"Why is he still asleep?" Helena asked as Aralu entered the room.  "He's just sitting there.  He should wake up so I can get ready for my date."
          Aralu shrugged and absently ruffled Shin's hair.  "About earlier...."
          "What about?" the vampire asked, looking at the younger woman in a mirror as she reapplied lipstick.
          "When you got angry at me?" Aralu prompted.
          The darker woman thought a moment, then shrugged.  "It can't have been important.  I don't remember it now."  Finishing with her make up she swept toward the door.  "Be a dear and watch him for me?  I simply cannot miss this date.  He's a playwright, a wonderful artist of words."  She turned and leered slightly at Aralu.  "I hope he tastes as good as he writes."  She gave a wink and left the room.
          Aralu smiled, shaking her head, and looked down at Shin.  "Now why are you still asleep?" she mused aloud.  Concentrating a moment she shifted to his head.
          The teen looked up from the ball he was curled in, eyes red from crying. He looked down again, hugging his knees to his chest.
          "You know it IS safe to wake up.  And you need to eat."
          Shin shook his head, still looking at his knees.
          Aralu looked at the blackness stretching around them for a moment, then conjured feathery softness from the ether to rest on.  She floated down to be at Shin's level.  "Yes you do need to eat," she insisted.
          "I don't want to go out there..." Shin said in a very soft voice. "It's safer in here..."
          "What's not safe?" Aralu asked.  "You get up, we'll go down to the kitchen and have a snack on leftovers.  Then you'll read a book and ignore me while I ramble on about Helena and how it's unfair she's leaving you with me so I can't go and distract Jack from work by being naked."
          Shin shook his head again, curling up further. "I don't want to get hurt or black out again..." he said, voice still small.
          "Come on, I'm not going to hit you, Helena's out, and I'm not letting Gabe near you again.  And what's this about blacking out?" Aralu asked, turning over so that she could look into his face easier.
          As a reply, a image appeared behind the teen, showing him pushing Gabriel's unconscious form off him and running towards the door, clutching his clothing closed.
          Suddenly the image jerked, showing Shin half unclothed with Gabriel smirking at him, holding the teen's backbrace.
          The image dissolved, Shin curling into himself tighter. "Brief periods... where I just-- I just black out...  and it's been happening so much here... when I need to be there..." his voice caught and he buried his face in his knees.
          Aralu's expression stilled.  "He tried to rape you?"
          Shin curled tighter on himself, nodding slightly, eyes watering. "Be--because-- because Helena touched Ariel... and made me go into his head to give him a nightmare..."
          "I'll kill him," the woman said flatly.
          Shin shook his head again. "You'd destroy Ariel..." he said in a near whisper.
          "What do you care?" Aralu demanded.  "Gabe could have killed you.  And if Ariel directed you to him then you have no reason to love him either."
          Shin's shoulders slumped. "I..." he trailed off, looking at the floor.  There was a ripple below him as his reflection appeared. Slowly, it shifted to be Ariel, in a similar  curled position. Shin looked at the reflection sadly. "I don't know why... but...." he hesitated a moment. "I just..." He put a hand over his heart, eyes slightly wistful.
          The woman smiled, realizing that Shin was developing a crush on the redhead.  She ran her fingers through the reflection and it moved, showing Ariel downing numerous pills.  Curious, she passed a thought through it to show what Ariel's current actions were.  She watched with mild disgust as the image changed to show the man pinned to a wall with Gabriel's lips bruising his own.
          She banished the image and looked at Shin.  "Still think he'd be worse off if I killed his brother?"
          The teen looked down at his knees. "When I was in his Dream... I saw everything... his entire life unfolded before me.... I know how he feels..." he said, voice softening again. "Even though Gabriel hurts him... almost more then anyone else ever has... Gabriel's the only one who he feels safe with.... the only one he feels cares about him...." He sighed, shoulders slumping again. "It's like how even though Kosei hurts me thinking she knows what's best, she's still my sister... I can't hate her even when she hurts Kim with her thoughlessness...."
          "You really did rape his mind," Aralu said, looking at Shin disapprovingly.
          Shin curled in on himself again. "I didn't know I was..." he said in an utterly depressed voice. "I-- I just-- I went to enter his Dream and everything just flowed up at me and not realization, I just watched..." he buried his face in his knees again.  "I wouldn't have even gone in but Helena threatened to make my blood flames and I--" His voice cracked.
          "So you didn't go looking?" Aralu asked curiously.
          Shin nodded. "I only looked for his Dream," he said in a miserable voice. "I though it WAS his Dream until I saw his true one...."
          "How can you see someone's soul without looking for it?" the woman asked pointedly.  "Even I can't do that."
          "I don't know..." Shin said, voice almost inaudible. "Is this what you meant when you said I was too dangerous to be in the real world....?"
          "Yes," she decided after a moment.  "Until you know what you can do and what you should and shouldn't do you're dangerous."
          "Then please... don't test me on him...  I don't want to hurt him again..." Shin nearly begged.
          Aralu sighed.  "We have remarkably few people to sic you on," she told him.  "I'll do what I can, but you may have to."
          Shin was quiet a long moment. "I'm sorry I didn't do what you wanted before..." he apologized softly. "Between Gabriel and Helena, I--" He shook his head slightly.
          "Just wake up and let's go eat something," Aralu said, brushing him off.
          "Hai..." Shin said softy as the Dream dissolved.
 
          Hawk pulled the station wagon to a stop at the clearing. "Not too bad..." he nodded, peering at the camp site. "All right folks, here's where we're staying til mornin'." He paused. "Well, mostly. Still gotta get the second tent and now a pair of sleeping bags..." he shook his head slightly, opening the door.
          "I have some camping equipment," Cole said.  "What do you need?"
          Hawk raised an eyebrow. "Where?" he asked.
          "In my bag?" Cole said a bit self consciously.
          "Cole, I need a tent and sleeping bags, not a small blanket or whatever you could get to fit in there," Hawk explained.
          Cole rummaged around in his bag a moment and pulled out a think rolled sleeping bag.  "Like this?"
          Hawk stared, blinking a few times. "How in hell did you do that?"
          "Hey cool! Hey pull out a keg of beer next!" Nav exclaimed. He paled slightly at Hawk gave him a death glare. "Joking! Joking dude, honest!" he put his hand up in a placating gesture.
          "I don't carry beer," Cole said, eying Nav.  "I don't like it."  He looked back at Hawk.  "And how did I do what?"
          Hawk smiled at Cole a moment before answering. "Put a sleeping bag that's larger then your head out of a bag that looks like it couldn't hold more the 5 textbooks."
          "It just... fits," Cole said, looking at his bag.
          Hawk raised an eyebrow. "So... somehow your bag can warp three dimensional space to make enough room for a sleeping bag and whatever else?"
          "I don't know," Cole answered.  "I just got it from that Mary woman in the dimension where this was London."
          Hawk's other eyebrow rose. "Oookay..." He looked at the bag a moment. "Hey, Cole... Can I try something?"
          "What?" the younger man asked, hugging his bag close.
          "I wanna see if I can fit Nav's crap in there."
          "HEY!" Nav exclaimed. "The collectors edition set of the first three years of Adventures of Shorts and T-shirt man is NOT crap!"
          "Nor is it what you SHOULD have brought! You shoulda kept it in storage with my stuff. And you didn't need to bring BOTH copies! Or half the other shit yer taking up room in my trunk with," Hawk countered.
          "You can try," Cole said dubiously, "But I don't know if you'd ever get it back....  And if I shift in the middle of the nigh I think Nav would get upset with me."
          Kim, tired of listening to the conversation started bouncing in front of them and tugged at Hawk's sleeve.  "Play with Kim!"
          "In a moment, Kim," Hawk smiled, picking up the girl and bouncing her on his hip. "Just gonna put it in a moment or two to see if it'll fit. I'll tie some twine around it and haul it back in when I'm done."
          Cole still looked unsure, but nodded assent.
          Kim giggled and bounced.
          Hawk grinned and walked over to the back of the station wagon. He slid Kim to the ground and opened the back hatch.
          "C'mon, Hawk, don't use my stuff!" Nav whined. "You've got more shit then I do, use some of that!"
          "The cooking stuff, tent, sleeping bags and clothing are all practical things we use every day. Your stuff... Hell, you haven't even opened yer bookbag in over a month." He grabbed a large and over tattooed bookbag and dropped it on the group. "Sheesh, Nav! That thing weighs three tons! What in hell did you put in there!"
          "Careful! My collection of elephant figures is in there!" Nav protested.
          Hawk glared at him. "I though you said you left those in storage...."
          "They bring good luck! Why would I leave them behind? Without them we might never have gotten out of--"
          Hawk cut him off as he closed the trunk. "My DRIVING got us out of there, not your superstitious garbage...." He began wrapping heavy twine around the handle.
          Kim peered into Nav's bookbag.  "What's in there?"
          "Hey! Get outta there!" Nav exclaimed, zipping the bag back up and hugging it protectively.
          Hawk yanked it out of his grip and walked over to Cole. "'k, open her up...." he grinned in anticipation.
          Still looking uncertain, Cole held his bag out.
          Hawk hefted Nav's bag, eyeing Cole's. Wrapping the cord around his wrist he gently began lowering Nav's bag slowly into Cole's.  "Daaaaaaaaaaamn...." he exclaimed as the bloated bag vanished into Cole's slim one. Slowly he began lowering the cord until it was at it's edge. Grinning now, he reeled it back out. "Kick ass...." he exclaimed, picking off the few random odd things that had caught on the bag's many buttons and pins. "Very, VERY, kick ass cool..." Hawk decided, dropping Nav's bag on the ground.
          Nav drove for it and hugged it closely, glaring slightly at Hawk.
          Cole checked in his bag.  "Some of my things got squished," he said, shifting his belongings in the bag.
          "Sorry," Hawk apologized, hefting Kim again. "Amazing bag through. So, ya got another bag and a tent in there?"
          Cole nodded, pulling the items out.
          Hawk grinned.

          About an hour later, camp was set and Hawk was roasting the bear over the camp fire.
          Cole finally finished putting up the tent.  He gave it a cookie, then went to the fire and settled next to Cassandra, who was still clutching the bear, watching Hawk cook.
          Kim was watching with wide eyed curiosity.
          Hawk turned the spit slightly and sat down with a nod. Picking up his notebook he began writing.
          Kim turned to look in the notebook.  "What'cha writin'?"
          "Notes on Cole's bag," Hawk replied.
          "Oh.  Why?"
          "Because I find it interesting. I studied stuff like that in school." He smiled.
          "Why?"
          Cole quietly backed away from the fire, holding his bag protectively.
          "Cause it was interesting," Hawk replied to Kim before looking at Cole. "You okay?" he asked.
          "You're not getting my bag," Cole said firmly.  "I'm not going to let either of us be studied again."
          Hawk blinked, putting down his notebook. "I already did whatever studying I'm gonna do." He gave a smile. "I did a research paper on the possibility of something like that for my major and it's just really fuckin' cool to know I was right in my speculations. Most I'm gonna do is maybe take pictures of yer bag eating Nav's to show my prof." He gave a grin.
          "But you're not going to try and see how it does it or try and make another one?" Cole asked, still hugging his bag.
          Hawk blinked. "I seriously doubt anyone COULD make another one. Except maybe you, since you do that whole dimension bending thing." He shrugged. "Sides, it's more fun to just tell my prof it can be done and knowing he'll be spending the rest of his life trying to create his own in his basement," he chuckled.
          "So you're not going to try and take it away from me?"
          Hawk blinked again. "Why would I? Sides, if it's anything like yer tent, it might bite me," he grinned.
          "Aaaaand... you're not lulling me into a sense of security to knock me on the head and sell me to scientists?" Cole asked, still suspicious.
          Hawk gave a snort of a laugh. "Only scientists I know are my old college teachers, and all they'd do is talk around you all day," he chuckled. "Sides. I like you. You frustrate Nav and have good coffee."
          "Oh yeah.  You need more coffee?"
          Deciding that their conversation was over, Kim tugged at Hawk's sleeve.  "Play with Kim!" she demanded.
          "Ya got more?" Hawk asked, curious, almost absentmindedly shifting Kim to his knee and bouncing her slightly.
          Kim giggled happily.
          "Some," Cole said.  "And if I could get beans I could make you more.  I know how Kai made most of her coffees."
          Hawk grinned. "Cool." He paused, noticing Kim had fallen asleep on his lap and chuckled, shifting to cradle her. "Long day, eh?" he smiled kindly.

          Kim picked up her stick from under the tree and looked around.  She had her stick, but there was no Hawk.  "Hawk?" she called.
          "It's me, Kim," came a familiar voice from behind her.
          "Shin!" the girl shouted joyfully, turning and throwing herself at him.
          The pale teen caught her and hugged her tightly.
          "Shin!  Shin!  Shin!"  Kim crowed.  "Where Hawk?"
          Shin blinked. "Who's Hawk?" he asked.
          "HAWK Hawk," Kim explained.
          Shin grimaced slightly. "I don't know Hawk, do I?" he asked instead.
          "You don't?  Hawk got Kim a book!"  One of the coloring books appeared next to Kim and she picked it up to show Shin what she'd coloured.
          Shin smiled, admiring the mess. "Ne, Kim, can you show me what Hawk looks like?"
          The girl blinked.  "Hawk all big and long hair," she said, a picture of the man forming behind her.
          Shin looked at the image of the man and noted the setting. Bitting his lip slightly he concentrated.
          The image solidified and the man blinked slightly. "What...?" he asked, looking around, confused. Noting Kim, he blinked again. "Kim, who's this?" he asked.
          "Hawk!" the girl exclaimed gleefully, hopping from Shin over to Hawk.  She held her arms out to him.  "Hawk here too!"
          The brown haired man picked her up and smiled at her.  "So, who's your friend?"
          "Shin!"  Kim hugged Hawk tightly, then wriggled out of his hold and ran back over to Shin, hugging his legs.
          Shin smiled and bent down, picking her up.
          Kim looked down and her eyes widened.  "Shin up!"
          The teen smiled. "We're in my Dream," he explained. "So I can here. Can do almost anything you want."
          Hawk looked the teen over critically. "So, you're her older brother figure, eh?"
          Shin nodded slightly. "You're taking care of her?" he asked softly.
          The older man nodded. "Mrs. F gave me temporary custody til you get back."
          The paler boy looked down, eyes saddened. "I-- I don't know when that'll be..." he said in a very quiet and depressed voice.

          Aralu glanced at her watch, then back at the screen.  Knowing Helena would be home soon, she popped into Shin's head.
          "Helena'll be home soon, Shinkou.  Time to send your friends home," she said with a small wave at Hawk.
          Shin paled slightly, almost unconsciously taking a step back and hugging Kim.
          Hawk glared at the woman.
          She blew him a kiss.
          "Shin?" Kim asked, pulling at his arms.  "Tight!"
          "Gomen!" Shin loosed his hold. "Kim? I have to go now, okay?" he said softly, looking the girl in the eyes.
          "Noooo!" the girl insisted, shaking her head violently.  "Shin stay!"
          Hawk's glare at Aralu grew darker.
          "I can't..." Shin said softly, hugging her. "I'm sorry... But whenever we're both asleep at the same time, we can Dream together, like this."
          Kim's lip trembled.
          Aralu walked over and crouched a bit to be at Kim's eye level.  "Come on," she said.  "You don't want Shinkou to be a bad boy, do you?"
          Shin gave Aralu a pained look. "Don't..." he pleaded, almost silently.
          Aralu looked at him archly.  "Wouldn't you be one?" she asked, taking Kim from him and handing her to Hawk.  "Wake them up now."
          Shin gave a defeated sigh, obeying, making Kim and Hawk vanish from the Dream.  "Kim has issues over people being bad... you shouldn't use that against her..." he said softly as the Dream faded back to blackness.
          "Of course I should.  It made her give up without long arguments, didn't it?  Now you too."
          The pale boy sighed again, and then made himself fade from the Dream.
          He slowly opened his eyes in the waking world again and removed the helmet, sitting up. "Just because it gets what you want doesn't mean you should use it...."
          The woman reappeared in a seat near him.  "But we don't have time for lengthy explanations now.  Helena will be home soon."
          There was a hesitant knock on the door and Ariel peeked in.  "Aralu, I wish to inform you of my new Child."
          A small, purple haired girl skipped into the room, clutching a purple teddy bear.  She climbed up onto the bed next to Shin.  "You're Shinkou!" she said in a cheerful voice.  "Ariel was right.  You're pretty.  Can I make your hair purple?"
          Ariel blushed slightly.  "I say, Keiko, you don't say things like that...."
          "Why not?" the girl asked with wide eyed innocence.  She looked at Shin.  "Should I not say you're pretty?  CAN I make your hair purple?  Ariel said I could make anyone's hair purple but he said you're Helena's Child so I shouldn't without asking."
          Shin blinked a few times, then smiled, cheeks lightly pink as he looked briefly at Ariel before looking back at Keiko. "Would it stay purple?" he asked.
          The girl shook her head, purple braids flipping on front of her face.  "Only MY hair stays 'cause it's special," she said, holding up one of the braids for inspection.
          Shin smiled. "All right then."
          With a cheer, Keiko began stroking Shin's hair, leaving lines of purple behind her.
          "She makes people's hair purple?" Aralu asked in bemusement.
          "Yes," Ariel said.  "She seems to have a small enough talent that I won't completely destroy her.  I will see what she can do with some of my creations tomorrow.  She should probably go to bed soon.  I need to find her a room."  After a moment he wrung his hands.  "Or should I feed her first?  I'm a horrible father."
          Shin looked up as a chunk of the now purpled hair fell in his face and gave an amused smile.
          Aralu laughed slightly.  "You'll be fine, Ariel.  Just go with what kids like.  Keiko," she called, causing the girl to look up, pausing with a hank of Shin's hair in her hand.  "What do you want for dinner?"
          "Chocolate cake!" the girl replied.
          "Or maybe not," Aralu continued, turning back to Ariel.  "You'll find something in the kitchen."
          "I'm not... familiar with the kitchens...."
          "You would be if you'd eat," Aralu pointed out.
          "I don't understand why you keep coming back to that," Ariel said, hands still tightly clasped.  "I don't need to eat."
          The woman sighed.  "Ariel, it's a proven fact that people who eat live longer than people who don't."
          "Ariel!  Ariel!" Keiko called, drawing their attention.  "Look what I did!"
          Ariel smiled slightly, eyeing the dishevelled Shin with some purple hair hanging in his eyes and some hair still white and poking out.  There was a purple handprint on one shoulder where Keiko had leaned on him to catch some more hair.
          "Wonderful, Keiko," Ariel said with a smile.
          Shin pushed the hair from his face. "If... if you want... I can cook a little..." he said carefully, looking briefly at Ariel before dropping his eyes again.
          "Really?" Ariel asked with obvious relief.  "You can cook for a Child?"
          Shin nodded slightly. "Not very well, but..." he said humbly. "Mom taught me how."
          "That's all right," Ariel said.  "As long as someone gets her food.  Keiko," he called to the girl, holding out a hand, "We're going to get you some dinner now."
          Keiko bounced off the bed.  "Yay!" she cheered.  "Chocolate cake?"
          "Em... I don't think so.  Shinkou, what will you be cooking?"
          "Um... it depends what's in the kitchen..." the teen replied in an apologetic tone, moving to stand. "Maybe chicken teriyaki or a stir fry..."
          Aralu moved to support the slightly wavering teen.  "You'll see what we have.  Helena likes to keep the kitchen stocked.  She finds cooking relaxing when she's angry."
          Shin reached for his walking stick and leaned unsteadily on it. "I'll do my best," he smiled softly. "Might need a stool or something to sit on.... Legs still aren't working perfectly yet," he apologized.
          "Why not?" Keiko asked, hopping off the bed and running to take Ariel's hand.
          The man blinked a moment and wrapped his hand around hers.  "Did I heal him wrong?" he asked Aralu, sounding confused.
          Aralu smiled and shook her head.  "He'll need some physical therapy to get used to not having a half broken back.  It's nothing you could do anything about."  She stayed at Shin's side, supporting him when he needed it on the way to the kitchen.
          Shin gave a long exhale as they reached the bottom of the stairs leading to the kitchen. "Wow..." He blinked, looking at the large kitchen. "Maggie would love this..." he smiled, eyes slightly sad.
          "So..." Aralu said.  "There are the refrigerators.  We have a meat freezer over on that side.  There are dry goods in that row of cabinets and pots and dishes on the other side.  What do you need?"
          Shin grimaced slightly. "I normally cook leftovers..." he confessed, wringing his hands slightly. "Um... Is there teriyaki?"

          "Ne, Ariel, could you taste this for me?" Shin asked half an hour later, looking up from the steaming wok.
          The redhead looked startled.  "Me?"
          "She's your child, right? So you'd be able to tell if I made this right?" Shin asked, slightly hesitantly.
          "I don't know what she's used to eating," Ariel said, looking at the girl next to him.  "Why should I?"
          Shin blinked. "I... I thought you would... Sorry..." He looked down. "Would... would you taste it anyway...?" he asked in a small meek voice. "I-- I'm only really used to cooking for myself and Mom sometimes, so I... I don't know how-- I mean..." He bit his lip slightly, fidgeting nervously.
          Eying the food suspiciously, Ariel asked "What's in it?"
          Aralu, who had been laughing softly at Shin's very pale blush, stopped to look at the pair of men with intense interest.
          "There's chicken... and some veggies..." Shin gave a brief list of the ingredients.
          Ariel rose and moved to Shin's side.  "What do I have to do to taste this?"
          "Just-- here." Shin picked up a small bowl and scooped a small amount of the stir fry into it. "Um... right, a fork..." The teen opened drawers and located the utensil. "Here," he handed it to Ariel, expression slightly anxious.
          Uncertainly, Ariel tasted the food.  "It is... different...."
          Shin wrung his hands slightly. "In a bad way...?"
          "Pardon me, I don't eat much," Ariel said, brushing it off.  "Perhaps you should have asked Aralu."  He turned away.
          Shin looked down. "I'm sorry..." he said softly. "I just... I thought since it's for your child, I--"  He looked down at the stir fry again.
          "Then you should ask her," Ariel said, pulling away nervously.  "Keiko," he called.  "Come here and test the food."
          The girl bounced out of her chair and ran to Ariel's side, grabbing his hand in hers and swinging his arm energetically.  Oblivious to the redhead's slight grimace, she looked at Shin.  "Is it chocolate?" she asked hopefully.
          The teen smiled, shaking his head. "No. It's stir fry. Do you want to taste it to see if it's okay?"
          "Okay!" the girl agreed cheerfully.  She opened her mouth.
          "Em... Keiko, perhaps you should get the fork from Shinkou so he doesn't have to bend down and strain his back," Ariel pointed out to her.
          "Oh!" she said in mild startlement.  "Sorry, Shinkou!"
          Shin gave a slight smile. "It's okay. And you can call me Shin." He looked at Ariel. "You can as well..." he said in a slightly softer voice.
          Ariel looked surprised, then lowered his eyes again.
          "Shin, Shin, Shin," Keiko crooned for a moment.  "Ok!"  She reached out with the hand that wasn't in Ariel's and tugged at Shin's arm.  "I was going to taste the food!"
          He gave a small smile, eyes slightly saddened and nodded. Taking out another bowl he scooped a small amount of the stir fry into the bowl and handed it and a fork to the girl.
          "Not as good as chocolate," she said mournfully after tasting.
          "Keiko," Ariel said in mild admonition.  "Shinkou is trying hard to make something that you'll like."
          "He said to call him Shin," Keiko reminded.
          "Erm... terribly sorry... Shin."
          "Do you like it, Ariel?  Are you going to eat it with me?"
          "Do... do you want me to, Keiko?" the red haired man asked, blinking in slight confusion.
          She nodded enthusiastically.
          "Then I... suppose I must....  Shink... Shin.  Did you make enough for both of us?"
          Shin nodded. "I'm afraid I made more then I had intended," he grimaced slightly. He looked over at Aralu. "Did you want some as well? And is it okay to have leftovers?"
          Aralu shrugged.  "Sure, I'll join you.  And why wouldn't be ok to have leftovers?  Saves me cooking something for lunch tomorrow."
          Ariel shifted uncomfortably feeling the woman's eyes on him.
          Shin gave a small embarrassed smile. "Maggie always said if there were leftovers, I hadn't eaten enough..." he said, looking down, eyes saddened again.
          Aralu snorted.  "If there are leftovers you made too much," she countered.  "Does she want you to over eat because you made more than you wanted?"
          "Normally Maggie does the cooking... She always says I don't eat enough...." Shin bit his lip, feeling homesick.
          "Well," Aralu decided, "Since you're doing the cooking, you get to make the rules.  Wouldn't you say, Keiko?"
          The girl looked slightly startled, then nodded, snuggling closer to Ariel.  He wrapped an arm around her.  "Do let's eat already....  It's late...."
          "Sorry..." Shin apologized, making a visual effort to pull himself together. He reached for the bowls and began filling them, handing them to Aralu, who placed them on the table for him.
          After eating in silence for a few minutes Keiko noticed that Shin wasn't eating with a fork.  She stopped eating to watch him in fascination.
          "Keiko," Ariel said, leaving his own barely touched bowl.  "Do finish eating so you can go to bed."
          "Why does he have sticks, Ariel?" the girl asked, pointing to Shin's hands.
          "Please, Keiko, it's not polite to point," the man said, putting a hand over hers.  "And you should ask him questions.  Shin can answer for himself."
          "Oh.  Ok."  The girl leaned across the table.  "Why do you have sticks?"
          Shin gave a small smile. "They're chopsticks." He held them out for her to look at. "People in Asia tend to use them instead of forks."
          "Why?"
          "Because they do," Shin smiled.
           "Oh," she said with a puzzled expression.  "Can I?"
          Shin hesitated a moment and looked over to Aralu. "Was there another pair...?" he asked.
          "Should be somewhere," the woman said, rummaging through a drawer.  Triumphantly, she pulled out a pair of child sized chopsticks and handed them to Shin.
          Smiling, Shin handed them to Keiko and showed her how to use them.
          The girl frowned over her chopsticks and tried to get her fingers to work them properly.  A piece of meat flew across the table and some rice splashed the sides of her bowl before she managed to get something into her mouth.  "It tastes better now," she exclaimed in surprise.
          Shin smiled softly before looking down at his bowl again. After a long moment, he resumed eating.

          Hawk sighed as Kim finally fell back asleep with a final sniffle, clutching the stuffed wolf tightly, even in her sleep.
          "What was that all about?" Cole asked from the entry of the tent.
          Hawk sighed again. "Shin was kidnapped..." he said, carefully getting up, Kim still in his arms.
          "What?"
          "Kim's old brother figure, you know, the one she was looking for. Apparently he can do things with dreams and brought Kim and me into one to tell her he was okay. Talked to him a bit. As I'd figured, he ran away and was snatched up." He sighed. "Sounds like the place he's at is part of a larger operation. He didn't say too much cause apparently whoever has him has him hooked up to this thing so they can monitor his dreams." He carefully put Kim down on the pile of blankets and pillows that was her bed and exited, giving a deep exhale. "I promised Kim that I'd find the guy and it's starting to look like that promise is gonna get me messed up in something huge," he said in a quiet voice, looking at the darkening sky.
          "What about Nav?" Cole asked in curiosity.  "Wouldn't you bring him with you?"
          Hawk gave a chuckle. "So he could pass out from one extreme emotion or another and then I'd have to drag his ass to safety?" He shook his head. "Nah." He gave a long exhale. "I was the one who promised, I'll be the one to get him back. No sense getting anyone else messed up in this, right?"
          "But what if something happens to you?  Kim would be upset." Cole pointed out.  "You should bring some form of backup."
          Hawk gave a quiet chuckle. "I'm not going to let anything happen to me, don't worry.  I--"
          "Hawk!" Nav ran over and grabbed the man's arm. "C'mon, I found the best spot. It's far enough away so it won't matter how much noise we make and-- hey!" he exclaimed as Hawk near angrily pulled out of his grip.
          "What the fuck part of 'I'm not fucking you tonight' did you NOT understand the first fifty times I said it!" Hawk snapped.
          Nav blinked. "Dude, you just said you didn't want to when the kid was around and she's asleep and we'll be off in the woods! No complications or problems."
          Hawk glared.
          "Um..." Cole said.  "If you want to go do something I can watch Kim...."
          "See? No problem. Now c'mon, I--"
          With a snarl Hawk decked the blue haired man.
          Nav fell back, blinking. "Dude, that hurt!" he exclaimed, hand on his jaw. "And not in the good way!"
          Hawk glared at him a moment more, them turned and stalked off into the woods.
          "Hawk! Dude, wait! I--"
          The dark haired man turned. "If you follow me I will rip off your balls and feed them to you, got it?" he said in a dark voice.
          Nav froze, eyes wide.
          Hawk turned back again and resumed his stalk.
          "Is he ok?" Cole asked in concern.
          Nav blinked a few times. "He... he threatened me... Like... seriously threatened me..." He blinked.
          "I know," Cole said, looking after Hawk.  "Do you think he's ok?"
          "He threatened to rip my balls off! Of course he's not okay!" Nav exclaimed. He gave a pathetic sniffle. "He likes my balls...."
          "You have balls attached to you?"
          Nav raised an eyebrow. "Um... yeah.... Why? Yours detachable?"
          "I don't have balls attached to me," Cole said.  "Can I see?"
          Nav raised his other eyebrow. "What kinda funky anatomy do YOU have? And no you can't see my balls... Only Hawk gets to do that." He gave a slightly indignant sniff.
          "What do you mean?  My anatomy is pretty standard for humans, I think....  And if you have balls attached to you why can't I see?  It's only balls, right?"
          Nav looked at the boy a long moment. "You don't even know what I'm talking about, do you...."
          "Noo...." Cole admitted.
          "'k... Anatomy lesson time! Drop yer pants."

          "What are you doing in here?" Helena asked, taking up the entire doorway.
          Shin looked up from clearing the table and went slightly pale, his relaxed manner swiftly vanishing.
          "People have to eat, Helena," Aralu said with a scowl.
          "I fed him earlier," the vampire said with matching disdain.  "Get up," she said, walking over and tugging Shin's sleeve.  "I'm hungry and my date was gay and an alcoholic."
          "Hey!" Aralu said.  "Stop that!  He's had enough trauma today!"
          Helena glared at her and pulled Shin up by his clothes.  "Just stop squirming and it won't hurt."
          Ariel turned away, covering Keiko's eyes.
          Shin gave a panicked exclamation, struggling. "No-- no, please..." he begged, hands covering his neck.
          "Please, Helena, not in front of my Child...." Ariel begged.
          "I'll be dainty later," Helena responded, wrenching Shin's arms down.  "Right now I'm hungry and need to get that man's taste out of my mouth."  Holding Shin immobile she sank her fangs into his neck, drinking deeply.
          "Helena, that's enough!" Aralu exclaimed, pushing the vampire away from the boy.  "He's had his back broken and remended today.  He's not well enough for this!  I'm telling dad!"
          "Fine," Helena said with a sneer.  "Ariel.  Take him to his room and keep your brother away from him."  She half tossed the pale boy to the redhead.
          Ariel fumblingly tried to catch him, holding him close a moment before blushing and loosening his grip.
          Shin gave a small moan, eyes closing as he passed out.
          The red haired man looked alarmed.  "I did nothing!" he insisted, arms instinctively tightening so that Shin wouldn't fall.
          "Just take him to his room," Aralu said, still glaring at Helena.  She swept an arm toward the door.
          Helena primly preceded her out of the room and to the library.
          Kajiro looked up as the pair entered. "The manner in which you are both displaying your emotions leads me to conclude you have a grievance?"
          "She's treating Shinkou like a Child!" Aralu said, pointing at Helena.
          "Because he IS a Child," Helena responded hotly.  Turning to glare at Aralu she added, "What's more, he's MY Child."
          "No he's not!  Just because we're calling him one doesn't make him any more a Child than he was when we were just studying him!"
          The Shadow gave a sigh and lowered his glasses to rest upon the large book in front of him. "In this occurrence, both of you are correct. Shinkou's status is rather unique and difficult to define. In order to furnish a security of his person, Shinkou is registered in the Alliance as a Child under my care. But his status has not been largely altered. He is not to be treated in the harmful manner most Masters apply in their care of their Children."
          "See?  So you don't get to drink from him!"
          "I can do whatever I want provided it doesn't hurt him."
          "And drinking from him when he's had massive bodily trauma within the past few hours doesn't hurt him?"
          Helena glared at Aralu.  "He is under MY care, Aralu.  Not yours."
          "And you're not taking care of him!"
          "You ladies causing dust clouds again?" The dark skinned man poked his head into the office.
          Both of them glared daggers at him.
          Jack grimaced. "Yeeeeeeep, it's that time of the month again, isn't it?" he grinned, putting an arm up to ward off any blows.
          He was hit from behind by several large books.
          "I do NOT suffer from that malady," Helena said.
          "Caaaaaaareful with the books!" Jack exclaimed, gathering them in his arms. "Do you know how long it takes to decipher his handwriting?!"
          "Half an hour," the replied in unison, then glared at one another.
          Jack chuckled. "So, what can I do to transfer your anger to me instead of each other?"
          "You're doing a good job already," Aralu snarled, sailing a chair at Jack's head.
          "Whoa! Watch it!" Jack exclaimed, snatching it out of the air. "Trash the office and it won't be me you have to deal with. Just give me the summery already, or do I have to ask the Shadows?"
          "Helena drank from Shinkou again after he's had his back broken and fixed again today!"
          "It's my right to!"
          "Hitomi's kid Shinkou?" Jack asked. "The pale skinny one who can barely move most days? And yer draining him? Sheesh, Helena! The kid's got a limited supply!"
          "His medical problems have nothing to do with his blood supply," Helena sniffed, nose in the air.
          "He can hardly overcome them if he's down 5 pints!" Jack countered. "If your craving the taste, go after his twin. Might do her some good..." he muttered.
          Helena made a disgusted face.  "Jack, you should have more tact than that."
          The man blinked. "What? They probably taste similar and she could see what being Shinkou for a day would be like.  Might get the bitch to stop hitting him," he scowled.
          "What?" Aralu asked, pouncing on the comment before Helena could respond.
          "Oh yeah, meant to page you. Asked the Shadows on Shinkou duty about the blanking out thing you said he mentioned and apparently-- you remember Kokusei's power of suggestion fragment, right? Welp, apparently, she's been using it on her brother to make him forget whenever she looses her temper and hits him." He shook his head. "Hitomi would never approve... "
          "I'm going to kill her," Aralu said flatly.  "Painfully."
          "Now Aralu, don't get so caught up in your anger that you forget to make it linger," Helena reminded.
          "Oh, c'mon, you can think of better." Jack grinned. "Just break her hold over her brother and she'll implode. Especially if you can nullify her power. Really is a shame..." he sighed. "Maybe Shinkou'll have lots of kids...."
          Aralu giggled, abruptly changing moods.  "Not if he's in love with Ariel."
          "What?" Helena screeched.
          Her exclamation was echoed in a more disbelieving tone by Jack. "No fair!" he exclaimed. "Kokusei can't carry on that line! She doesn't have any real ability!  C'mon, Ara! You have to convince Shinkou to have kids, you have to!"
          "You want me to discourage his attachment to Ariel?  No way."  She shook her head.
          "But-- but--" Jack sputtered. "Can't you at least get him to knock a chick up for the sake of his family line?! Or artificially inseminate someone or steal his sperm while he's asleep and--"
          "That's enough right there," Aralu said, pointing a finger at Jack.
          "But--!" the man exclaimed, hands in a pleading gesture.
          "No!  You know as well as I do that Shinkou wouldn't consent to any of those and I'm NOT going to steal his sperm!"
          The man deflated. "It's not fair.... Can I at least ask him to consider it if it looks like it's gonna be long term gayness?"
          "Jack you will not, repeat NOT, harass him."
          "I won't harass him! Just-- give him options..."
          "You will not," Aralu insisted.  She turned to Helena.  "And what's your problem?"
          "The younger Versailles?" the vampire said with distaste.  "I will do my best to discourage this....  Disgusting prospect."
          "Oh really," Aralu said, eyes narrowing.
          "Definitely.  Mad thing," Helena said with a gesture.  "And after what I've heard of him and Gabriel..."  She shuddered.
          "Helena," Aralu said flatly, taking the vampire's hand.  "If I hear you've done anything to keep them apart I will hurt you."
          Jack looked between the women as if debating.
          Helena pulled away angrily.  "I will do what I want," she said, sweeping out of the room.
          Aralu cursed and followed.

          Shin made a small sound as he woke, eye slowly opening. He blinked a few times, trying to get his eyes to focus properly.
          "And why can I still feel him?" Ariel's voice muttered near him.
          Shin turned slightly, eyes slowing focusing. "Arieru...? Dare o kanzuru?" he asked sleepily in Japanese.
          The redhead startled.  "What was that?"
          Shin grimaced slightly, putting a hand to his forehead. "Gomen... sore ga eego ja-- I mean.." He shook his head slightly. "Sorry... Didn't realize I wasn't speaking English..." he said in a soft voice. "Who can you feel?" He asked, shifting to sit up. He gave a small groan, pressing a hand to his forehead. "Atama ga itai...." he said in a tired voice, eyes closing again. "Omoukurushi..."
          "I don't understand a word you're saying.  Do stop," Ariel said, pulling back in his seat.
          "Sorry..." Shin apologized, sounding slightly unsteady. "Just... feel dizzy... I tend to not realize I'm not using English when I'm..."
          "Just... lie down.  You lost blood."  The redhead shifted uncomfortably.
          The pale man obeyed, looking up at the ceiling. He gave a shiver and pulled the blankets up, pausing as something moved.
          Keiko gave a whimper and snuggled closer to him.
          "I do apologize," Ariel said.  "I was told to watch you but she needed to sleep....  I told her she could sleep in your bed."
          Shin gave a small smile, putting an arm around the girl. "It's okay..." he said softly. "When Kim has bad dreams or just can't sleep, she sleeps with me... I'm used to it." He looked at the ceiling again, eyes sad and wistful.
          "You let another sleep with you?" Ariel asked in horror, hand to his chest.
          "She's three..." Shin said, voice mildly defensive. "She needs the comfort..."
          "But to let another near you when you aren't fully clothed...."  The redhead shuddered.  "When you're defenseless...."
          Shin gave a small smile. "My PJs are like being fully clothed. Kosei's always afraid I'll catch cold in my sleep..." he gave a small rueful smile. He looked over at Ariel. "So even in your sleep, you feel defenceless...?" he asked sadly.
          "Of course.  I can't protect myself asleep."
          "What do you need to protect yourself from?"
          "That's none of your concern," Ariel said, standing.  "Now that you're awake I should go find Keiko a room of her own."  He moved to pick her up but paused.  "If you'll wake her...?"
          Shin gave a small sigh, then turned to the girl. "Keiko-chan..." he said softly, gently touching her shoulder. "Wake up please? Time to go to your bed, okay?"
          Keiko blinked awake.  "Isn't this my bed?"
          He smiled kindly. "No, this is my bed. You going to be all right in your own bed?"
          "Where is my bed?" the girl asked sleepily.
          Shin looked up at Ariel.
          "I had thought to put her in the room next to my own."
          Keiko looked up.  "Near you, Ariel?"
          "Yes, Keiko.  Near me."
          The girl bounced to her feet on the bed and jumped off into Ariel's arms, causing the man to stumble backwards.
          Shin smiled at the pair. "You shouldn't worry, you make a wonderful father...." he said sleepily.
          Ariel looked at him a moment, then left the room.