"Giant" Chapter 3

THREE         

            Before Paul had left, he had thanked me for taking Kael in. I had the feeling then that I was going to regret causing those words. I was partially right for the next month was not an easy one. Kael tried her best to keep her bad attitude and make my life miserable. Not a conversation went by when that the girl did not wow me with her wit and sarcasm. She was bound and determined not to trust me. It seemed to me that she wanted to provoke me into a fit of anger. She didn’t realize that she was messing with the wrong person.

            I had to admit that she was good. Her bad attitude was much more impressive than mine. The only problem with her attitude was that it was an act. I wasn’t sure how I knew but I did. Perhaps it was because when I was her age mine was an act as well. It takes a few more years of anger and bitterness for it to become as real as my own. I decided that Paul was right. She needed to be reached before it was too late. It was going to muster more patience than I usually had but I would make it my personal challenge. I needed something to do.

            It was rather funny, however. Through Kael's actions and bad attitude, I was beginning to see what I was putting the snake through. Not that it mattered. It was survival of the fittest and I wasn’t about to be eaten by another boa constrictor. Luckily I was granted a short reprieve as Steve had left a few days after Kael had arrived. He had some business to tie up in Rome. Surprisingly I had missed him a little. Well, not so much him. I just missed having a target. He had flown back in the night before last. I got up bright and early to start the torture process. That morning I decided to go down to eat in the same outfit that I had worn that very first day. I knew that I shouldn't have. It was just that every time I looked at him I started thinking of things I really didn't want to think about. I figured that the least I could do was try and repay the favor. I just forgot about one factor.

            Kael was already in the kitchen before I got down there. She was an early riser. I was reaching for a box of cereal when the snake slithered in. He wore nothing but a pair of shorts. The snake slithered over and grabbed the cereal box that was presently just out of my reach.

            "I'm going for a swim before breakfast," he said with a grin. "Feel free to join me." He handed me the box and headed out the door. I stood there watching him as he went.

            "Lust, isn't it great." Kael said with a smirk.

            It took me a few seconds to figure out that she had spoken to me. I was a little distracted. "What is that supposed to mean?" I asked. As if I didn't really know. There was no denying it, I was attracted to him. I sure wasn't going to admit it though.

            "Oh come on, Connor. You want him so bad that you can taste it," she said with satisfaction.  She continued on telling me exactly what she thought I wanted. "Am I right, or am I right?" She shrugged as if she couldn't help being so observant. "Can you deny it?"

            I had told her more than once to knock it off. Her descriptions were not exactly flattering. The fact that she knew that much to go into such detail saddened me but her consistency angered me more than I was saddened. I walked up to her and leaned over on the table putting us at eye level with each other. "I said, knock it off." My tone was such, that if I had been her, I would have definitely shut up.

            She stopped talking but the ever present smirk remained on her face. I could see what she was trying to do. She was trying to provoke me. She wanted me to hit her. It was a test and so far I was passing but I was on the edge. I could choose to go either way. I knew she would try again and again until she could get me to lose it. She would have to wait for an awfully long time. I knew and hopefully she would learn that I would never hit her. I knew what it was like to be hit. I also knew that if I let her get away with it, it would only get worse.

            So I did the thing that grown ups have been doing for years. I couldn't think of anything else. "Go to your room." I couldn't believe that I had just said that. What is happening to me? "I don't want to see your face until you can apologize for what you said." I was turning into one of those TV mothers. Heck, together Paul and I could make a movie.

            I moved out of her way so she could pass me and go to her room. For a moment, she sat there. I figured she was trying to decide whether she should give in and go or if she should stick with open rebellion and stay. Go must have finally won over because she stood up and walked out of the room with more attitude than when she had walked in.

           Steve came back in from his swim as she was entering the hall. "See you next year," she said before exiting. Wow, a whole year. Now that’s determination.

           I left right after her. I gave Steve a dirty look on my way out. He was bad luck. It was easy to put the blame on the reptile. Only it wasn't his fault and I knew that full well.

As I got dressed, the door bell rang. "Great, whose presence am I to grace today?" I hurried and finished dressing. Before shutting the door to my room, I glanced over at the black dragon. All this time had gone by and I still hadn't been able to see what it did.

           I thought about Kael on my walk down. A month had gone by and there was no improvement. She didn't trust me anymore now than she had the day she came. I didn't know what to do. The Giant was not a happy home at the present and that disturbed me. I felt like I was letting her down. I walked into the living room. Steve introduced me to a Mr. and Mrs. Grand. They needed money to organize a charity ball. The proceeds would go to several different charities but they would never think to use money out of their own pocked to set it up. Paul had told me that there were quite a few people that had been waiting for me to take over the estate for quite some time now. They all wanted Mandy’s money. I was instructed to make sure that the snake looked into any charities that I was thinking of supporting. I didn't mind that, I wasn't about to get taken again. Once was way more than enough.

           Lucky for me, Steve gave his approval for this one. I was thrilled. "Have a seat, Connor, and we'll get down to business." Mr. Grand instructed me.

           Funny, I could have sworn that this was my home. Shouldn't I be the one offering the seats? Steve stood up and excused himself. On his way out he made a face. I would have laughed but it was Steve who had done it. Instead I told myself that he was immature.

           We discussed amounts, themes for the ball, locations, guest lists, and whatever else the Grand’s wanted to bore me with. Finally they decided that it was time to stop the business talk. Which meant that since business talk was over it was “lets socialize for a few hours and then finally go home” time. I again was thoroughly thrilled.

           "You know, dear, you really are a saint." Mrs. Grand said in her snobbish preppy little voice. It was enough to make me ill.

           "Why's that?" I asked. No doubt it was because I agreed to give her my money. Would they ever leave?

           "Why for taking in that misfit, of course." Mr. Grand chipped in. "Her parents tried so hard to discipline her but she's so worthless that nothing they did ever worked."

           "It's so good of you to take someone like that into your home. I surely wouldn't. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night for fear of what she might do." Mrs. Grand said. She said it in such a way that you might think she would have been afraid for her life.

           If she said one more word against Kael, she might be correct. For in a minute she was going to have a very good reason for being afraid, only of me, not Kael. I stood up and as I did, I shoved the coffee table towards the two. It missed them by a few inches. I really did have to learn to control my temper. I wasn't really trying to hit them with it. I just have a tendency to kick things when I'm angry.

           "Let us get one thing straight. You listening?" I caught Mrs. Grand’s glance and held it. "You say one more thing about that girl and I'm going to have to take it very personally. She was a victim of child abuse and not just physical."  I took a few steps towards them and then stopped when coming to the table. Lucky for them, the table was interceding on their behalf. "When you see your own mother, the woman who gave birth to you, coming toward you with a bat or a cooking pan, it does something to your brain. I know; my mother did it to me."

           I paused. I had to get control of my anger. I was failing. "Further more, its people like you who make it possible. You refuse to see the truth and do something about it. Ignoring it doesn't make it go away and switching the blame towards the victim doesn't make it right." I took a breath to help gain control.

           I felt tears come to my eyes and I quickly blinked them away. How dare these people. They had no right. "You can leave my house now and don't you dare come back until you're ready to apologize." Boy, twice in one day. I was taking this disciplinary action a little too far.

           "Now get out." I instructed as I pointed towards the door.

           They quickly walked out and I was more than happy to see them go. Unfortunately they put me in a really bad mood. I walked into the hall and found Kael sitting by the door. She stood up quickly but didn't say anything. "Well?" I prompted. She still had an apology to give.

           She looked at me as if searching my eyes for something. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. There wasn't much support behind it but it would have to do.

           I nodded. "Okay." I passed her and headed for my room. It was time to do a little exploring. I was sick of the real world. I walked into my room and locked the door. Can't you just feel the soap opera influence gushing out of me? Spoiler alert: The cheesiness continues throughout.

           To get the other two dragons to work I simply pushed on them but it didn't seem to work on the black one. Looking closer, I noticed that this wasn't painted onto the wall but onto a surface attached to the wall. Messing around with it, I accidentally turned it to the left. A panel in the wall next to the dragon slid open. It surprised me at first but I walked through it without really thinking. Somehow I knew that there was no danger.

           To my right, on a wall, there was a red dragon. It must have been the time for this panel.  After fiddling around for a minute, I realized that the red dragon could also snap the panel closed quickly. For instance, if the panel was open and someone was walking into the room, you could push on the red dragon and the panel would instantly close. That way they wouldn't see the passage. You would then have to reset the time but that didn't take too much thought. I set it on the time it had been before. It was more than enough to get through safely.

           I turned to go further into the passage. I had expected it to be to dark to see but somehow I could see fine. I couldn't figure out why, there was no visible spray of light coming from a crack in the wall, not track lighting across the ceiling. It wasn’t quite a glow but almost like it seeped in; similar to light coming through a sheet of paper but different. Perhaps I was part cat and simply had the ability to see in the dark. Cats can see in the dark, can’t they?

           I walked a ways down the passage and I came to a room. It was a fairly large room. To my right was a large closet. There was also an old divan that sat in the middle of the room. The rest was empty. There was a lot of room for improvement. The improvements would have to wait until later.

           I spent the next two hours exploring the many passages. There were several entrances throughout the Giant. There was one in the kitchen, two in the game room and into random bedrooms throughout. At ground level I was surprised to find a laddered decent. One item not on the tour or the floor plan; a basement. It ventured down further than I had expected. I went to step off the ladder onto what appeared to be a dirt floor and stopped. Folding my arm around a wrung, I leaned out and shone my light around. The passage split of into two directions. I looked down one and it seemed so dark. The light from my flash light didn’t seem to cut through the darkness. The other direction didn’t feel so daunting. There was no apparent difference. One way simply gave me the creeps. I stepped off the ladder and headed down the path. It took me a while to get my bearings. I thought I knew what direction I was walking in but if that were so, I would have ran into the river by now. I did go quite a ways down that ladder. Still while I know it can be done, tunneling under a body of water was it really likely? The path began to incline dramatically and soon turned into a carved circular staircase straight up. It lead to a dead end, which I knew could not really be so. I felt around the stone and like any good science fiction movie, I found a trigger that opened the door. The rock slid sideways, making the perfect sound effect as it did and revealed a cave.  The passage slid shut behind me as I surveyed the scene. I followed the light out and discovered that I was indeed across the river. Reentering the cave I discovered that I couldn’t discover the trigger from the outside so I had to make my way around the river back home. I snuck back into the Giant and back into the halls without being noticed. As I entered my room again I wondered if you could look into the rooms through pictures and such.

           I sat down on my bed and retrieved the diary from out of the hidden drawer. It was locked so I couldn't read it. Suddenly I was curious to whether there were any more of them. I felt that there were but wasn't sure. I headed back into the hidden room. I looked around until I found what I was looking for, another blue dragon. It was near the closet. I went and pushed it. A long rectangular panel slid open.

           It was packed full of diaries. They started from birth and went all the way down to what I assumed was the year of death. Each looked to be a year full of memories long. The only one missing from the batch lay in my hands. I put it in its spot and reached for the first. It was also locked. I noticed then that when I set number 35 back in its place, I didn't push it back far enough for the panel to close. I pushed it back and heard a click. A panel above the diaries opened. In it was a key.

           I opened the diary with the new found key. Sitting on the old divan I read for an hour. What I read was mostly the mother’s accounts of her baby. Things the baby did and how fast she was growing, stories that she had told her daughter and other odds and ends.

           You wouldn't have thought it to be very interesting. I was enthralled. It was almost hypnotic. I could have read forever. Unfortunately, I knew it was time that I reentered the real world. Something told me that I should put the diaries on hold for now. It wasn't the time to read them.

           The road to becoming closer with Kael was not an easy one, though things were slowly improving. We were getting to the point were it was possible that we could become friends. I hoped that I was gaining her trust. I never really thought about how much of that conversation Kael may have over heard. She must have heard that I had been abused because one day her curiosity got the best of her.

           Out of the blue she asked what had happened to me so I told her. She listened intently, nodding and shaking her head appropriately. She was sympathetic out of experience and my heart cried out for her. We had something in common and that helped the process. Even then there was still something in the way. We were still both very watchful of the other. We needed something to break down the wall that we had created between us. We achieved that not long after we had our conversation.

           I've come to realize that in every relationship sometimes you must take a step backwards in order to go forward. Kael still had her attitude and so did I. We got into an argument about arguing. It started out simple enough. I asked her why she always had to pick a fight. She asked me why I was so easy to pick a fight with.

           “Because I have just as bad of temper as you, I guess.”

           She sat up sharply in her chair. “You’re nothing like me! Poor you. So what if your mommy yelled at you and batted you around a little. I would rather be an illegitimate freak show like you than to have a father like mine!”

           I just stared at her for a moment, too stunned to say anything. I hadn’t told her anything about not knowing who my father was. She must have heard that from someone else. Her statement stung for three different reasons. First, it bugged that someone out there was openly talking about my “illegitimacy”. Second, it bugged that she would actually say something like that to me. Third, it bugged me that I was bothered by anything that this smart aleck punk kid would say.

           “That’s enough.” I said in a low threatening voice.

           “Ohhh, so daddy dumped you, so sad.”

           That struck the wrong nerve. Old habits die hard and without realizing what it might symbolize I freaked out and kicked a nearby chair. We were fighting over something so insignificant that I didn't realize that things had gotten out of hand. I was always kicking or punching inanimate things. It was a tension reliever, though my foot or hand usually wasn't the part of me that felt that relief. It was always better hitting an inanimate object than something alive. I had never kicked or hit a human being in my life with the exception of self defense, yet Kael took it as an act of violence and shot out of the kitchen in a dead run. I was stunned. By the time I came to my senses she was already out the back door.

           I ran after her but tripped over a chair and hit my chin on the counter. The chair was getting back at me for kicking it. Chairs can be rather touchy. I made it outside to find that even though delayed, I wasn't far behind her.

           I could tell that she was crying. Either that or she was a bit drunk. Luckily this worked to my advantage. Her tears were blinding her so I had a chance to catch up. I’m not a bad runner but she could easily out run me if she weren't tripping over her own feet.

           After running a while I had made up some ground but not enough. She was still out of my reach and I was failing fast. She stumbled a little and I took my chance. I dove for her. I grabbed her around the waist and we both went down and rolled for a ways.

           "Calm down." I said. She was struggling, trying to get away. She used her heel and kicked my knee. Pain shot up my leg but I held tight.

           I wrapped my legs around hers and locked them in place. Taking her left hand in my right hand, and vice versa, I pulled her arms across her stomach in an x and held tight.

           I put my chin on her shoulder so she could hear what I said. "Calm down." I told her again in a soft voice. She ignored me and struggled again. "Listen, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I scared you."

           She whimpered but relaxed a little. "I would never hurt you. Do you hear me?" I waited for a response but didn't get one. "Look, I care about you. That's the difference between them and me. They didn't care, they didn't love, but I do. “I was shocked to find out it was true. I had fallen for this kid.

           I relaxed my hold a bit. "Yes, I got mad. I kicked a chair. That doesn't mean I'll hurt you. It doesn't mean that I don't care." As I said the words I couldn't help but think of my mother. I wouldn't follow her example. She relaxed totally and I did too. "I saw myself in you that first day. It was like looking at a mirror of the past. That scared me, Kael, but I know that I have to put the past behind me. Let me help you do the same. I'm your friend and I always will be. You can dog me all you like. I have no plans to let you down. I will make mistakes but I will never hurt you on purpose."

           She didn't say anything and I was afraid that I hadn't gotten through to her. "Kael, I give you my word. I just want to be your friend.”

           She turned and hugged me. I hugged her back, holding her tight. "I'll never let them hurt you again." It was a vow I intended to keep. She cried on my shoulder for a while. "I need you to believe that, Kael." I held her from me so I could see her face.

           She wiped the tears from her eyes. "I do." She said. She looked confused, as if it surprised her. "I was just scared."

           "Because I kicked the chair?" I asked.

           She shook her head. "No. I was starting to trust you and that scared me. I didn't want to get hurt again. I wanted to run."

           That sounded so familiar. I had said those words to myself not so long ago. I had felt that way not so long ago. "I know."

           She looked up at me. "You do don't you?"  She wiped at her eyes again. "You’re the only one who ever has. You’re the only one who has ever cared whether I live or die, whether I'm happy or hurting. I need that. I just need someone who cares." She was quite a minute. "I guess you’re not the only one, there's Paul."

           I nodded. "I wouldn't be here to care if it weren't for him." I motioned toward the Giant. "Let’s go in and eat too much ice-cream." She offered a pity laugh in exchange for my attempt at lightening the mood and we made our way back into the Giant. It had been a good suggestion. We ate, talked, and laughed. I knew one thing, when things change on this island they change drastically and quickly. We had finally made the breakthrough that I was hoping for.

           The following Thursday, Kael made the decision to go to a summer camp. I was surprised but she said she wanted to make a completely new start. I wouldn't deny her that. She needed friends of her own age. I was worried about her though. I told her to leave her attitude at home or she’d be staying home with it from now on. She grinned in response. She had a mischievous look to her when she wanted to cause trouble. I saw her off with a hug and a wish of fun.

           The snake had to fly to Rome and stay a few days. His former boss needed a favor, again. The snake was more than happy to oblige. He probably wanted to get away from me for a while. Things had not improved between us at all.

           So I was home alone. This was a good thing. It was time to improve on my little hidden treasure. This was my first redecorating project, done on my own with unlimited means…I went a little overboard. What once looked like a slightly creepy and extremely cool secret lair was now basically a girl cave with all the comforts of home. It was basically a one bedroom apartment, but… it was a secret hidden one bedroom apartment so still cool. It now contained every convenience item I ever had gone without which included a midsized refrigerator and microwave, furniture, and whatever else I could think of. I even installed lighting in the main room.

           Before I started moving everything in, I stood and held the red dragon in for ten minutes. It wasn't the most exciting ten minutes of my life but I didn't want the door to shut on me while I pushed the couches and fridge through. I had the delivery guys haul everything up to the fifth floor. I bought a hand trolley and used it to get the heavy stuff through my room and into the room. It took a while and it wasn't easy but I got it done.

I had originally set the alarm on my watch to go off a bit before the door shut. I didn't want to be walking back through it when it slammed closed. I had no doubt that it would kill or damage me very badly. Eventually I stopped setting the alarm altogether. I didn't need it. It was as if I could feel when it was time for the door to shut. I felt closer to these passageways and trick doors, to this hidden room and dark halls, than I had ever felt with a person. Even if a passage way did turn relatively dark when I didn’t have a light, I could feel the passage turn in front of me. I could feel the walls around me. I knew where every passage was and where it led to. The only one that was unfamiliar to me was down below and I had no desire to venture into it. But beyond that one, it really felt as if I were a part of these walls and they were a part of me.

           I laughed. "It must be magic." I said jokingly. A chill ran up my spine and I shivered. Shaking it off, I went back to work stockpiling the fridge and cabinets. Looking around I couldn't believe the difference. I couldn't believe I did all this. Where had I gathered up all this ambition? Where had I gathered the pain tolerance? My hands were scraped and I had a blood blister where the fridge had caught me between it and the wall.

           It took me a few days to get everything where I wanted it. I practically had enough food and drinks to last me near a year. Why I stocked up that much, I don't know. I was lucky I could get electricity in the place without it being noticeable. Luckily I had a friend back home that was an electrician and would let me tag along when he went to work. I paid attention enough to figure out how to get electricity in without being noticeable.

           Not long after I had finished, the snake slithered back into my home. It didn't matter. We didn't have too much to do with each other. I spent most of my time in the passages. I knew all there was to know about them but it was still exciting. Every time I entered one it was a whole new experience. When I was in the passages I felt that I was a part of them but out of them it was so different. I was aware of them, I knew they were there but they seemed a long way off. It was as if the connection was broken. Inside the passages I knew how to get into any room. But if I was in a bedroom I didn't automatically know how to enter the passage. There were only two black dragons. The one in my room and there was one in the game room. The rest of the entrances I had to go through and learn. They were a lot like ones you would see in a movie, just hidden better. A button disguised as a knot in the wood or a switch or a knob disguised. They weren't hard to figure out if you knew they were there somewhere. The passages seemed to be calling to me and it was as if they helped me to find my way in, without actually telling me. The triggers were basically the same in each room, so there weren't tons of different ones that I had to memorize. With all of them, you could get them triggered without being noticed.

           Kael came home a week before school started. I helped get her registered at a new school. There were several schools on the island.  She had lived a few hours away from me before, up on the other side of Kessington, the islands largest city. This meant that she wouldn't have to mix and mingle with kids that knew her back then. I was glad of that. This way she wouldn't be reminded of the past as much. There was no bus that came by the Giant. I could have arranged it but I didn't bother. Kael had her day license so I just got her a car. I knew this money was good for something.

           The day before school started was the day I got the letter.  Sarain and I had been keeping in touch all the time that I had been on the island. Her letters were the only thing that stopped me from going and getting her. As long as I knew she was okay, I was willing to let her live her own life. It was as if we had switched roles. It used to be she took care of me but as soon as I get my life straightened out I start feeling the need to take care of her. But I had allowed all of my drama to come between us, more so than the ocean that separated us. I was always worried about her but now I was scared. She wrote and told me that she couldn't write me anymore and she hoped that I had a good life. There was definitely something wrong.

           I knew from previous letters that she was ready to get out of the business. She had the money and was looking forward to college and putting her past behind her. Something must have gone wrong. I was ready to head to the States as soon as I read this last letter but Paul stopped me. He reminded me that Kael was my responsibility now and I had to think about her. She was starting in a new school. That meant starting new relationships, doing homework, and everything else involved with starting school again. She needed my support so I stayed. At least I did physically. My heart was really in the states with Sarain.

           I was in my room staring out the window one day when Kael walked in. "Aren't you gone yet?" She asked as she sat on the bed.

           "What?" I asked.

           "You’re no good to anyone like this. I wish you'd just get your act together and get out of here." She smiled. Crossing her arms she leaned back against the wall. I noticed that her head almost touched the dragon. "I can take care of myself for a few days, Connor. Go, find out about your friend."

           She didn't have to tell me twice or was it three times. I was out of there. I left on my private jet as soon as it could be arranged. When boarding, I found that its interior was amazing. It had more than all the comforts of home. I wondered if it was good for a person to be this rich; probably not. Most of the time I still thought of it as Mandy’s money. I think that’s a good thing.

           I called ahead and rented a car from the plane. The car was waiting for me when we landed. I hopped in and headed to Nik's. Parking the car down a block, I walked the rest of the way. I walked into the building and looked around. It hadn't changed much since I had been there last. Nik was talking to Dorry but their conversation stopped when he saw me. He smiled his sick evil little grin and told Dorry to get lost.

           "Well, Well. Look who's returned." He turned toward me. "Looking for Sarain? Sorry, she's not here. She quit." He started walking toward me. "You know what that means don't you?"

           I didn't answer but I had a clue. Nik was rather transparent and his body language was pretty clear. This guy reeked slime.

           "That means," he rubbed his jaw, "you’re no longer under her guarantee. So if you wanna get outta here, you're gonna have to pay." He was rubbing his jaw as he walked. I flashed back to the conversation I had with Mark in the prison. He had done the same thing. I was beginning to wonder if it was a movement intended to cover up some lack of competency. He was walking forward at the same speed I was retreating. I was literally getting backed into a corner and I didn't like it. Maybe I should have taken Paul's advice and brought someone with me. Even the snake would do right now. What better to fight off a rat than a snake?

           "Back off, Nik." My tone was harsh and it surprised me. It surprised him too. His eyebrows rose in question but then returned to their usual place in partnership with his sickening grin. "Nik, don't make me inflict horrible, nonstop pain on you. I would enjoy that just a little bit too much." I was getting scared and I tend to smart off when I'm scared. Not an incredibly wise move but it was the only thing I knew to do.

           "Hey, honey, don't be scared. I'll be real careful with ya." He snickered. "Oh, don't look so worried. I'm just foolin around."

           He was close enough. I could do it. "Your payment can be that necklace around your...." He would have finished but I brought my knee up sharp. He stood there wide eyed for a moment and then fell to the ground.

           He hit his head on the way down and seemed to be unconscious. I looked around for rope but couldn't find any.  I decided the phone cord would work and tied him up with that. I made sure he couldn't move. He wouldn't be happy when he woke up and I didn't want to deal with that.

           When he gained consciousness I asked him where Sarain was. After speaking a few choice words, he finally said that he didn't know. I believed him at the time. He had no reason that I knew of to lie. Stuffing a dirty sock in his mouth, I duct taped it shut. I stepped on his stomach as I was walking out. He turned sharply causing me to take a header. I got up and wiped myself off. I thought about giving him a kick but didn't. He would be humiliated enough when someone came in and found him lying on the floor tied up with a telephone cord. I found some paper and wrote a little sign. I was going to need some time to find Sarain and I couldn't afford him messing that up. I locked the door and shut it. Taping the sign on the door, I left.

           Dorry was sitting on the steps of and apartment building right across from my car. She saw me and figure that it must be safe to return to Nik's. "Hey, Dorry." I called out. "Nik's got some hot girl in his room. He taped a sign to his door but I thought I'd warn you. He said if anyone disturbs him before tomorrow morning, there'll be hell to pay." I hoped this wouldn't get her in trouble. "I'd spread the news if I were you."

           She started to walk away but I stopped her. "Dorry, do you know where Sarain is?" I asked as I walked up to her.

           She looked reluctant but decided to talk. "A couple of weeks ago she quit. Nik said fine but she had to do one more trick for him. She said no. She wouldn't do it, so he took all her money and he beat her up real bad." Nervously, she looked up and down the street. "It was bad, Connor. It was real bad."

           "Is she in the hospital?" I asked.

           "No, she got out a few days ago." She didn't seem to want to say more. She stood there chewing on her lip. Then she took a deep breath and started again. "It was her second time in the hospital. The first time she got out, she ran into Nik and he beat her up again. He told her if he saw her again he'd kill her. I haven't seen her since."

           Right about then I was wishing I had kicked the jerk. Dorry slowly started backing away. "She asked the police for help but they just laughed at her." She turned and walked off without another word. Probably wondering when she would encounter the same fate. Police weren't always unbiased when it came to helping people.

           I sat in the car trying to think of where Sarain might go to hide from Nik. I remembered that in a letter she told me about a bar that she had been spending a lot of time at. I decided to try it first. Maybe someone there would have some answers.

           I drove around until I found it. As I stepped out of the car I saw my reflection in a window and slowly walked toward it. I stared at it as if it was the first time I had seen myself in a long time. It wasn't so much the way I looked that caught my eye. My appearances hadn't changed all that much. It was the stone around my neck that had been weighing me down that caught my attention. Had I really worn it all this time? Nik had mentioned it, but then I hadn't known what he was talking about. Now I knew. Around my neck I was wearing the present Mark had bought for me. He had used my money to buy it, he had betrayed me, yet I still wore his supposed token of love around my neck.

           I took it off and stared at it. Had I really put it on and taken it off for all this time? I looked around. On a corner down the street a ways there was a young boy and his sister. The boy held a sign saying that he would work for food. Across from them was a pawn shop. I looked from the shop to my reflection, then back to the shop. Taking a deep breath, I headed for the shop. I hocked the necklace for half its worth, which was still a good chunk of money and headed for the corner.

           "If I give you some money, do you promise to use it for food and shelter?" I had seen too many kids use the money to buy drugs. He said yes and I believed him. Looking around to make sure no one was looking I handed him a small bag with rolled up bills in it. Deciding that having that much money on hand was unhealthy, I took him to a friend who would help him set up a bank account. She was trustworthy and I left them to her care and headed to the bar.

           This bar was a lot like the one I had worked in. Only it was clean, nicely decorated, had decent customers, and was rather respectable. I wondered what had brought Sarain here. I went up to the bar. The bartender politely told me that I was welcome to stay, but if I wanted a drink I'd have to produce some identification. I decided to go for a pop and not mess with the identification. I didn't need any alcohol right now anyway, maybe later.

           He started to walk off after he had given me my drink but I called him back. "Do you know Sarain Cunningham?" I asked him.

           His pleasant expression left, replaced by a guarded one. It was obvious that he did know. He was either protecting her or he really disliked her. "No, I don't." He said carefully. He wasn't very convincing.

           I smiled. It was obvious that he was trying to protect her. "Oh," I wasn't going to give him a hard time, he was trying to help her. "If you happen to see her, tell her that Connor Steele was here looking for her."

           This time he was the one who stopped me from walking away. I had hoped he would but wasn't sure. "Are you really Connor Steele?" He asked. I nodded with a smile and pulled out my ID. His guarded look turned happy. "Well why didn't you say so?" He grabbed some keys off the wall and threw them to me. "She's in room 13."

           I thanked him and headed up the stairs. I hadn't realized that the bar was also part of a motel. I found the door and lightly tapped on it. When no one came, I used the key. Shutting the door behind me I walked in. I hadn't gotten far when a large vase came crashing down on my head. I turned and fell against the wall. There standing with a half broken vase, was my attacker, a shocked Sarain. "Oh, hi," I managed to say before blacking out.

           I heard a voice, it sounded familiar but it took me a while to place it. For a moment I thought that I was back at the hospital and these last few years had all been a dream. I was gripped with fear at the thought but hearing Sarain's voice brought me to the ever real present.

            "Connor, wake up. Connor?" She was shaking me as she called out. It wasn't helping my head much.

            "Okay, stop. I'm awake. I'm awake." My head hurt badly but I figured that I'd live. I reached my hand to my head in hope of holding it steady. It felt like my brain was swooshing around up there. "Well, somewhat awake anyway."

            "I'm so sorry. Let me help you." She said as she grabbed my arm and pulled me up. She helped me to the bed and carefully set me down. She looked good. She always had been a fast healer. "What are you doing here?"

            "You have to ask." I paused for a moment "Hmm, lets see, 'Connor, I can't write to you anymore. Have a nice life’." I shook my head. "I was a little worried, Sarain." I could function now, sort of. The room wasn't spinning anymore.

            "I'm sorry. I guess I didn't word it very well did I." She sat down beside me and buried her face in her hands. "I lost it all, Connor. Everything I worked for. I've ruined my life for nothing." She straightened up and put her head back. "It's over."

            "Oh that's nice. Let's just have a pity party." I stretched out my neck and rolled my head. Getting the kinks out, I stood up slowly to see if I could keep my balance.

            "This isn't a pity party. Everything's gone, Connor, all of it. Read my lips, I have nothing. It's the truth, not a pity party." She stood up and walked to the window.

            I followed her. She shivered violently and crossed her arms in front of her. I followed her glance. Some guys were trying to pick up a girl down the street. I wanted to cry for them. I was lucky; I never had to do anything like that as a means to survive.

            I took a deep breath. She was wrong, she had everything. I just needed to show her. "No, it's a pity party." I leaned against the window frame.

            She turned and gave me a dirty look. "Just because you got a break and had everything thrown into your lap doesn't give you the right to make judgments on me." She turned her back to me.

            "I wasn't making a judgment." I walked around her so she had to look at me. She tried to turn away again but I wouldn't let her. "I'm just stating the truth, Sarain. You haven't lost everything. You've gained it." My face softened. "You have your freedom and for the first time in a long time, you can respect a decision that you've made. You can respect yourself." I turned her and made her look out the window. "That could be you."

            "It still can." She sounded like the world had just whipped her.

            "No, it can't." I said as I turned her back.

            "You’re not listening, Connor. Nik took everything I had, all of my money.  I have nothing left." She stared down at the floor.

            "You have me." I turned her head and looked into her eyes. "You'll always have me and what's mine is yours."

            She stared at me for a few seconds and then started to cry. I held her until she was done. When she got herself together, I headed to the door. "Come on, let’s go home."

            She hesitated. "I can't go with you, Connor. I don't belong there," she said sadly.

            "And I do? If it wasn't for you I would probably be locked up somewhere under my mothers control. That or dead. Look, Sarain, you're coming with me.  You'll live with me and you'll go to school. You have no choice."

            "Oh really?" her voice had lightened a little. She was beginning to see the possibility and her sense of humor was returning.

            "Either you come or I stay and give it all up." I raised my hands. "It's up to you."

            "You'd do that for me," she said. It wasn't a question, she knew I would. She sighed as if she were giving up. "Fine, let’s go." She shook her head jokingly. "I just don't know about you."

            We both laughed, hers emotional and mine relief, then headed out. She stood in the doorway for a moment. She seemed to be looking around one last time. Turning, she looked back at me. "Thank you."

            "I'm the one who should be thanking you." I smiled at her. "Let’s blow this joint."

            "I don't do drugs."

            "Oh shut up." I pushed her out the door. I liked it better when she was depressed. Her jokes were awful. I could be cheesy at times but she was just stinky goat cheese awful.

            We made it safely to the jet. Nik was probably still on the floor screaming through a sock so he was no problem. I went over the rules and regulations with Sarain in becoming a citizen. She was amazed at some of them but most of them she knew about from my letters.

            "I don't know if I can do all of that," she said concerned.

            "Of course you can. Paul and I will help you and there's Steve too. Together we'll get you through it." I leaned back and took a drink of water. "That's what Steve's there for. He'd best be able to do it." I sat back and took a drink. It was quiet and I was thinking about the last month or so.

            "Connor, are you in love with Steve?" she asked out of the blue.

            My water sprayed across the jet and I sat up trying to recover from choking to death. "What?" I asked between coughs.

            She was laughing and couldn't answer. After we both recovered, she went on. "I know you, Connor. The look you got in your eye when you said his name...." she shrugged.

            "What look, there wasn't any look!"  Her eyebrows rose. "There wasn't any look, Sarain." I shook my head. And she was crazy; horrible sense of humor and crazy.

            I picked up the towel and started wiping things off again. "I do feel different though." I admitted to myself. "It's as if that necklace was trapping in the pain and anger from Mark's betrayal. Up until now I've looked at Steve through Mark colored glasses. It's only now that I see that they're nothing alike." I shrugged. "I guess I've been punishing him because I couldn't let go of Mark."

            "And you can now?" Sarain asked.

            "Yes." I answered honestly. Feeling the need for a change in subject, I asked her if she wanted something to drink.

            "No and you haven't answered my question." She lay back in her chair and waited.

            "What question?" I thought I'd try and play dumb. Funny, it never seemed to work, at least not when I was faking it.

            "Are you in love with him?" She asked again.

            "No,” I said matter a fact. “I don't know,” more to myself, “Maybe." I sat down. "I don't know." I was so confused. "I don't know what I feel about anyone right now." I decided that now was a good time for that alcoholic substance. I grabbed a glass and filled it to the top with wine. Not my preferred choice but it would do.

            "Connor...." She started again.

            "Let’s drop it." I downed my drink. I could see she wanted to push so I flashed my please look at her and she closed her mouth and looked out the window.

            The conversation may have ended between us but it raged on in my mind. How did I feel about Steve? I was attracted to him but that didn't mean that I was in love with him. We both sat in silence on the drive home and the topic repeatedly beat against my mind. I was finally able to shove it away as we  pulled into the Giant's driveway. I looked over at Sarain. I wondered what her impression of the Giant was. She was just staring at in amazement. I let her stare and grabbed my cell phone.

            As I was waiting for someone to pick up, Sarain spoke. "Can you imagine what a game of hide-in-seek would be like in a place like this?" She asked. I laughed. We were a lot alike.

            Someone answered the phone and I asked for Grace Prichard. They put me on hold and I held. "Hi Grace, this is Connor Steele. I was just calling to make sure we were still on for tomorrow. Okay, great. We'll be there tomorrow at ten then. Bye, thanks."

            I hung up. Sarain was looking at me. "What?" I asked.

            "Let me guess. I'm registering for college tomorrow." She leaned back and waited for my response. She did that a lot.

            "Yeah, so?" I shrugged.

            "You were so sure I'd come?" She said shaking her head slightly.

            "Pretty sure." I nodded. Smiling I shook my head. "I was going to drag you off even if you'd gotten the life of your dreams. I've really missed you."

            We got out of the truck and headed into the Giant. She got to the door first but waited for me before going through. "I would've come."

            I smiled. "I know." I dodged her playful shove and fell through the door. Catching myself on the other side, I headed for the kitchen. Sarain sat down and I started making a sandwich. I was starving. "You want one?"

            "No." She slumped down in her chair. "I'm too tired to eat."

            "Poor baby." I was finishing my sandwich when Steve walked in and sat on a bar stool. "Steve, this is Sarain. Sarain, this is the snake." I turned slightly to hide my grin. I purposely cleared my throat and then went on with business. "Later, we'll need you to go over the proceedings, and whatever, for her to become a citizen. Right now she needs a room. Let’s go." I motioned for her to get up and then we headed up the stairs.

            She wasn't picky about a room. She just picked the first one we came to. I told her to check out the view. She loved it. A river and a few mountains were quite the improvement over red brick and streets.

            We decided to go shopping the next day. We had to get her registered first and then we took control of the stores. They absolutely loved us. We practically bought out the whole store. Most of the items were bought for Sarain but I was doing a little basic shopping for myself. I had thrown out all the clothes that I had bought at Mark’s suggestion. This time I bought things that I liked and that were comfortable.

            While Sarain was trying on some outfits I spotted a dress. It was navy blue, which is one of my favorite colors. It was fancy, yet flashy but was still respectable. This dress made the mannequin look good. It was perfect but for what I didn't yet know. I asked the clerk about it. She said it was the only one that they had. I quickly tried it on. To my surprise it fit perfectly. It was as if it was there for me and me alone. I had them box it and take it to the truck. I gave them instruction to leave it behind the seat. For some reason I wanted to keep this dress a secret.

            Sarain came out and handed some outfits to the sales clerk attending us. "This is tiring." She said with a sigh.

            "You want to stop?" I asked.

            "No." She answered with a smile.

            "Good, let's shop till you drop." I looked at my watch. "That should be another ten, fifteen minutes, and then we can go home."

            "Ha, Ha." She sneered at me. "Where to now?"

            Afterwards we arranged for our new purchases to be delivered and then headed home. I was trying to get up the nerve to ask her something. I finally got the nerve when we pulled up to the Giant. It was as if she gave me the strength.

            "Sarain." I paused, trying to figure out how I wanted to phrase this. "When I changed my name, it wasn't just to help hide from my mother." I gripped the steering wheel and rubbed it. I needed something to do with my hands. "I changed my name so that I could put the past behind me and become a different person. I adopted myself into a family that had never hurt me and never could."

            I thought of Katherine in the morgue. She was that family. "You're not the person you used to be. You've changed and gone on with your life." I didn't know how to go on.

            "Are you saying that I should change my name?" she asked.

            "I'm saying that I'd like you to become a part of that family. I want you to take her name too." I cringed a little. I had never told anyone about Katherine.

            "Who is she?" Sarain asked.

            "She…is the reason I took the name, Steele." I answered.

            "That's all you’re gonna tell me, isn't it?" She shifted in the seat to get a better look at me.

            I nodded. "At least for now." I didn’t know why I was reluctant to tell her but I was.

            She didn't press it. "So you want me to change my last name to Steele?" She asked. I nodded. "Okay." She opened the door.

            "Are you sure?" I asked.

            "Connor, you are my best friend. You provided a home for me. You came for me when I needed you. You're helping to make all my dreams come true." She looked straight into my eyes. "I would love to be a part of your family." 

Awww look I'm on the way to a happy ending. The girl who had no one to love now has parental figures, a kid sister and her best friend all together and in a practically perfect world. Mwwah ha ha. Now I get to have a little fun. Actually I don't think I'm done with the happy part yet. Still got a few bridges to mend, fences to tear down, characters to torture...