It was a cold December night. Everyone was locked away indoors with fires cackling under mantel places, for the streets were flooded and it was the coldest day of the year.
A woman walked through the darkness, dressed in a shimmering coat, her hood drawn up so only her emerald green eyes could be seen. A baby was held to her chest, wrapped in knitted wool. Strangely, there was not a drop of rain on him, as if being protected by an invisible barrier.
''We are almost there.'' Jean's fingers smoothed out his crimson locks. Nate clutched onto her coat with his tiny hands, eyes closed. ''We will be meeting with your aunt and uncle, family.''
Jean climbed up the stone steps and knocked on the door. Nate squirmed in her arms, but he remained asleep.
The door opened, revealing a rather tall, skinny man with a thin face and a pair of glasses.
''Jean?'' James said, after a moment. ''Jean, is that you?''
Jean pulled her hood down. She was pale, with flowing red hair and dark green eyes without a hint of emotion behind them.
''Hello, James,'' Jean said cooly. ''Is my sister home?''
''Yeah, she's home.'' James looked down at Nate, ''Is that your-''
''This is Nathan, Nate for short.'' She said, ''Yes, he is my son.''
''Well come on in,'' James said hesitantly. ''We only got home half an hour ago anyway.''
A pleasant aroma of warm soup and spices filled the kitchen. Rain hammered away at the window.
Once Jean entered the kitchen, Lily whirled on her heel. The two of them looked oddly alike, even for sisters. The same face, smooth pale skin, and upturned noses, only Lily was shorter, with wider eyes.
''Jean?'' Lily drifted across the kitchen. ''It's good to see you again, but I wasn't expecting you to pop around tonight.''
''It's good to see you too, Lily,'' Jean said softly.
''What's wrong?'' Lily asked quizzically.
''What makes you think that something is wrong?''
Lily folded her arms. ''Well, for one you look frustrated, while you're holding who I can only guess to be your son.''
''I will be honest with you because you are the only family I can trust, even if we have only known each other since we were teenagers,'' Jean said seriously. ''Dangerous people are after me.''
Lily's smile faltered. ''What do you mean?''
''I'm not going to say much more, but I have business to attend to,'' Jean's expression hardened. ''Dangerous business that I cannot, will not drag my son into.''
Lily's voice was barely above a whisper, ''What business?''
''Business,'' Jean repeated, and that should be enough, for she was five years older. ''It's nothing you need to worry about.''
''Well, is he like you?''
''I don't know.'' Jean said, ''Probably.''
''We'll take him in,'' Lily assured. ''But wouldn't the institute be a better place if he's like you?''
''No,'' Jean said coolly. ''They're no longer friends.''
Lily's pale face was full of worry. ''What happened, what happened really?''
''They betrayed me,'' Jean said icily. ''They aren't friends anymore.''
Lily gnawed through her lip. ''It's bad, isn't it?''
''Very bad.'' Jean clarified. ''He will only be safe here, very few people, even people like me, know about your world.''
Lily nodded. ''I'll protect him with my life. We'll protect him with our life.''
It felt as if a heavy burden had been released from her shoulders. ''Thank you.'' She whispered. ''If I don't come back, I just want him to know that I love him.''
Lily gazed at her for several seconds, ''What?''
Jean repeated herself. ''If I don't come back, tell him that I love him.''
''But you will come back. You have to.''
''I'm just saying if,'' Jean said carefully. ''I'm not going to die, but if I do, tell him that I and his father loved him.''
Lily inhaled deeply. ''What's going on? Let me help. I'm not a helpless little girl.''
''I never said you were.'' She said, ''But this is beyond anything you could imagine. You are one of the only people I still care about, I'm not going to let you put yourself in danger.'' She smiled slightly. ''I don't die easily, I don't know if I even can.''
Lily smiled weakly. ''Just promise that you'll come back. Not for me, but your son. He needs you.''
''I promise.''
''Then I'll believe you,'' Lily said immediately. ''Can I hold him?''
Jean hesitated, but let Lily take him into her arms. ''What is his name?''
''Nathan.'' She said, ''But certain people know that I have a son, and a few know his name, so maybe he should go by a different name until everything clears up.''
''I've got a few ideas,'' Lily admitted. ''But what are we going to tell everyone?''
''I think you're forgetting who I am,'' Jean said casually. ''I could easily make everyone you know think that you went through a 9-month pregnancy.''
Lily frowned. ''What about afterwards?''
Jean didn't even need to think about it. ''Then I'll take their memories away.''
Lily narrowed her eyes. ''I don't like the idea of messing with people's minds like that, especially with people I care about.''
''I don't want to do it,'' Jean said. ''But I have no choice. I will do whatever it takes to keep him safe. He is my everything.''
Lily's expression softened. ''Well, we'll care for him like he was our own son.'' Nate's eyes slid open ''He has your eyes.'' They shone brightly like emeralds.
''No,'' Jean said, ''He has our eyes. That's one of the reasons why I came to you; nobody will suspect a thing.''
A cry rang in the air. Tears streamed down Nate's cheek as if sensing what was happening. Jean took him back into her arms. She rocked him slowly.
''It's okay.'' She wiped his tears away with her free hand, ''I'm here, I'm here.''
The crying faded. Nate looked up at her with innocence only a baby could muster.
''Oh, how I will miss you,'' Jean said, feeling her heartthrob. ''But I am doing all this for you, for love, please understand. I will come back, I will never abandon you, even if I die.''
For the next several minutes Jean stood in the kitchen, holding Nate for the last time. Lily didn't say a word, which she was thankful for. She rocked him slowly, feeling his head pressed into her chest. A warm feeling spread throughout her body.
She pressed a final kiss to his forehead, and said, ''I love you,'' Before returning him to Lily.
''He'll be waiting for you,'' Lily said. ''I'll be waiting for you.''
When Jean exited the house through the front door, a single tear streamed down her cheek. This was it, there was no turning back now. A cold, hollow feeling took hold of her, and she walked into the night, to never return.
