"Great, so now someone is trying to kill me." At home, Lydia sat on the couch, nursing Dargek.
"It's not going to happen." Darguni growled.
"I swear; you're a bigger mess than Jordan ever was." Elunara sighed. "I find it interesting that you took the time to get Dargek safe, before giving in to the suggestion."
"What if it was part of the suggestion?" Darguni frowned.
Elunara shook her head. "I highly doubt it. What maniac tries to kill a woman, but tells her to save the baby? No, I think that was Lydia's own mind fighting against it. Suggestions of this magnitude include a kill all. Lydia saved her baby before giving in."
"How do you know this?" He murmured.
"I've studied these sorts of things. When Jordan was under the mind control of the succubus, he could NOT attack me. He fought, even if he never knew he did."
"Fucking hell, I'm sick of this." Lydia rubbed her eye with the heel of her hand. "Where's Lily?" She put Dargek on her shoulder. "I need both of my babies." She frowned.
"Darguni, you stay here. I'm going to go update everyone. I refuse to leave Lydia unprotected. I'll get Lily."
"Yes, Momma."
After she left, he frowned at Lydia. "We need to talk."
"I was just so angry..." She sighed. "Why... why would you do that to me?" Looking up at him, she had tears in her eyes. "Knowing how terrified and upset I've been; why would you corner me like that? Do you not love me? Don't you wish to help me?"
"Lydia, Baby, the only way for you to see, is to show you. I had no idea you'd be set off like that, and by time I get through with Warren..." He growled. Darguni rubbed his neck. "Baby, I'm PROUD of my children. I don't care that Dargek has a dinky leg. I want people to see him. I want my friends to know him as he grows up. They are MY children too, Lydia. You can't keep them from me. I don't want to have to steal them from you."
"I'm not trying to." She sighed. "I just..."
He sat down and put his hand on her cheek. "I get it, you're scared for him, and you're ashamed of him."
"I..." She choked on her words. "I'm not... Oh, Gods I am." She buried her face in his chest. "I've just been so damned afraid of what everyone would think. What they would say."
"You've got to let it go, Baby. People say their shit, and it's meaningless." He sighed and cuddled his wife and child. "When we were young, Momma once told me that you'd be the strongest of all of us, because you had to suffer the most. That... those with adversity have to work harder, do more, and have more to prove. It's not a bad thing, baby. Just because his leg is a little dinky, just means he'll be better.
We'll make it better for him. I know you grew up with your mother's intense sadness. Now you understand that about her... but you had us." He brushed his hand down her hair. "No one else matters. If your friends can't handle how our son is, fuck em. If my friends can't handle how he is, fuck em. Our child doesn't have to be friends with anyone who will insult him."
She shuddered against him and cuddled the baby in her arms. "I realized the other day, that my only friends, are you and Bradly, Gingy, and Momma's friends. That's... all I have."
"Seriously?"
"I want my Lily." She whimpered.
"You do care about her." He murmured.
Lydia closed her eyes. "I guess it would be hard for you to understand."
"Then make me understand. Ever since they were born, all I've seen you do, is freak out over Dargek, and never give attention to Lily."
With a sigh, she sat back. "When I am in here, I am safe. No one will say or do anything. When I am home by myself, I don't have to worry about anything else. I can just sit and enjoy my babies, and think and fantasize about my delicious husband. But the second that front door is opened, even to take a message, I become so completely terrified for him, that I can't think of anything else until that door is closed again."
She passed Dargek to him, before leaning forward, and burying her face in her hands. "In here, my children are whole, and perfect, and nothing is wrong. I can cuddle them, I can play with them, I can enjoy the warm sensation if their joyous energy. You seem to forget that I am like Elunara in that I can feel energy." She wrapped her arms around her waist. "I can feel when people are angry with me, I can feel their scorn. I am completely terrified, that when they see my baby, that fear and anger will start again. When I was working with Jordan, I could feel how much I pissed him off. When I worked with Grogek, I could feel the hatred of every single person who believed I didn't deserve to be there. I don't have friends, because I can FEEL what people think of me, for good or bad."
"I had forgotten." He murmured, as he cuddled his son.
"It almost destroyed me last time... I can't handle it again."
"A more troubling thought plagues me..."
"What...?"
The door opened, and Elunara walked in.
Lydia jumped and ran, practically yanking Lily out of Elunara's arms. "Oh, my precious girl!" She rushed over to the couch, soothing the angry infant. "I know, I know, you're so mad at me now, but let's get you fed." Once she had Lily adjusted, Lydia looked up. "Can my babies get my ability to feel emotions?"
Elunara blinked. "It's entirely possible. Darguni has my healing abilities."
Lydia turned to Darguni. "And yet another reason to fear leaving the house."
Elunara narrowed her eyes. "Has someone been directing hate at you again?"
She sighed. "I'm too afraid to leave the house and find out."
Raking her fingers through her hair, she sighed. "I'm sorry, my girl. I completely forgot how susceptible to negative emotion you are. That WOULD make someone afraid to leave their house. Especially when they had a child so like themselves." She ran her hand over Lydia's hair. "But, we can work with it, ok?"
"But now someone wants me dead!"
"Yes, but we can't figure out who that is, until you learn to pin point your abilities. We have to get you out in public; we have to let you be seen, so they can make their move."
"You want me to be bait?"
"Extremely well protected bait. You will be accompanied by one of us at all times. Since we can't stop our days to protect you, you have to come with us."
"But..."
"Please don't make me order you."
"I'll do what I'm told." Lydia sighed.
Bradly scratched the back of his head and sighed. He'd been over these ruins a dozen times in the past few days, and still he could find no evidence. Not that it mattered, as Mathias had a few dozen agents ripping the place apart. He picked up a chunk of brick and turned it in his hands, over and over again, mentally willing it to give up its secrets.
"Bradly?"
