Aralyn

Silver blue eyes took in the home, before they filled with tears. The young woman was thin, even thinner then when she had left. She stood at five foot two, and she weighed a mere eighty seven pounds, if that. Her face was pale, not a sign of rose to their pallor. She clutched a back pack to her shoulder as she stepped up to the front porch and lifted a thin hand to knock on the door, before she stepped back.

Psyche stood in a back paddock, her head hanging and low to the ground. Her mistress had been gone for almost a year now, and she thought there was no hope in sight. The other horses had tried to get her out of her depression, but there was no use. Aralyn had been her rock through the years, and she had left without a word. A soft fragrance floated on the breeze, that of roses and sunshine. Aralyn.... Her Aralyn. Psyche moved not, wishing for one moment to be closer to her mistress...

Nadeem & Abhay

Abhay had been one of the ones to try and lift Psyche out of her melancholy, but even his boisterous and upbeat personality couldn't raise her spirits. At the current, the wily young stallion, with his pitch-black coat and inward-curved ears, was making his way across the yard after having broken loose from his stall for the millionth time. Swishing his banner idly behind him, the horse slowed to a near halt when an old but strongly familiar scent hit his nares... could it be? "Aralyn!" Nickering her name as though she could understand him, the black equine galloped towards the porch and scuffed up the newly polished wood as he trampled across it. "Nadeem is going to be so thrilled you're back! Oh, but you do look thin." Giving the girl a nudge with his velvetine muzzle, Abhay sought her attention.

Putting aside a cluster of documents he was working on regarding the behavior of a school of chub minnows, Nadeem took his glasses of and hurried to the door. "Hold on, I'll be there in one moment!" Indeed, a few second's later, the door was swinging open, and the young man almost did a double take at the sight that greeted him. "...Aralyn? Aralyn, you're back!" A startled but clearly happy smile brightened his darkened skin, "Please, come in-" Opening the door wider, he battled down a million thoughts and questions that bubbled to the top of his mind, and got down to the important ones first, "You look half starved... where have you been?"

Aralyn

As the door had begun to swing open, she'd tried to turn and take off, only to be nudged by an unseen force. She stumbled slightly, and huffed at the stallion that greeted her but she couldn't stay mad at Abhay. With her hands on her hips she tried to glare menacingly at him, but instead ended up laughing in the sweet melodic tone of hers. I missed you to, boy. Her hand stroked Abhays velvety black coat before her eyes turned back to Nadeem. At his innocent question a flash of panic flickered in her eyes. Thats.... That would take a lot of time explaining. She leaned against Abhay, trying to rest a bit. She tried not showing it, but her body was weak, and all she wanted more then anything was to sleep without fear of being found by.... Him.

Nadeem & Abhay

Delighted at the attention he was getting, Abhay dropped his head lower and sniffed at her pockets, "Aww, no treats for me? Well, I guess I can settled with petting for now." Going right on speaking as he always did, the stallion quirked an ear at his master's voice, but didn't pay any mind to light scolding he was now getting.

"Abhay, leave her be! Go on, before you break the porch." The usual exasperation he usually held for the errant horse was lost in the general swell of surprise and joy at having Aralyn returned to him, and he didn't spend long repremanding the horse before speaking again to the girl, "Never mind that; please come inside, I'll get you something to eat." A touch of worry began to show in his dark eyes when he realized how purely exhausted the girl looked, and noted with alarm just how thin and frail she was now.

Aralyn

Her hand clutched her backpack even tighter, and she bit her lower lip as she stepped inside. I'm sorry to impose. Her voice was soft, barely a whisper. She was back to the girl who had shown up at the ladies farm.... Quiet, shy, and self hating. I didn't know where else to go.... She sat down at his kitchen table, her ratty back pack sitting beside her. Can I just have some chocolate milk? I don't want to eat you out of house and home. She smiled, trying to make light of her situation, before sighing softly. She had never been a people person, and she knew nothing of asking for help. So what was she supposed to do now?

Nadeem & Abhay

The subtle signs of her anxiety were telling to the young man, who had a perception as keen as a hawk's sight. He may be daft and naive about the ill intentions of others, but when it came to those that needed help, he could not refuse. Particularly when the someone happened to by Aralyn.

Closing the door and leaving a dismayed Abhay to stomp a hoof in frustration and buffet his snout against the door once, Nadeem turned his full attention on the girl, "This is no obligation, honestly... it's, really, Aralyn - all that matters is that you're back. Don't worry yourself over such things." He assured with a gentle smile, rummaging through the fridge to produce a half container of milk, "You know you're welcome here. You always have been." He went on to insist, now stepping over to hand her the glass of milk.

"Conan... that kid's going to be happy to hear you're back. He's been... a little on the downside for a while." He didn't mention how the red-head had socked him a while ago, nor did he hold that aggression against him. They'd both been worried over Aralyn, and Conan had more than enough stress on his back to deal with.

Aralyn

A soft smile flitted across her lips. I missed you guys to. I just.... I wanted to see.... She paused, uncertain of how to go on. She had gone back to her home town, and had tried to get some of her old life back. But, as always she had bitten off more then she could chew and had ended up trying to 'fix' another man.... She wrapped an arm around her stomach protectivly, hiding her dark secret. She had found out only days before and had wept in agony. Aralyn was pregnant. She took a sip of her milk, then those faded grey eyes that had once been so bright and full of life turned back to Nadeem. What have you been up to since I left? Anything interesting?

Nadeem & Abhay

Seeing her smile brightened his own facade, letting go some of the insurmountable anxiety and worry that had grown in the absence of Aralyn. He could put aside the constant fret of where she might be, what trouble she might be in... and wonder if she were even alive at all. But now, she was sitting right in front of him, alive and well. Except... what was that little motion she made?

The man was about to open his mouth and ask, of all things, if she had an upset stomach. Before he could do that, she brought up a question of her own and got a somewhat startled look from him. "Not... a whole lot." Nadeem had to look away a moment, struggling with whether he should tell her about what all had happened, or dare lie and try to cover it up. "Mostly out and about, doing my research." In the end, his smile wavered a little with guilt, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her he and Conan had almost been killed; and the worst part was, he didn't even know half of the story. "You'd be surprised at just how diverse the wildlife has gotten around here."

Aralyn

She smiled. Thats great, babydoll. Real great. She was tired, but there was one thought in the back of her mind. Nadeem.... Can I call my da- um.... Can I call Ben? Theres something I want to tell you guys.... But I only want to say it once. She hoped that Conan was with her 'father', for she had no number for her little brother. Well, big brother technically, but she was the older one. She tilted her head at him as his last answer really began to sink in. What do you mean by diverse?

Nadeem & Abhay

It still hadn't dawned on him that the arm-over-belly action could signify something as profound as pregnancy, but it was something that Benjamin would notice straight off the bat. And something like that... oh, woe to the poor fellow who did that too her, if he made the mistake of running into the ATHA leader. He could easily be another body added to the pit when all was said and done with.

"Yes, of course." Digging through his pockets, he came up with the compact little cellphone and offered it to her, "He didn't give me his number directly, but I do have... Tom's." Nadeem floundered a little, realizing that he didn't know the elder man's last name, and had to settle with giving his first. "And-" A bit of a grin reemerged, "I've gotten Conan a phone as well. I figured texting is about the only efficient means of him communicating to us long distance."

Aralyn

She smiled at him. Would you mind texting him, and saying that you have a surprise for him? I'm sure he'd love it. She closed her eyes, thinking for a moment. Ben gave me his number a long time ago.... I don't know if its the same one or not. Aralyn watched him, her arm tightening over her belly as a wave of nauseas set over her. She clenched her jaw, but kept a smile in place, trying to let him believe that nothing was wrong and that she was perfectly fine.

Nadeem & Abhay

"No problem, I'll text him right now." Nadeem returned with enthusiasm, turning his focus to the small device and working over the buttons with lightning speed. After producing a quick and vague text sent to Conan's phone, to the effect that there was a 'surprise that couldn't wait' the man scrolled through a few names before holding the phone out for Aralyn again, "I've his number right here; or, would you rather me call him, and tell him it's a surprise? I..." His thoughtful expression twisted into one of alarm when he saw the way she clenched her jaws and held her arm tighter over her stomach. "Aralyn, do you need to sit down? You, you don't look so well."

*Conan*

Fairly soon after Nadeem had sent the text message, a tiny dinging sound rang out and there appeared in his inbox a new message, which when opened, read simply: I'M ON MY WAY.

Aralyn

Her eyes lifted to Nadeems and she felt touched by his sincerity. I just feel sick, mon ami. It'll pass in a few minutes. She took a sip of her milk, and then a deep breath. Her nauseas still in place, she looked back up at him. See? All better. Her hands were shaking slightly as she straightened out his table cloth, and sighed softly. Things won't ever be the same, Nadeem. She said softly, her eyes on the table as if lost in thought.

Conan

It hadn't taken Conan long; he knew the path to Nadeem's house so well he could probably walk it in his sleep. In Aralyn's absence, he'd been attempting to protect the naive Indian from those who would harm him... only to have him fall into Ben's manipulative hands. With that in mind, when he sent Conan a vague text message, the teen had immediately suspected foul play. So he had three firearms arranged around himself, carefully concealed as always, and he ran up the drive. Summer had replaced his bandage this morning, so it was brand new and shiny... for awhile. Lanny had gotten his arms good; they still hadn't healed completely, and every time he moved his elbow joint, the top of the wound ripped open again... but he'd refused to go to the hospital for it. In under an hour, the bandage would be bloodsoaked and need changing again.

But as he jogged up the drive, he was alone, having left Raimi in Summer's care, since he didn't want to get the toddler involved in any of the mess Ben had made. And it was in this fashion, every muscle on him tense and every sense tingling, that he jogged to the front door and knocked softly.

Nadeem & Abhay

Conan wasn't alone for long. No sooner did he start up the drive than was he joined by an enthusiastic black stallion. "Hiya, Conan! Oh, woah, wait a minute, you're going too fast!" Abhay nickered, clopping along side the teen and trying to investigate the other's pockets for hidden goodies, and just generally making a usual nuisance of himself.

He wasn't entirely put to rest by her claim of being alright, especially when her hands had a tremble to him, and she didn't look entirely healthy with her skin so pale, and her weight down to startling levels. But he was not one to press issues too much at once, and so with a lightened smile, the young man nodded and let the topic drop for the time being.

It wasn't until she said the last phrase that something clicked in his naive brain, hinting that there could be something more going on than he realized, "What do you mean, Arlyn? Please, if there's anything I can do to help, with anything - you know you can trust me. If-" A knock on the door interrupted him, bringing his dark eyes in that direction, and a grin spreading across his face. "I think your brother has arrived." Moving past the girl, the Indian greeted Conan with a giant smile as he opened the door, "Someone is here to see you Conan... come in!"

Conan

Almost instantly when Nadeem opened the door, confusion swamped the teen. Why was the older man smiling so much? Something grew slightly on his face, which was almost always expressionless these days, and he murmured haltingly, "'deem... wha'..." Just as he was about to ask for pen and paper and question the Indian about why he was so excited, the blue eyes traveled past the face in front of him, and met a fall of dark hair around a pale, pale face. For an instant or two, he was struck completely mute again, his face closing down into nothing.

In that instant, she might have time to study him, as he had changed drastically since she'd been gone. When she'd left, he'd been a tall, gangly thing of fifteen, skinny beyond belief, as she was now, and just beginning to develop a man's weight to go with his height. Now, he stood 6' 3", towering over both his sister and Nadeem, broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, and every scarred inch of him covered in cable-like muscle. He wasn't a physically imposing-looking fellow, being more of the tall, good-looking geek strong than the Herculean warrior strong, but he was a presence. Clad this morning in a pair of blue jeans, and a red horizontally-striped shirt that Summer had picked for him and which left most of his terribly tortured arms bare, he looked like he was a force to be reckoned with.

But he was suddenly brought to silence and stillness as though he'd seen a ghost. It was nearly a solid minute before he gathered himself enough to find his broken voice again and breathe, "Ar'lyn..."

Aralyn

A soft smile has crossed her lips at Nadeems words. As a knock sounded at the door, every muscle in her being tightened to the point of pain. Then she saw him. Her little brother, all grown up. Tears filled her eyes a second before she launched herself out of her chair, sending it flying and slamming into Conan. Her arms wrapped around his waist as a sob escaped her. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. She whispered against his chest, her arms tight around him. Another wave of nauseas tried to consume her, but she wasn't about to release her brother. Not now, not when she had just gotten him back. I won't leave again. I promise, I won't leave again. She whispered softly. She pulled away from him, but one hand was clenched in his shirt, as if holding onto him like a life line. Conan.... I need you to call... Dad. Please, call Ben, I.... I have something really important to tell you all. There was shame in her eyes, and all she wanted was to just curl up in a corner and let the world pass her by. But she knew that she wouldn't get her wish, and that she was to deal with this child with her head held high.

Conan

Though words were beyond him for the moment, if in fact his ruined voice could have produced them, his actiosn said everything for him when she wrapped herself so desperately around his waist. He was paralyzed for just a moment, looking down at her as if hardly believing she was real... and then he wrapped both of those strong arms around her and held her gently, softly, as if she were made of glass and he was frightened she'd break if he held her too tightly. The blue eyes closed and his face turned down to bury itself in her hair, just as unwilling as she to release her when he'd spent so long frantically investigating her disappearance and searching the valley over for her.

For a moment, all was right with his world, and a rare smile that hadn't been seen in a long time lightened up the dark and haunted face, and it was clear that this was true pleasure, and not one of the emotions Ben had taught him to forge. But it faltered when she asked him to call Ben. Not because she called him Dad... no, he knew that his sister considered Ben to be a father-figure, and though it made him a little jealous, he was not surprised. What gave him pause was that she asked him to call Ben. His eyes unburrowed themselves from her hair to give Nadeem a desperate look, somewhere between 'You didn't tell her?' and 'Please... please explain.'

Nadeem & Abhay

The scene between the two won a softer smile from the young man, who respectfully kept his silence and remained at the side. Just one look, and one could see that the two meant the world to each other, and he couldn't be happier seeing them finally reunited, especially after how badly he'd seen it affect Conan.

When the red-head turned a look to him, Nadeem almost flinched in response at the thought of it. He wasn't going to lie to Aralyn, but he definitely wasn't looking forward to telling her about the whole CS deal, and how they'd come so incredibly close to being fed to the fish. And oh, if she knew the things that he was still in the dark on... but those were the things that Conan was burdened with, and him alone.

"Why don't you send Benjamin a quick text?" Nadeem offered, selecting the man's number and handing the phone to Conan. Then he cleared his throat in a subtle, subconscious declaration of discomfort before starting lightly, "Aralyn, some things have happened since you've been away..." The smile faltered a little, and his words ran quietly, as if he spoke them nicely enough, they wouldn't startle the girl as bad, "...the CS captured Raimi a while back. Conan and I managed to get him back, but... they seem to be after us now. Conan has been staying with the Wallocks down in Midtown Gardens, and they have an officer standing guard at the house most of the time - I think, they'll lose interest in us eventually, but... I thought you needed to know."

Aralyn

Her eyes narrowed slightly on Nadeem. You have a gang after you?! Of all the stupid idiotic- She broke off as another wave of nauseas claimed her. She slammed her eyes shut, and took a deep breath while her hand remained fisted in Conans shirt as an anchor. With her massive weight loss and the baby growing inside of her, Aralyns body was trying to shut down and recoup. Its not your fault. I understand why you got Raimi back, Conan. She whispered. Her face was slightly hued green. Once Ben gets here... We'll discuss everything. Ok? No more secrets. No more secrets the words seemed to bounce around the room, and filling the air with tension. She sat back down in one of Nadeems chairs, and let her forehead rest against the cool surface as she tried to calm her stomach.

Conan

By now, Conan was a very fast texter, and so it took him only a moment to send the message to Ben that he knew would bring the man here in a flash. ARALYN'S BACK. SHE WANTS TO SEE YOU. - RAS

But just as he was finishing this, Nadeem finished telling her about the whole thing, and she was very upset. Since it had been he who had requested that the situation be explained, he didn't scold Nadeem, but he moved up behind her and stroked her back, trying to put words to his mangled voice. "Ar'lyn...p-lease... w'at-" The words caught in his throat there, forcing him to clear it, and his fingers to twitch in frustration. He couldn't even finish an inquiry into her health! It upset him so that he didn't even hear her when she suggested that there would be no more secrets between them. Aralyn... just wasn't one to call anyone idiotic for taking care of their family, even if he knew for a fact that she didn't mean it. When he couldn't rightly express himself, his face closed down again, and he closed his eyes against an internal pain that he didn't want her to see.

Nadeem & Abhay

Casting his shamed look downwards when Aralyn started in on his actions with the CrypticSilvers, Nadeem prepared to endure it all without protest. He couldn’t blame her for being angery, nor could he bring himself to even try to defend himself. Instead he took the following scene in silence and once again felt a pang of worry at seeing her look so sickly and under the weather. It is what finally led him to speak again, lifting his eyes and sweeping a hand towards the living room, “Why don’t you two go sit down? I’m sure Benjamin will be here shortly, and we can discuss things.” The Indian offered, mostly for the sake of getting the girl to sit down and rest, and offer a more restful environment. Little did he know how Ben’s arrival would put a certain strain on Conan.

Getting the message, a text appeared in reply less than a minute later ‘I will be there in 10 minutes.’ Simple, quick, and bearing no hint as to the emotions he might be experiencing.

Conan

With the message received that Ben would be here soon, everything was set. But there was still the matter of the uncomfortable silence hanging in the air... until finally, Nadeem broke it. The blue eyes flashed open again, and flashed a small look of gratitude to the older man, instantly understanding what he had in mind and thankful that he'd thought of it. That said, he wrapped an arm around his weakened, sickly sister and struggled out, "C'mon... A'rlyn." He reached a hand out for her to take, so that if she wanted to, she could lean on him as they moved into the next room.

Aralyn

She looked up at Conan and smiled before taking his hand. She followed him to the living room, and very nearly collapsed on the couch but she still held onto her brothers hand, and lightly tugged. Sit with me.... Please. Bright blue eyes were on him, and she wanted nothing more then to take the worry out of his gaze and hold him close. She missed having her 'little' brother around, but she knew that Conan had grown up and seen things that he should have never seen. How is Raimi? She asked. The thought of her even younger brother put a slight pang in her heart. She was going to have a baby. Her. One of the worlds biggest screw ups. She shut her eyes, feigning resting them to hide her tears. She was sure she would make a horrible mother. How could she bring a child into her life? What would they think of her?

Nadeem & Benjamin

Nadeem paced into the living room, but did not sit down with the others just yet. Respectfully allowing Aralyn and Conan time to themselves, the young man excused himself to prepare the kitchen and start a pot of noodles on the stove. He wanted more than anything else to sit and talk with Aralyn, but knew that right now, she needed her 'little' brother, and he didn't want to overwhelm her with questions and talking.

True to his word, Mr. Linus arrived within the ten minutes he'd declared. A naive Nadeem was quick to answer the door and warmly invite the man inside, ushering him into the living room where the other two were having their conversation.

Although it was impossibly hard to tell when his emotions were sincere and when they were their typical mask of phony guises, almost anyone might see the warm surprise and joy behind those icy blue eyes of his. His 'daughter', whom he was sure he'd failed to protect, was in fact alive and well. "Aralyn. You gave us quite a scare disappearing like that." The punctual, clear-spoken words were softer in tone than they generally were, testifying to his relief at seeing her alive; and while he wanted nothing more than to waltz forward and give her a hug, he choose instead to take a seat on the couch beside her, "Where have you been?"

Conan

Conan willingly supported her all the wall to the living room, noting when her steps got weak and though he felt like the pain of seeing her so bad off would burn into him, the teen held on tight. He answered her pleading by sitting beside her and keeping one arm around her shoulders, sensing that she needed to know he was there, even if her eyes turned away from him.

He'd spent a good amount of time avoiding it, but when she asked him about Raimi, he knew that his poor voice couldn't begin to measure up to explaining all that had changed in Raimi since she'd left. So he turned to face her, though his arm never left her shoulders, and began slowly, "Ar'lyn, I... talkin' is... ver' hard. I use... hands or... paper now." His face contorted a couple of times during this brief explanation as he tried to force out words that better explained his problem, but this is what he was left with.

He was relaxed and contented enough until inevitably, Ben arrived. The only man in the world who probably knew almost every secret the teen had. But he'd learned his cold, clear face from Ben; the only expression of his tension was how he tensed a little, his arm going stiff and strong around Aralyn as if he needed to defend her from the older man, though a part of him knew that Ben wouldn't hurt Aralyn for the world.

Aralyn

As Ben walked in, Aralyns heart seemed to stop beating. Her eyes filled with tears, and she gave him a meek smile. She stood up slowly, and walked towards the kitchen, leaning against the door jamb. Nadeem.... Can you come in here for a minute? Every muscle in her body was taut, as if at any moment she was ready to flee. Bens question echoed through her mind. Where have you been? Oh God, what was she doing back here? Sure, this was her family but they weren't blood. Her own blood family had thrown her out, had used and abused her like no parent ever should. Why would they be any different? She turned, her eyes gazing longingly at the door but she knew she wouldn't make it far. Not with the condition she was in.

She sat back down next to Conan, snuggling against his side and trying her hardest not to break down before she got the story out. I... I went back to my hometown. I wanted to see if anything had changed. Nothing had. I was still Angel, and they knew that. They knew I wasn't Aralyn. Her hand was clenching and unclenching at Conans pants, the only sign of her agitation. I went to the bar. I just... I wanted a drink before I came back here. I wanted to forget everything. There were tears in her eyes, trailing down her cheeks. I met a guy. He was.... From my old high school, and he recognized me. He made me feel like the old me. The me I never wanted to remember, and I hated him for that. I got up and went to leave, but... She faltered. That was all she could remember. She didn't remember how she'd gotten where she'd gotten, and she didn't know what besides the obvious had happened. I don't remember. Her voice was a soft whisper, and her eyes looked over at Ben. I promise, I don't remember. She looked down at her hand, the one that was fisted in Conan's pants. I'm pregnant, and now I don't know what I'm going to do. She shut her eyes, waiting for the rage and the hatred. Just like her father had shown her.

Conan

It hurt him deeply to watch her struggle with it, trying to explain where she'd been and what she'd done. It was almost more than he could stand to let her go on, but somehow a part of him knew that she needed to get it out. So instead of trying to stop her, he simply tightened his arm around her a little, tight enough to signify his protection, but not enough to make her feel trapped, as he knew that was one of her issues.

As he listened, he felt rage begin to build in him against this unnamed man that had made Aralyn feel so awful about herself, as if her self-esteem problems weren't bad enough already, but for her sake he kept silent and kept his face neutral. Even when she declared that she was pregnant, which built the anger into a near-bursting flood, he kept his silence, and never drew away from her. He was devastated to hear that his sister had been taken advantage off, but contrary to her fears of rejection, it only made him ashamed. Ashamed that he hadn't been there to protect her, to keep this bastard from doing that to her. But even this did not show. All that he allowed her to see was firm support as she clung to him, and began to stroke her back soothingly.

But his eyes shot quickly to Ben, looking for that man's reaction and speaking clearly with his eyes without ever saying a word. That man has to die for doing this to her.

Benjamin Linus

Oh, there was definitely anger awakened in his eyes... something blood-chilling and heart-stopping behind those stunning blue orbs of his. But not an ounce of it was for Aralyn; no, behind those eyes, the wheels were whirling in his mind as he dug up ever ounce of information he had on Aralyn Sanchez. Where she had lived, the old high school she had gone too... And for what he didn't know right off the bat, Mikhail would find for him.

Benjamin rested a single hand on the girl's knee, in a solid show of protection and trust as he looked her full in the eyes, "I will take care of everything, Aralyn. The first thing we are going to do is take you to the doctor, and then home to rest. Leave everything else to me." There was pain to be felt in the concealed heart of the man, anguished at his his little girl had been taken advantage of, and how he had not been able to protect her from it. Seeing her so sickly and ashamed in front of him only fueled his fire towards vengeance, and as he looked to Conan, he shared a look of acknowledgement with the red-head. This nameless kid would be adding his corpse to the lovely death pit of Ben's.

While Benjamin showed his protection and support by trying to banish the burden of guilt and responsibility from Aralyn, a shocked Nadeem used words to fill in for the emotional comfort, "Oh, Aralyn... I... my lands, I can't imagine! Benjamin is right, we should get you to the hospital straight away, and then seeing about getting the police informed about that man." Of course, he was unseeing of the looks that Conan and Ben had exchanged, and didn't realize that the kid's fate was already sealed, unless he managed to give ATHA the slip.

Aralyn

Aralyn looked up at her father, a sad smile tugging at her lips. Ok. Um... Where am I staying? With you or... Here? She wanted nothing more then to have Charlotte back, but death was a cruel cruel thing and she knew that the Lady would never be back again. Her eyes closed as she tried to wipe away the face of her babies father. Jaden Markcus Raide. She had liked him when in high school, until she had found out his more nasty habits. She had tried everything in her power to stay away from the high school football star. But eventually, through the make up and the hair he had seen her little pretty face and like all the other boys had wanted to get a piece of her. A year later, Aralyn had run away and ended up here. Life was a fickle thing.

Conan

While still holding onto Aralyn for comfort, poor Conan was feeling a little left out of the conversation, since he couldn't talk. If one looked, the fingers of the hand that wasn't wrapped around his sister were twitching, forming letters and words, but he didn't try to get anyone's attention with it. In this situation, he felt completely inferior; Nadeem and Ben could offer Aralyn comforting words to take away the blame she'd focused on herself, to make her see that they didn't see her any differently just because she was pregnant. Conan himself couldn't express that to her in any other way than by continuing to hold her, when there was so much he wanted to tell her, just to let her know that he wouldn't let anyone hurt her again... but he couldn't even say it. That was what brought a bitter note to the joy of being reunited with his sister... now he couldn't even comfort her.

Nadeem & Abhay

With very little going past the detailed observation of Benjamin, he'd noted the way in which Conan desperately yet hopelessly tried to convey himself through signing; and callously ignored it. Though he could bet his life on the fact that Conan would never abuse Aralyn, there was still that fatherly thrum of protection and jealousy that went with his little girl having another 'guy' in her life. And for that, he offered no help to the boy.

That's where Nadeem came to the rescue, eventually picking up on the red-head's actions and scrambling to get a paper and pen. "Here you are, Conan. If-"

"You can stay where you wish." Benjamin spoke up, calmly cutting in over the softer-spoken words of the Indian, "Either at my place, or here with Nadeem."

Conan

Ben's ignoring of him, and the way he cut in on Nadeem's words, spoke volumes to him, as if he hadn't already known that the manipulative man hated his guts. Well, the feeling was mutual; he hated Ben for what he'd made him do, and for what he'd been subjected to both over the topic of Aralyn, and just because the man liked to see his pain. And the depths of his eyes said that, as he turned toward Ben so that his sister wouldn't see the heat at the base of the blue eyes. And the words he wrote on the paper, he scrawled quickly one-handed, not wanting to let go of Aralyn, and before anyone could read it, he tossed the pad over to Ben, right into his lap.

DON'T YOU DARE.

And then, knowing that he didn't have to explain that phrase, or even threaten because he and Ben had adequate amounts of blackmail on each other, there was another paragraph.

IF SHE IS TO STAY HERE, PERHAPS IT WOULD BE BEST TO KEEP ONE OF YOUR PEOPLE NEARBY. RYAN IS HONEST ENOUGH, BUT THIS CAN'T GO TO THE POLICE. IT CAN'T BE PROVEN. YOU'LL HAVE TO DO THAT YOUR WAY.

Aralyn

She nodded quietly, and scooted closer to Conan, so that she was very nearly in his lap. I think I want to stay with you, Ben. Her voice was soft, and even though she loved Nadeem, she wanted someone around her that she knew. Conan and Ben she had known for quite some time, and both of them she trusted more then anything. Lightly she placed a kiss on Conans cheek. We'll get your voice back, brother. I promise, I'll help you. Her smile was faint, and it didn't quite reach her eyes but she was trying to at least put them at ease. Jaden won't come here, so we have nothing to worry about. She slid off the couch to a watery stand, giving them all a wan smile. Lets go to the hospital, huh? Can't wait to here what the doctors have to say. She was feeling some pangs in her stomach, but she ignored them. She couldn't be going into labor yet. It had only been seven months. Nothing to worry about. Hopefully.

Nadeem & Benjamin

Hiding any traces of emotion as he read the note, if only because he couldn't afford to be too overbearing with his feelings towards Conan in front of the other two, Ben calmly stuffed the paper in his pocket and covered both their tracks, "Yes, I will take care of all of that." This first part was a blunt assurance that he certainly planned on having his people help protect the girl, while the second part was for the benefit of their act, "And I will inform Mrs. Wallock that you will be with us for a while, and not to worry."

A smile came to his thin lips, setting little creases about the corners of his eyes to show, for once, just the slightest glimmers of true emotion in the man when Aralyn choose him over Nadeem. "I've got a spare room you can stay in."

Not about to let his crestfallen emotions show to anyone, seeing that the least of Aralyn's worries should be concentrated on him, Nadeem smiled and nodded lightly to her decision, and offered help in transportation, "I can dri-"

"Come along, Araln, we can all fit in my vehicle." Once again cutting the Indian off, and doing it so casually that Nadeem put it off as the man just being overly attentive to Aralyn and not hearing him, the man followed along as Benjamin made his way outside.

Conan

It cut into him desperately as she kissed his cheek and moved to comfort him as though he'd been the person raped and now so weakened by life growing inside. It nearly took his breath from him... but he managed to keep his composure. As he got up from the couch, Conan offered his sister his hand again, steeling himself for her sake and still holding her as gently as if she would snap clean in half if he used too firm a grip, and prepared to help her up and out to the tan car.

Aralyn

She gave them all a wan smile, and followed out to the car. The pangs in her stomach were becoming more frequent now, but her only sign of discomfort was the clenching and unclenching she did with her hands.