Nadeem & Others

"Turn it down, Matt." A young woman's voice called out from the kitchen area, where she was just beginning to fry some eggs and bacon. Kate had returned later that night, where she had been filled in on the happenings by Greg and Nadeem.

It was rare to see Matt up and moving before noon, but since he had been forced to sleep on the floor while Conan had taken residence on the couch, he found he couldn't sleep past seven. Now he was up, standing in front of the tv and jamming away on Guitar Hero. "It is down." He mumbled back, too concentrated on the rush of colored notes to actually take her command into consideration.

The front door opened a few moments later as Nadeem entered the house. He had spent the early morning hours feeding and tending to the animals, as a means of paying back the three for letting he and Conan bunk at their place. "I can- hey!" Just turning to speak with Greg, who was following close behind, something large and furry bumped against his legs and nearly knocked him over.

"Innuo, no! Innuo!" Greg hissed, but the yearling liger padded inside the house anyway, crossing between the tv and Matt, and tripping over the cord of the guitar. Also ignoring the much louder and cursing words from Matt as the control was unplugged, the large feline paused in front of the couch, sniffing curiously at the two strangers that where there. Greg was quick to rush over, wrapping an arm around his pet's thick neck and trying hopelessly to tug him away.

*Conan*Raimi

It didn't take much to wake Raimi from his slumber, and he'd been sitting up, watching everyone around him. However, where most small things would have been terrified to see a cat larger than they were stalk up near them, Raimi was actually quite pleased. "Kitty kitty kitty!" he murmured softly, and was just reaching out to pet the furry head when his whisper, so much softer than the blaring music from the game, awakened Conan. His eyes flicked open upon Innuo... and in a spare second he had captured his brother's wrist and dragged it away from the liger before the boy had a chance to touch him, rousing an indignant squeak out of the toddler, but not a tantrum, as it might have.

Conan's eyes were still on Innuo, taking him in with interest twinged with more than a touch of fear, but he did not shout or try to squirm away. Rather, he seemed frozen.

*Nadeem & Others

Resisting Greg's embrace with stubborn ease, Innuo reached his bulky head over, nose twitching curiously to sniff at the hand that was snatched so rudely away before it could pet his head, "I'm sorry!" Greg was saying, giving the pet another tug, "He's no more than a big teddy bear, he won't harm you." True to most of his breed, the liger had a gentle demeanor, and very little seemed to phase him. His sisters were another story, but they at least lived in the wild.

It wasn't until Kate called his name from the kitchen that the hybrid turned abruptly and sauntered her way. Nadeem settled himself in a nearby chair, while Greg followed his pet in the other room, trying once more to lead him out of the house while they had guests.

"Hell of a way to wake up, huh? Now you see what I have to put up with around here." Matt complained wryly with a look back to Conan, and was quickly chastised by Kate about his language in front of the toddler. Rolling his eyes, the youngest of the three housemates turned off the playstation and settled himself into a second chair in the living room. "So, you got hassled by the gang?" He had been roughed up twice already. Beaten up once by a drunken Lanny, and once by Sasuke.

*Conan*Raimi

Raimi giggled with delight and wiggled his fingers as Innuo sniffed them, and looked a little disappointed when the liger meandered away, but quickly turned his attention to reclaimed his wrist from Ras-Ras, who released it with an air of startled amazement. Of course, it hadn't been his own safety he'd been concerned about, but Raimi's. Much as he'd hate to see what that animal could to do him if he decided to be difficult, but for a spare moment, he was positively terrified that the big cat meant to hurt Raimi. It didn't take much imagination to picture what a creature of that size could to to a little guy like his brother.

But Matt offered a distraction, and after a moment, Conan relaxed once more, letting the toddler play with his fingers as he nodded in response to Matt's question, not daring this time to attempt a verbal answer. It appeared that, though the sound had returned to him, in a deep rumble of voice so unlike the higher, lighter one he'd had before he lost it, words were now mostly beyond his reach, with only the simplest ones available to him.

*Nadeem & Others

Matt snorted in disdain and shook his head, "I wish they'd all just have one big war and kill each other off. Why they even bother to fight for turf i this craptown is beyond me." Folding his arms behind his head, the young man leaned back against the couch and looked to the tv.

When it looked like Matt wasn't going to engage in any more conversation, Nadeem started up as he turned to Conan, "If you want, you can stay at my place for a while, until things settle down. Or, Greg said his parents would be more than happy to keep you and Raimi at their place for however long you want." He offered, not knowing where Conan really lived.

*Conan*Raimi

Nadeem's new line of comments attracted Conan's attention, now making him sit up on the couch, placing Raimi in his lap. He was satisfied to note that, while he was sore from his beating, and his shoulder burned like fire, he was otherwise basically fine, and of course, easily able to travel. But this type of thinking captured his interest, forcing him into intent thought. Yesterday, he hadn't thought to imagine what he'd do once he got Raimi back. As a matter of point, he had half expected to be killed in the attempt, and had never thought past the release of his brother.

Home? Well, now that the Lady was dead and these others owned the house, he didn't really have one. He'd never had one, 'til on one sunny afternoon, a pale lady with dark hair had crested a hill on a sleek mare and spoken the name Ammit. And now... during the weeks before he'd clobbered Nadeem in his living room... sakes, was that only yesterday?... Conan had slept on any horizontal surface that presented itself; park benches, piles of pine needles under the woodland trees, or sometimes even just flat on the concrete, scooted under some overhang to keep out the wet. Matter of fact, the couch he'd slept on last night was easily the most comfortable surface he'd lain on in months.

He was quiet in his meandering thoughts for several minutes at a stretch, holding Raimi very close to his chest, eyes and face turned down and half buried in the crimson hair of his little brother. The little boy, sensing a disturbance in his brother, instinctively ceased his cooing and murmuring, and sat very, very still, just letting the elder one hold him.

When, after a long moment, Conan came to a decision, he raised his eyes once more, and made a motion that Nadeem would recognize: an invisible pen over invisible paper, scribbling through the air.

*Nadeem & Others

Understanding the improvised sign language, Nadeem stood and looked reflexively towards the southeastern corner of the room, where there had always been a desk stalked with stationary. And, to his surprise, the old cherry wood peice of furniture was still there, albiet now cluttered and stacked full of random knick-knacks. While Nadeem went to gather the paper and pen, Matt rolled his head lazily to the side, looking to Conan again.

"Dude, I'd stay at the Wallock's house. I so wished that they were my parents." He commented, which was followed up by a laughter from the kitchen as Greg responded to his best friend, "They practically were, Matt. You were over there almost everyday."

The shaggy-haired kid shrugged his shoulders, not discounting the claim, "Well if you had to choose between my mom's food and your dad's; you'd understand. Besides, you couldn't make your parents angry if your life depended on it." This earned another laugh from the other room, but no further comments.

Nadeem was traveling back to the couch now, handing Conan a pad of paper and a clicky pencil, "I'm sure there are other options, but we figured those two places would be the safest."

*Conan*Raimi

He was listening to the two young men chattering around him, almost shocked at how relaxed they seemed to be, despite these things. And when Nadeem brought the paper to him, he quickly wrote down his reasons.

THE SAFEST FOR ME, PERHAPS... BUT NOT SAFE AT ALL FOR EITHER YOU OR GREG'S PARENTS. DO YOU REALLY THINK FOR A SECOND THAT AFTER TAKING ALL THAT TROUBLE TO USE RAIMI TO LURE ME OUT, THEY'LL STOP JUST BECAUSE I ESCAPED? HEAVEN'S SAKE, THEY'LL ONLY HUNT ME WORSE! NO. I WON'T PUT ANYONE ELSE AT RISK. RAIMI AND I WILL LEAVE THIS AFTERNOON, AND GO - He paused in his writing, and finally continued, I WON'T TELL YOU WHERE. IF I DON'T TELL YOU, YOU CAN'T TELL THEM, AND THUS YOU'RE OF NO USE TO THEM. I DON'T WANT ANYONE LYING FOR ME.

And he paused again, finally adding a bit at the bottom, slowly, as if there were more significance to it, and again his writing changed, becoming softer-edged. I NEVER THANKED YOU FOR YOUR HELP YESTERDAY. IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU WE MADE IT OUT, MADE IT SAFELY HERE. I HOPE I CAN DO THE SAME FOR YOU, SOMETIME.

*Nadeem & Others

Carrying a two plates topped with scrambled eggs, bacon, and cuts of toast plastered in homemade raspberry jam, Kate walked around the couch and set one platter down on the sidetable nearby, within arm's reach of Conan. The other was handed to Nadeem, who took it with a grateful smile and generous 'thank you'. Matt was up and out of his chair in an instant, heading for the kitchen to dish himself up some breakfast as well. Most of the time, poptarts or leftover pizza were the items of morning meals, and while the two men would have offered such things to their guests, Kate felt obliged to make them a more welcoming meal. "There's plenty more out there if you're still hungry." She informed, before seating herself in a large beanbag on the other side of the couch.

Working on a mouthful of eggs, Nadeem took the note as Conan was finished writing it. Judging by his darkened expression, it was obvious that he didn't approve of what was written, and went on to tell about it, "Conan, I understand your concern... but..." He and Greg shared a troubled look as the other was just walking into the room, picking up on the context of what was going on.

"...you can't just run away from them. How will you raise a toddler on your own? And support yourself?" Nadeem turned hard eyes on the teen, "I'm just as much a target for them as you. They aren't ones to let grudges go." Another look was given to greg, and the lighter-haired boy nodded, assenting to a previously discussed topic, "Greg's parents are no strangers to the CS either. And besides... what of Aralyn?"

*Conan*Raimi

Conan picked up the plate as Nadeem began to read his note, nodding a silent thanks to Kate and beginning to split the plate between himself and Raimi, though the practiced, careful eye would notice that far more of the food was making it's way into the toddler's gullet than his. He was eating... but in a distracted way, like one does to be polite when he has no appetite, and his eyes were carefully avoiding Nadeem as the man spoke to him.

But he couldn't very well ignore him, and so he took the pad back with a sigh, writing awkwardly around the toddler and the plate before handing this back to the darker-skinned fellow.

I'VE TAKEN CARE OF RAIMI AND MYSELF PLENTY OF TIMES BEFORE, was his first, defensive response, AND ON NO MORE MONEY THAN WHAT I WAS ABLE TO SCROUNGE UP DOING ODD JOBS. BESIDES, WHAT YOU'VE SAID ONLY CONFIRMS MY DECISION. YOU'RE ALREADY IN ENOUGH TROUBLE WITH THE CS BECAUSE OF ME, AND IF GREG'S PARENTS HAVE TROUBLES WITH THEM, TOO, THEN I MUST DEFINITELY NOT BRING MORE DANGER TO THEM.

He had more trouble coming up with a response to Nadeem's last question. Yes... what of Aralyn? But finally, he thought of a solution to that, too, and scribbled this down before turning it over to the older man. BEN'S GOT A WATCH ON HER, AND COULD GUARD HER BETTER THAN EVER I COULD. AND BESIDES... SHE'S GOT YOU, NOW. ROOM 211 AT GREAT SPRINGS HOSPITAL. PROMISE ME YOU'LL SEE AFTER HER FOR ME, AND HELP HER UNDERSTAND. He'd almost teared up for a moment as he wrote this, but had forced the shimmer back from his eyes and continued. THESE PAST FEW MONTHS HAVE ONLY AFFIRMED TO ME WHAT I HAVE BELIEVED SINCE MY PARENTS CAME FOR ME LAST AUTUMN. MY PRESENCE ANYWHERE NEAR ARALYN BRINGS TOO MUCH DANGER INTO HER LIFE. I'D RATHER LEAVE HER THAN WATCH HER DIE FOR MY SAKE. I DON'T WANT ANYBODY DYING FOR ME.

*Nadeem & Others

The young man watched Conan's expressions as he wrote, reading them where his voice was unable to portray such things now. Then he took the paper, reading it over and shaking his head when their offers were met with refusal again. With a heavy sigh, he looked at his friend again, his voice set with determination, "Whether or not you're here, they'll still be after me. We might as well fight this fight together, rather than risk them picking us off one by one, as I'm sure they will." Nadeem looked once more to Greg.

"I've already talked to my parents about it, Conan." The lighter-haired boy spoke up, "CS be damned, they're thrilled at the idea of having you two in their house. And trust me, they know the risks that are involved." Greg shifted a little, his eyes flashing briefly to the floor. In all honesty, he didn't want to bring any more danger to his parents, but they were adament about safeguarding Conan and Raimi once their son told them of the situation.

*Conan*Raimi

The teen sat in silence as he listened to their protests, all the persuadability of a stone in his pose on the couch. The only sign of anything even remotely resembling emotion in him now was his left hand as the fingers moved up to scrub at the injured right shoulder, his nervous gesture making an appearance again as he felt the tail end of the raised white scar where it ended under the bandage Nadeem had placed over the bullet wound. For a boy who had learned early to master himself and not let anyone see what he was feeling, this gesture was quite revealing as to exactly what was going on behind those azure eyes right now.

And all this time, Raimi was still and quiet, resting his head back on Conan's chest in absolutely silent comfort. It was because of this that Conan missed Greg's averted glance, or he would have protested still more vehemently against taking up residence there. But finally, the teen took up pencil and paper again, putting down words that were soft-edged in resignation. VERY WELL. YOU HAVE DEFEATED ALL MY OBJECTIONS, AND I LACK THE PRESENCE OF MIND AT THE MOMENT TO COME UP WITH MORE. UNTIL SUCH TIME AS A BETTER ARRANGEMENT CAN BE FORMED, I WILL GO WHERE I AM INSTRUCTED.

He tossed this back into Nadeem's lap with an air of defeat, though his face still remained very calm and even.

*Nadeem & Others

After spending significant time in the field watching and noting the slightest of details of the Valley's wild inhabitants, Nadeem's skills at perception were uncanny. He may not have been around Conan for all that long, but the boy's simple action, coupled with the lack of any other sign of emotion, led the biologist to the assumption that all was not well in the other's mind.

"It will be better for Raimi." Nadeem added on, wisking a reasurring smile once he had finished reading over the note. "I suppose that..." His face bore a questioning look now, dark eyes shifting from Conan to Greg for the umpteenth time, "...we can head to your house after breakfast?"

"Yeah, any time is fine." The other respond with a casual shrug, "Whenever you're ready, we can drive out there."

*Conan*Raimi

It will be better for Raimi... now how could he argue with that? He couldn't, not convincingly, at least, after the large amount of drama and pain he'd just put himself and Nadeem through in order to get the toddler back. He was still holding tightly to his brother, eyes flitting around between everyone in the room...

But after another round of silence on his part, Conan looked down into his brother's face... and lifted him, plopping him gently in Nadeem's lap, as he would not yesterday, when things had been so tense. Perhaps no one else would understand it, but he was banking on Nadeem's keen perception in making the older man understand. By placing Raimi, easily the most delicate of the persons he cared for, into Nadeem's lap, he was restoring the bond between them, a completely non-verbal but clear way of saying, 'I trust you.' His blue eyes held Nadeem's with an intensity as he drew back, leaving the toddler sitting in the other man's embrace, now cooing and murmuring as before as if someone had just disengaged a mute button.

*Nadeem & Others

This act, too, was decyphered instantly by Nadeem as he took hold of the toddler and smiled down at him. The others may have been blind to the wordless act, but the young man knew it was the ultimate sign of trust from Conan, and he reciprocated his feelings with a thankful look to the other, before going on to speak with the kid, "Hey little guy. I know you're going to love it over there."

Greg grinned a little, "Knowing my mom, she's probably got all my old toys out already. Oh-" As a thought suddnly struck him, he looked to Conan, "I've got a lot of my old clothes over there still, and I'm sure they'll fit you, if you need any."

*Conan*Raimi

For the longest, Conan sat with his eyes intently upon Raimi as the kid giggled up at Nadeem and took a gentle swipe at the dark face with his tiny hand. But after watching the two interact for several seconds, a slow smile spread over the teen's face, one that he hadn't dared to use in months, and even now was tentative, as if expecting someone to slap him down for the show of contentment. Something seemed to lift from him at that moment, and he finally relaxed just a little, reaching forward to ruffle his brother's hair affectionately, but not removing him from Nadeem's grasp.

His reverie was interrupted by Greg's statement, to which he nodded solemnly, the smile disappearing back behind the mask once more, though not due to anything he'd said, but out of sheer, instinctual reaction. He sketched a thankful gaze in Greg's direction, wanting the young man to know that he appreciated all that was being done to help them when barely twelve hours ago, they'd all been strangers.

*Nadeem & Others

His face scrunched up as the hand came towards it, but he laughed in good nature at Raimi's antics. And when his eyes lifted from the toddler to Conan, he was happily surprised to see the boy's face carrying a smile, which it had been devoid of for so long. For the time being, things seemed to be looking up.

In silent reply to the gaze, Greg offered a subtle nod before drawing up the next line of business, "If you want to go now, I can drive you over. My mom should be home, but my dad'll probably in the shop until later this evening. I've got to head that way in a few hours as well to help him out - oh, and another thing. If you need a job, I'm sure my parents would hire you." He explained, looking to a watch on his arm to check the time.

*Conan*Raimi

In response to Greg's words, Conan stood, nodding solemnly to the information and storing these things carefully away in a file of his brain. He took up the paper again and wrote more, handing it this time to Greg.

NEVER HAVE I KNOWN ANYONE TO BE SO KIND TO A STRANGER, WHEN I KNOW HE HAS NOTHING TO GAIN. YOU MUST PROMISE TO LET ME KNOW IF EVER THERE IS ANYTHING I CAN DO FOR YOU IN RETURN.

Raimi's cooing continued uninterrupted, but then he didn't really understand what was going on.

*Nadeem & Others

Shoulders were lifted in another shrug after Greg read the note, "Don't worry about it, Conan." He dismissed the offer for help as casually as he had offered his own. As far as aiding strangers, he had always been raised on the importance of helping others, and never sought a return favor. Moving past the couch, he opened the door for Nadeem and Conan.

Nadeem hefted Raimi up, but passed the boy on to his brother before continuing on outside. "I'm afraid there's no carseat, but the drive isn't far." The young man was saying, as he opened the side rear door of a battered, silver Firebird. Greg was out a second later, getting into the driver's seat and turning the engine on. "I can - hey, what? You coming too?"

"Duh." Matt said, as he seated himself in the passenger seat, "If I know your mom, she's already got a meal ready for us."

"We just had breakfast, Matt." Greg pointed out, but this didn't deter the other's enthusiasm.

*Conan*Raimi

Despite Greg's dismissal of his thanks, Conan held the young man's eyes for a couple of moments to impress upon him that he meant what he'd said. Then he let them go, taking Raimi back from Nadeem and balancing the toddler easily on his hip while moving to scoop up the rifle with the other.

This usually caused some tenseness in others, but Conan wasn't about to leave the gun behind, whether or not he thought he'd need it. This was Aralyn's rifle, which she always carried with her when she went afield, whether for adventuring or research or healing of wild things, and Conan hadn't let it out of arm's reach since she'd gone missing more than six months ago. Since he fully intended to vanish into non-entity and thus remove the danger he presented to her as soon as possible, he couldn't bring himself to part with the weapon, rather like a security blanket.

But the muzzle was pointed casually at the ground as he carried Raimi and the gun to the car, where he settled himself in the backseat, the toddler in his lap.

*Nadeem & Others

While Nadeem didn't seem too moved by the weapon, Matt was eyeing the riffle with a rather unsavory look. "Isn't that, you know... a bad combination? Guns and, uh, little kids...?" A thick brow was raised, but Greg was quick to elbow his best friend, getting him to turn back around in his seat and drop the subject.

Neither of the three men ever dealt with guns, unless Nadeem was using a tranquilizer - which that in itself was a rare occassion. However, he knew that this particular gun was more than just a weapon for Briar. It was a reminder of Aralyn as well, as he had seen her with it more times than not.