| Phase 7 Fei frowned in confusion as he watched Bart put his arm around Kris and pull her close. � I don�t get it. Why do you need my help if Kris does a perfectly good job herself?� Sigurd shook his head. � For all of her positive effects, there is one thing about her that she cannot help. And that is that she is a girl. She�s the young master�s confidant, but even though she tries as hard as she can, there are some things that are beyond her grasp because she�s female. She does very well on her own, but I was hoping you could fill in the spaces she cannot.� They watched in silence as the prince began to cry and Kris did her best to comfort him and keep any noise from going far. Fei observed the scene with barely concealed concern. � Will he be okay?� Sigurd nodded. � Kris has that effect on him. She�s the only one who can make him cry. If anyone else tries, he gets angry. But with Kris . . . he can�t be angry at her for some reason.� As Kris comforted Bart, Fei turned his back on the scene. � I need to think about it.� � Of course,� Sigurd replied. � Take your time. I don�t want to rush you into a decision.� *>*<* I woke terrified. I couldn�t remember the nightmare, but I know that�s what it was. The lingering sense of death told me that someone had died in the dream. I got up and left my room; wandering aimlessly through the hideout, knowing I would never get back to sleep tonight because the nightmare would haunt me over and over until I did something right and changed the entire thing. But I didn�t want to have to face it repeatedly, so I remained awake. I had one room, which was on the Yggdrasil. As a child, I hadn�t wanted a room in the hideout because I preferred the ship. That still stands even now, which leaves me separated far from everyone else. Bart didn�t like it when I again refused to accept a room in the hideout. //� Why?� � Why not?� � Because I won�t hear it if someone sneaks in and grabs you!� I lifted an eyebrow. � Why the sudden concern?� He rolled his eyes. � I�ve always worried about you!� � Bart, the Yggdrasil is just as safe as the hideout.� He growled and muttered under his breath, but didn�t argue further. � If you really want to stay in the ship, be my guest.� � Why thank you!�// I found myself outside his room. Sighing, I opened the door and went in. The room was pitch black and I stood in the darkness as the door closed. � Hey, I have a buzzer.� � Sorry,� I apologized. � I thought you were asleep.� � I was until you came in.� He flicked on a dim light by his bed. � Kris? Do you realize how different you sound in the middle of the night?� I shrugged. � Never paid attention.� He gave me a studying look. � What happened?� I flopped down onto the floor beside his bed. � I had a nightmare. I was just walking around and ended up here. Thought I�d pay you a little visit and then go back to my room so I wouldn�t suddenly appear in front of peoples� doors.� He put the backs of his fingers against my temple. � You know I don�t mind. If you aren�t comfortable, I can�t be comfortable. Tell me about it?� I shook my head. � Can�t.� � One of those, huh?� I stretched my arms across the bed and laid my head on the soft sheets. � In so many words, yes.� He hauled me up onto the bed and cut the light out. � No point in making you go all the way back to your room so you can sit up the rest of the night.� I wiggled until I felt him behind me. � You just want me where you can keep an eye on me.� � So what if I do?� � Bart, why have you been so possessive recently? I don�t suppose I mind for now, but I�d like to know.� He took a breath. � You�ve been gone for so long . . . Now you�re back . . . I�m afraid to think that it�s real . . .� I pinched him. � Ow! Shit, Kris! That hurt!� � My point exactly. As you can see, your pain proves that this is not a dream. There. See? A simple mystery solved.� He muttered something that I didn�t catch and locked his arms around my waist. � What�s this? You�re not afraid anymore?� I felt his nose press against the back of my neck briefly, heard him yawn, and knew he was fading back into sleep. � Nope. Woke like this last time. Liked it.� My eyes drifted shut and I fell asleep to his steady breaths. I didn�t dream at all, though I was only asleep for an hour before the alarms went off. We were up instantly; pulling on our boots because there was no time for anything else. We rushed to the elevator and down to the bay. Axyl had gotten online somehow and had activated Brigandier as well. I climbed up to the cockpit and had her pick Bart up to keep him out from under the Gears� feet. I took him to Brigandier and waited in guard until he was ready, then left and searched for a victim--I mean, enemy--to take out. My sights fell on a Wandknight. *>*<* Fei stood on the Yggdrasil�s deck, looking around and thinking about what he was doing. �I don�t need to get involved in this because it isn�t my home.� <But Bart helped you,> his conscience reminded him. <You owe it to him to help him.> �This isn�t my home!� <You don�t have a home! Home is wherever you are now! Besides, you have a Gear to fight in! It�s your duty to help!> �I don�t like to fight!� <Bart doesn�t. Kris doesn�t. You think they fight for fun? They fight to protect the innocents that live here. The children. Think of them.> Fei obeyed. The children . . . If he didn�t do something right now, those children might end up like the orphans in Lahan. �I can�t let that happen!� <Then fight! Fight to protect! Go!> Without a second of further debate, Fei dashed from the deck and to the one Gear who he could not stand but could not get away from. He sat in the pilot�s seat and strapped himself in.� I don�t like you, but as long as you�ll help me and not destroy everything, what choice do I have? Weltall, start up.� *>*<* I flopped backward into my chair and let out a long sigh. It was finally over. � Axyl, back.� She returned to her stall and allowed the repair shelf to lower in front of her. I waited until it stopped, then got out and went to Weltall�s stall. Bart was on the bay elevator already. � You okay?� I nodded. � You?� � I�m fine.� � Is something wrong?� He shrugged. � Just made a fool of myself as usual.� I laughed softly. � Don�t be embarrassed. It�s your nature.� � Yeah, but it�s damn inconvenient.� � Once you get to know Fei it�ll be easier. Hell, it�s not hard when you talk to me, is it?� � Nah.� � Then chill. Don�t let it bother you.� He smiled. � Easy for you to say.� � Hey, Fei�s my brother. He may act stuck-up, but he�s confused right now. Just leave him alone and he�ll come out of his shell soon enough.� � Yeah, well, thank him for me if Sig hasn�t already.� � Sure.� � Thanks.� The elevator lifted up and I went to Weltall�s stall. Fei was, to say the least, astonished at my lack of modesty. � Kris . . .?� � What?� I demanded angrily. � Everything�s covered. I have shorts on. There wasn�t enough time to get fully dressed!� Sig, as usual, tried to make me put his coat on. � No.� � Kris, the bay is freezing. You�re going to catch cold.� I snorted, but took the coat and slipped into it. I�m five-eight, but compared to Sig�s six-five I�m short, so the coat tails nearly brushed the floor. � Never caught one before.� � First time for everything!� Sig shot back. � Then I won�t comment on your current clothing and how you could catch a cold as easily as me!� � Excellent. It�ll save you breath.� I snorted again and turned my back on him. � Fei, Bart asked me to thank you for helping. He�s not good with apologies and thank-yous.� Fei shrugged. � I�m sorry I took so long to help.� � Don�t be. You helped us and that�s what counts. Not how long it took for you to get to the point where you�d do it.� He blinked. � How do you do that?� � Do what?� � Make a person let go of their feelings of inadequacy?� I shrugged. � Must be a talent. By the way, what made you change you mind, if I may ask?� � I guess . . . I guess I finally distinguished between fighting to kill, fighting for fun, and fighting to protect.� I put my hand on his shoulder. � They�re a lot different, aren�t they?� � Yeah.� I smiled reassuringly. � As long as those lines never blur, you�ll be just fine.� � How do you know?� � I�ll make sure of it.� He stared at me. � You know, you and I could be twins in some aspects, but in others it�s an impossibility.� I laughed. � We grew up in two different worlds. You learned one thing, I learned another.� I almost didn�t conceal my yawn. � Well, I�m going back to bed. See you all tomorrow.� I went to the elevator and returned to Bart�s room. � Did you have a lecture session or something?� � Nearly.� He turned from the table to look at me and jerked in surprise. � What are you doing in Sig�s coat?� I realized I hadn�t given it back and sighed at my forgetfulness. � He made me wear it because he thought I�d catch a cold.� He rolled his eyes. � It�s not that bad in the bay. He just wanted to put some clothes on you so nobody�d stare.� � I know.� I looked down at it. � Not that it covers much more than before. But it�s something and I suppose that�s what�s important.� Removing it, I carefully folded it and placed it on the floor next to my boots. I had no real concern for my own clothes, but I was very mindful of everyone else�s. I sat behind Bart on the bed as he wrote something at the table and focused on his back. I gently traced one of the numerous scars there and listened as his pen quit moving. � Does it hurt?� I asked in a whisper. � Only when you start to feel guilty.� I put my arms around his waist and hugged him from behind, placing my unhurt cheek between his shoulder blades. He sat still and let me re-live that painful moment when he threw himself between Margie and I and some cruel, faceless lackie of Shakhan to keep us from being beaten. I had my own scars from the incident, but I had no regard for them. They were visible, but you wouldn�t notice them too much unless you knew exactly where to look. � I�m sorry,� I whispered again. He reached back and placed his hand on my scarred left side, my scars from the same event. He�d always felt contrite about me still being hurt despite his efforts to protect me. � It�s okay, Kris,� he whispered back. � We�re alive. That�s all we need.� <--Phase 6 Phase 8--> |