have two more: one on my chest and the other on my back… from where the Arch-Druidess shot me."
Luci regarded the line and nodded slowly.
"That… is so cool, man! Because you got your head chopped off, huh? Wow… Jerry was right, God really is a sick bastard with a wicked sense of humour. I'm almost impressed."
"What do you mean?" the knight asked, fixing back his shirt and eating the last of his sausage.
Luci just sighed with exasperation.
"What I've been getting at this entire time! For you to be able to come back, you needed a body, right? However, your body was destroyed. So! Obviously God gave you a new one, but not without a couple of reminders of your probably very painful and traumatizing death. Actually…. Dammit, that's pretty brilliant: a gift with trauma strings attached. Maybe Heaven really is just a white version of Hell with fewer lawyers."
Still frowning, Pendergast swallowed the last of his food as he absentmindedly rubbed the spot on his chest where the red mark from his bullethole was.
"Even with this new body, that still doesn't make me an angel," the knight pointed out.
"True, but you were one! And now you're in this heavenly, divine-made body from God Himself-"
"Themself," Pendergast corrected.
"Oh, right, yeah, but still! And besides, dude! Pendergast… you are like the nicest guy in all of Dreamland, so noble and good and all of that heroic shit that you ended up in Heaven and nearly started a rebellion in order to save the woman you love from the Devil!"
"I didn't really start a rebellion…"
"But you are good! You're the closest thing to a living angel on Earth than… well, anyone."
"And being a living angel… blocks nightmares?" Pendergast asked tentatively.
"I guess so," Luci admitted with a shrug. "The ones sent by Hell anyways."
"What?"
Concern and protectiveness instantly filled Pendergast's expression and he looked down at Bean's sleeping face. She had told him about her nightmares, about how the Devil would reach for her… those came from Hell?
"Bean's nightmares were coming from Hell? From the Devil?"
"It's possible," Luci sighed, crossing his arms and also looking over at Bean. "I sort of told Bean. I said they could be, but I'm pretty sure that's what's been happening. It's one of Hell's oldest tricks: wear down the mind to claim a soul. With Bean not being able to sleep, she'd eventually break, slip into madness, commit suicide and return to Hell to be tortured, or married to the Devil, for all eternity." Luci glanced up at Pendergast's distrubed expressions and shrugged. "I didn't tell her because I didn't want her to worry. Besides, I was confident that we'd figure out a solution before all that happened, and look! All it took was a sleepover with you and Old Nick is shit outta luck!"
Luci's weak joke and chuckle did nothing to lessen the amount of stress and seriousness in Pendergast's expression, causing the former-demon to wave him off.
"Dude! It's okay! Look, Bean's sleeping and once she's back to being the Bean we know and love, it'll be quite hard for the Devil to infiltrate her dreams. Bean's strong, she can handle it. Hell can only interfere with the Mortal Realm for so long, and to a certain extent. A mentally healthy and fit person can't just be possessed willy-nilly. That shit's hard, man, even for Mr. Nick Scratch."
"So, what? If this doesn't work and the nightmares keep happening, that… what? I'll have to sleep with her for the rest of her life so her dreams are protected?" Pendergast asked incredulously.
Luci only smirked.
"Would that be so bad?"
"Yes, it would," Pendergast responded sternly. "I don't believe her future husband would appreciate my presence at their bedside every night."
With a small shake of his head, Luci regarded Pendergast with a touch of sympathy.
"Oh you poor bastard. You don't give yourself enough credit, you know. You're a catch, besides being, you know, a living angel and all, and I'm sure that Bean isn't blind to that. I saw how she kissed you back in the elevator, after all. When we disappeared, she was all hot and bothered… and crying, and freaking out…Okay, maybe that wasn't the most romantic moment, but she has been wanting to spend a lot of time with you lately. I might tease you both, because it's my right to do so, but even I can see the chemistry and sparks between you. I'm tellin' you, man: you play your cards right, and who knows! Maybe not husband and king, but you might become Bean's version of whatever a male mistress is… Her mister? No, that's not right…"
"You sound like Odval," Pendergast retorted, still frowning and clearly not amused.
"Now that's uncalled for," Luci whined, setting his hands on his hips dramatically. "I'm just trying to be your wingman."
"I don't…" the knight began, taking a moment to sigh and soften his features. "I don't want a wingman, or to be Bean's fling or… whatever. I just want her to be safe and happy, isn't that enough?"
Luci smiled.
"And that's exactly why you and Bean deserve each other. She can order you around and you'd do anything to make her happy. Sounds to me like a match made in-"
"Heaven?" Pendergast offered, a smile playing on his lips.
The small ex-demon just rolled his eyes, but continued to smile.
A/N:
Woot! Woot! I said I wanted this chapter done in Novemebr and boom baby! It's done!
I sort of struggled with the start of the chapter, but then it all came together.
I hope you all enjoy this chapter! The next one will be... thrilling!
As always, I welcome all comments and critiuques, just remember to be kind: this is a fan's labour of love.
Stay tuned and stay classy, folks!
~Sheik