10 Nathan

I stepped away when Arabel's brother had touched her face. But when I saw the tears streaming down her face I had to clench my fists at my sides in order to avoid pushing them apart. Then when a groan tore out of Ronan's chest I saw Dane and Sam jump up. But I waved them off,

"Don't touch them," I instructed. Sam came to stand next to me and crossed her arms over her chest but I could tell she was concerned.

"Whats happening?" she asked after a few moments in a gruff voice. I had heard stories of her during my time in the military. She went by the name the Wildcat and was infamous. Everyone knew of her, a woman who was forced from childhood to train and serve in the military due to her inhuman strength and animal-like qualities. But the force I felt emanating from her was different than I expected. It was kind and gentle but filled with an underlying strength that was not unlike Arabel. But Arabel called her 'queen' and she didn't seem to have the traits of a guardian like her or Ronan. Still it seemed Arabel knew who or what she was.

"They are talking to each other." I answered softly, not taking my eyes of Arabel and her brother. I felt her curious glance towards me.

"Arabel told me that they can communicate through touch." I said offhandedly. She seemed to have more questions but at that moment Ronan stepped away from Arabel. He was shaking his head while his fists trembled at his sides and I heard a guttural snarl escape his chest. When he looked up he his lips were parted and I saw fangs protruding from underneath him as his eyes burned with rage.

"I'm going to kill him." He growled in an inhuman voice. He shook his head while I continued to hear animal-like growls, "I should kill the both of them." I couldn't help but wonder what she had shown him. She exhaled in obvious frustration.

"You're not going to kill anyone," she snapped, "its not your fight."

"Not my fight?" Ronan yelled, "I'm the one who left you there. Left you with them!"

"And I understand now why you did." Arabel said patiently, "but it doesn't change the fact that you weren't there."

"They were supposed to protect you." He growled and she simply shook her head in response and again I wish I knew what they were talking about. I felt like I was listening in on someone's phone conversation, getting only one side of the story.

"It is still my fight." She said softly.

"How many times do you have to almost die, in order to allow others in? To accept help when help is offered?" Ronan's voice sounded almost defeated as he looked at his sister who simply shook her head in response.

"Cad a bhfuil súil agat? Bhí orm maireachtáil ar mo chuid féin an t-am ar fad.*" She answered him in a language I didn't understand that sounded both ancient and familiar.

Ronan stared at her while shaking his head weakly before Arabel turned to face me. I smiled softly and she exhaled gently. She glanced at Sam standing next to me then at Ronan,

"I believe your queen has some questions for you." She said and Ronan turned to face Sam with a guilty look. As Sam and Ronan separated themselves from the rest of the team I watched them in their quiet discussion and heard as Ronan explained about Guardians, very similar to the conversation I had, had with Arabel. Arabel also separated herself from everyone else and from the aura I felt around her I knew that she wanted to be alone so instead I slumped into a chair near the fire and was aware of Dane taking the empty seat next to me. The rest of his team either lounged close to the fire or slept.

"Your police captain thought you were dead." Dane said softly and I listened as he explained that when my absence was noted the precinct sent some officers to my place where they found evidence of a struggle and blood but nothing else, the attackers I had incapacitated were gone by the time they appeared so they had no idea what had become of me. I admitted to Dane that we were in a rush and I had no chance to alert them to my situation. Then I told him of everything that had happened, about Kristy, the attacks and the fire and of bringing her here. I knew he had more question, about us and about her, but he didn't ask them and I wondered if spending so much time fighting alongside the Wildcat made him immune to the strangeness that Arabel had to offer.

When the sky began to turn dark grey instead of black and we knew it was daytime despite the wall of falling snow that continued to block out the sun the door to the greenhouse burst open with a blast of cold air and a young boy, no older than thirteen, rushed in. He was engulfed in thick coats and a rope tied around his waist. He jumped in surprise at the soldiers lounging around the fire, soldiers who had alos jumped in surprise and I saw a few hands hovering of pistols.

"What are you doing here?" Arabel asked in concern appearing in between the boy and soldiers as if to shield him.

"Our pantry is running low, I was sent to get more food." He said showing her the empty bags he held in order to carry his produce back to the main building. She sighed and nodded,

"Go fill the bags up, I will help you carry them back." The boy nodded and went to fill up the bags, but not before throwing the soldiers a sad, and surprisingly, nostalgic look. I could sense the other soldiers watching her, saw attraction in some of their gazes, and wariness on others but she was oblivious to it all as she walked around and helped the boy fill his bags with fruits and vegetables. Then, once all his bags we full, they came back to the entrance. The boy tied the rope around his waist again, likely a countermeasure against getting lost in the blizzard. I joined Arabel at the entrance and touched her arm. Her gaze was mixed with sadness and exhaustion and I wanted so much to take that away from her.

"Do you need help?" I offered, to which she chuckled in response and shook her head. She held the over stuffed bags in one hand before using the other to open the door, making room for the boy to exit in front of her before she followed. As the door shut behind I saw through the glass her wings unfurl behind her and spread out around them, shielding the boy from the icy wind pounding against them. Then they disappeared into the wall of snow and I found myself missing her, once again I was filled with the burning craving to touch her, hold her, and kiss her, a feeling that since our first kiss was always burning ferociously inside me and I wondered if she felt the same thing.

"Alright now that she's gone can some one tell me what the devil is going on?" one of the soldiers exclaimed loudly looking over to Dane with expectation.

Then the soldier looked at me,

"I thought we were supposed to be saving you," he said and I shrugged,

"It was a misunderstanding." I said quietly, not taking my eyes of the door, waiting eagerly to see her return. I felt a powerful hand clamp down on my shoulder and look to meet Danes gaze, then Ronan appeared on my left, his arms crossed over his chest and anger still burning in his eyes.

"She has some hold on you huh," Dane said off-handedly as he bit down on an apple he had likely swiped from a tree. I glance over at him but said nothing at first.

"You connected didn't you." Ronan spoke this time and I felt myself flinch.

"I though she would have told you this earlier." I said not looking over at him but I heard him exhale sadly.

"No, it would have been nice to know some good happened after I left but I think she wanted to keep that private, we show our memories not speak them." I understood then, in order to tell him she would have had to show him what happened in her room, and I chuckled quietly to myself.

"Perhaps it's better you didn't see then, after all I doubt I could win a fight against you." This time I turned to face him and he looked at me dubiously. Then, to my surprise, he leaned in and sniffed and I reflexively took a step back. He frowned and ran his fingers through his hair in confusion.

"When did it happen?" he finally asked and I shrugged.

"A few days ago." A painful groan escaped his chest and a new wave of sorrow filled him.

"So she's been here, all alone?" he managed to choke out and I knew what he meant as I felt myself frowning. He shook his head and stepped back, and I knew he wanted time to think.

"As much sense as that did not make," Dane spoke up, alerting me to the fact that he was still there, "I need to know what danger she poses." I heard a growl and looked to see Ronan glaring at him from across the greenhouse but was shocked that I had heard him growl, as no one else seemed to have noticed. I turn back to Dane and exhale,

"She doesn't pose any danger except to herself. She puts the needs of everyone else above her own, no matter the outcome." I answer softly. Ten minutes later the door to the greenhouse burst open and Arabel walked in carrying a tray on her shoulder with one hand. Her wings disappeared as she shut the door behind her and walked over. She handed the tray to Dane.

"Breakfast sandwiches," she said softly and he nodded and gave her his thanks before walking away and leaving us alone. Arabel kept her back to me until I grabbed her elbow and turned her around. She held my gaze with her tired, sad one and I cupped her cheek in my hand.

"You should get some sleep," I said quietly and she shook her head

"I wouldn't be able to fall asleep," she said as she started to walk away, away from the soldiers and everyone, to the furthest corner of the greenhouse, I followed her there.

"Arabel," I said softly, I did not know what was tormenting her mind so much. She didn't answer but instead hugged herself tightly as if trying not to fall apart. I turned her around again and cupped her cheek, bringing it up towards me so I could capture her lips with my own. I wanted more, I wanted to go further, and feeling those electric bolts coursing through me and her body slowly melting against my own I knew it would be easy to do, so instead I try to pull away. But to my surprise she reached up and wrapped her arms around my neck and pushed harder against my lips as if she needed it, as if our embrace was helping her breath.

She searched and prodded my lips and I felt the vulnerability seeping from her. I felt the sorrow and sense of betrayal that she exuded as if the emotions were my own. The burning electricity running through our touching skin made me hot, as I'm sure it made her as well. I put a hand up to cup her cheek and felt something warm and wet, and instantly I knew she was crying again and again I felt a blast of raw emotions as I remembered Ronan's horrified look as he discovered that we had only connected a few days ago, and that she had been alone this entire time. Alone, without a single person to trust, to open up to, to help share her burden. I wondered if this was the first time she had ever allowed herself to be vulnerable. I felt a groan of indignation inside me wondering at what it was that was really the cause of these tears and I pulled her arms from around my neck while continuing to press my mouth against hers. I detangled her fingers from my hair, despite how good they felt there and instead intertwined our fingers together. I moved my lips from her mouth and kissed her cheeks, then lowered my head to kiss her neck and I hear a strangled gasp escape her and I looked up at her. Her eyes shown with tears still streaming down her face and she breathed raggedly as if the walls she always had were starting to crumble. I felt own stomach drop at the pain in her eyes and I pulled her against me and tucked her in my chest. She pulled her hand from my own and instead grabbed a fist full of my shirt at my chest. I felt her go weak and she almost stumbled but I held her up and it was as if the dam had broken. She burried her face in my chest as silent sobs racked her body. Somehow my back had ended up against the glass wall of the greenhouse so I slid down, pulling her with me. Leaning against the glass I wrapped her in my arms as her shoulders shook and her tears stained my shirt. As a man I struggled with the instinct of wanting to console her and fix everything. But how could I fix what I didn't know was broken? Being alone like she had been for so long, I wonder if she had ever felt safe enough to allow her emotions to overflow like this before. I wrapped my arms protectively around her and rested my cheek against the top of her head.

'It hurts.' I heard a voice in my head but it wasn't the one I had grown accustomed to. It was hers.

'Oh God it hurts so much.' And all of a sudden I felt a blast of overpowering loneliness hit me with such force it made me gasp for air and I tightened my arms around her.

'Oh, is the crybaby in pain. Have you had enough?' This voice was not hers and made my blood run cold. Her body physically tensed and I felt the walls trying to rebuilt.

'NO!' Her internal voice screamed, 'Get out of my head!' I felt her trying to pull away from me but kept my arms on her shoulders and when she looked at me the sadness and vulnerability was replaced with terror as she clutched at the side of her head with a grimace.

'Arabel.' The voice filled me with disgust and anger, 'you finally respond, come to me, you know what I want.' I felt her groan as she squeezed her eyes shut and I felt filled with rage. I grabbed her cheek and pressed my lips roughly against hers, she grunted in surprise but I pressed against her, hard.

'Get out of her head you bastard.' I heard myself roaring in my head as I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her body against my own. I heard that sickening voice roar in rage alobg with Arabel's simultaneous yelp of surprise. But I still felt his unnerving presence hover, refusing to leave and I felt vindictive.

If you won't leave. Then I'll help her forget.  

----------------------

Translation:

*Irish: What do you expect. I had to live on my own all this time.