Sorrow's Sieve

Braedan called Ada, knowing she could get in touch with Peter if they weren't already together. As it turned out they were down the street at a nearby coffee shop, waiting for Galen and Braedan. Ada had only been able to convince Peter not to follow the pair to the hospital, by offering the nearby alternative.

"Hey, Doc, how did everything go?" she asked casually when her phone rang. Peter's anxiety skyrocketed when Ada's face fell into lines of concern. "Is she alright?" she asked to whatever Braedan had said.

"What happened?" Peter asked, feeling cold with fear, but Ada just raised her hand to silence him, trying to listen to Braedan.

"Of course, we'll be right there." And she hung up. Looking at Peter she offered a small smile. "Galen is fine, Peter. But let's go, I'll explain on the way." Peter quickly grabbed his keys and led the way out of the shop looking at Ada expectantly. "First of all I need you to promise to be nice to Braedan, he is a good person and just wants to help."

"I don't like the way he looks at her. He looks like a man dying of thirst and she's the only thing that will quench it," he grumbled

"How poetic." Ada snorted. "And you might not be far off the mark, but you can't keep Galen away from every man who comes knocking, not to mention he is the only person who has ever been able to get her to wake up. We need him, Peter."

"I know," he said, "Now tell me what that phone call was about." Ada sighed and glanced cautiously at her companion, preparing for the worst.

"Galen was attacked at the hospital by an orderly."

"WHAT!" Peter grabbed her arm and began running toward the hospital, Ada in tow. The few people they past jumped out of the way as the large man charged past with little regard to those around him. Fire burned in his eyes and he couldn't decide who to kill first, the man who dared go after his sister, or the man who failed to protect her.

He burst through the emergency room doors and pushed his way to the front of the line at the nurse's station before either of the two security guards could step in his way.

"I need the room for Galen Lang," he growled startling the nurse who sat at the desk.

"I'm sorry, sir. But you will have to wait your turn. There were many people who have been waiting before you," the nurse stated sternly but gulped when she saw Peter's eyes darken in rage.

"Tell me where my sister is...now," he spoke quietly but the fierceness in his voice had one of the security guard's placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Sir," he said. Peter slowly turned to glare at the security guard; he glanced at the man's hand and offered a chilling smile. Ada couldn't take it. The testosterone level had reached its peak and so had her patience. She slapped him, hard.

There was a stunned silence and a combined intake of breath from those observing the proceedings.

"Stop with the asshole routine, Peter. I already have her room number if you would have acted like a rational person and actually listened to me!" Ada said. "Now apologize to the nurse and I'll explain the rest."

Peter actually had the nerve to look sheepish as he turned back to the nurse.

"I'm sorry, miss."

The nurse tried to hide a smile.

"That's alright, sir. I hope you're sister is alright."

Pete nodded and turned to follow Ada out of line and to a pair of chairs. She pointed, indicating he was to sit and she would have no arguing about it. "Now are you actually going to listen to me or do I need to call the security team over?" she said in a rather annoyed voice.

"I'll listen, I promise."

"Alright, Braedan had finished checking on Galen's leg and she was changing when he was called away by his boss; Galen was going to meet him in the waiting room. It sounds like she got turned around, was attacked by the orderly but Braedan found them. She has a slight concussion where she was pushed into the wall but other than that she is fine. The police had just arrived to take their statements when Braedan called." Ada could see that Peter was barely controlling his rage but was thankful that he was at least listening. "You can talk now," she said with a smile.

"Where is the son of a bitch?" he snarled.

"I don't know but I would assume he will soon be in police custody so don't start being all vigilante on me; Galen needs your support and needs to know that you aren't angry with her."

"Angry with her? She hasn't done anything, I'm angry with myself for ever letting her out of my sight. And I am pissed at lover boy up there for letting this happen!"

"You see, that is exactly what she does not need to hear," she sighed heavily. "It's what she expects to hear but she doesn't need to hear it. She needs some independence, Peter, especially since we don't know if her lucidness is a for sure thing. We could wake up tomorrow and she'll be back to the robot she has been for the last three years, let her live her life while she can."

Peter dropped his head in his hands, he hadn't thought of that. He would feel terrible if he took away the little time she had to experience the real world. He looked up at his friend who was eyeing him gently, true understanding in her beautiful eyes.

"What if he hurts her?"

Ada took the chair beside him and took his hands in her own, squeezing them comfortingly.

"We all get hurt, Peter, and Galen knows better than most what that feels like. She needs to be the one to make the decision on whether he is a worthy risk."

Peter quirked his head to the side and smiled sadly.

"Is this the doctor talking or my friend?"

"Which one are you more inclined to listen to?"

Peter nodded and stood, pulling Ada up into a hug.

"Thanks, beautiful," he said and kissed the top of her head. "Let's go find my sister, and I promise I'll do my best to behave."

*******

"We'll get this report submitted today and someone from the court house will be in touch with you about a court date."

"Thank you, officer," Galen responded

"Have a nice day." The officer nodded and left the room, most likely to join his partner in dealing with Daniels. Galen heaved a sigh just as Peter and Ada came into the room. Peter came over to her bedside and seeing her almost fearful look leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly. She nodded and sniffed, trying to hold back tears. Braedan could feel her embarrassment and fear over the situation but being her brother, Peter instinctively seemed to know what she was feeling too. "It wasn't your fault, babe. I love you and I could never be mad at you or disappointed." She buried her face in her brother's chest and inhaled the familiar comforting scent of him as he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"I'm sorry anyway," she said.

"Hey, if it's alright with the Doc, why don't we get out of here and get you home. We'll stop and pick a movie up on the way, your choice, what do you say?"

"That would be nice," she smiled. Wiping the tears from her cheeks she turned to Braedan. "So doctor, am I free to go?" She could feel his disappointment but when he saw her bright face drop a bit in guilt he attempted to push a sense of understanding and love toward her. The smile that came to her face proved that she'd felt it.

"You're free to go but you are on concussion watch tonight. Peter you'll need to wake her up every two hours or so. If she has a hard time waking up give me a call and bring her back in and I can do a few tests. If your head keeps hurting take some Tylenol and make sure to take it easy. No horseback riding either for a few days, not until we're sure you're in the clear."

Peter had expected as much, he'd suffered a few concussions in his line of work and the aftermath was never fun. He could see that Galen wasn't too keen on Braedan's instructions either and he smiled to himself.

Ada had yet to speak up, watching the dynamic between her three friends carefully. She was proud of Peter for keeping his cool but she couldn't help feel like there was something she wasn't considering, it had something to do with how Galen and Braedan kept exchanging looks, like there was an underlying conversation happening as well.

"Why don't I give you my number in case you need to call?" He quickly went over to a small desk on the side of the room and scribbled down his number on a scrap of paper. He purposefully handed the paper to Peter trying to create some peace between them. Of course Peter didn't know that he had already given Galen his number and it was safely tucked into her jacket pocket. Peter looked at the paper like he wanted to throw it away but he took a deep breath and looked up from the paper to Braedan.

"I'll make sure to call if anything comes up," he answered diplomatically and then turned to his sister. "Let's get you out of here, huh?"

*****

"I can't believe you're making me watch this," Peter grumbled good naturedly as he settled down on the couch beside his sister with a large bowl of kettle corn. "Aren't you too old for cartoons?"

"You know I love this movie, and it is my pick tonight. I haven't gotten to watch it in years so you will just have to endure." She grabbed a handful of the salty-sweet snack and smiled as she stuffed it into her mouth.

"Yeh, but 'Sleeping Beauty'? Couldn't you have chosen 'Aladdin', or 'The Little Mermaid'; Jasmine and Ariel are so much hotter than Aurora." Galen slapped him and laughed, pressing play. Trying her best to ignore his snide comments as the long opening credits rolled she sighed and settled into the soft couch cushions.

Despite her love of the movie her exhaustion from the day had caught up with her and by the time Prince Philip was making his way up the winding staircase to the tower where his love slept, Galen's own deep and steady breaths filled the room. Peter turned off the TV and gently shook Galen awake. Instead of the lucid Galen he was expecting he was met with the foggy eyes of the Galen from the past three years. She looked past him and slowly stood and made her way into the bathroom where she silently washed her face and brushed her teeth. That routine completed she went into her bedroom and climbed into bed. Peter glanced at his phone on the counter, almost desperate enough to call Braedan over just so he could see the life in his sister's eyes again. Instead he sighed and went in to kiss Galen goodnight. He would call him only if there were complications from her concussion, tomorrow would be soon enough for everything else.

*****

"That bitch is going to pay!" Greg Daniels thought while waiting for his bail to post. If it weren't for her he'd still have a clean record and now the little incident from this morning was going to haunt him wherever he went. He smiled darkly to himself with the knowledge he possessed. He had seen her brought in and caught her name coming from that son of a bitch, Kelly. Before he'd approached her he'd pulled up her file and taken down her address. It would take some planning on his part but he was willing to wait. He wasn't going to prison because a little girl decided to say "no". As soon as he could he would be paying Miss Lang a well deserved visit.

*****

One day, it had been one day in her presence and already Braedan felt her absences as a tangible thing. Galen was quickly becoming as important as air in Braedan's mind; he already felt there could be no living without her. He knew this fact should scare him, he wasn't close with very many people. His own family taught him early on that loving someone didn't stop them from hurting you so he had not let anyone get close enough to do any lasting damage. But with Galen all of his past notions and beliefs were being burned away in the fire of her eyes and the strength of her heart. She was his, and no one would contest that fact.

Braedan spent the remainder of the day working around his house, finishing projects he had neglected and getting simple chores like laundry and dishes out of the way. By the time he climbed into bed he sank down with a contented sigh, feeling happy with what he had accomplished. His contentment didn't last when he realized just how empty his large bed felt without the soft body of a particular woman. He tossed and turned for a while before sleep finally claimed him. When he found himself at the lake looking at a weeping Galen he ran to her side and pulled her into his arms. The same surge of emotion hit him again, not quite as strong as before, and settled into the back of his mind with a small push.

He didn't say anything at first, just let her cry. When her sobs turned to hiccups, he pushed her to arms length and looked into her eyes with concern.

"What's wrong, love?"

She sniffled and through shuddering breaths tried to explain.

"I know it's dumb, but I couldn't see the end of 'Sleeping Beauty'" and fresh sobs escaped.

"Oh sweetheart, why not?" he asked, holding her tight.

"I fell asleep and came here!" she angrily stomped her foot.

"Perhaps my sleeping beauty needs a prince to wake her up?" he asked playfully, he knew she was upset but was glad it wasn't anything really serious. Galen pushed away from him and smiled a little.

"You'd have your own dragon to get through I'm sure. I doubt Peter would let you anywhere near my bedroom."

"Yes, I'm sure his line would have something to do with going through him or his dead body. Can you tell if he's been waking you up like I told him to?"

"I think so. I've felt him trying and I guess my body at least is responding since he hasn't called you. I know he wouldn't hesitate to call if he thought something was really wrong."

"He loves you very much," Braedan said while pulling Galen toward him again. One hand wrapped around her waist while the other cradled her head gently, tilting it toward him. "But so do I." Their lips met gently, but it took all of his strength to pull himself away. Despite the unrelenting desire to claim her as his own, he wouldn't push her. A small moan came from the girl in his arms and then her hands grabbed the back of his head and pulled him back.

She met him with a hunger she had never felt before. As soon as his lips had first met hers a warmth had spread through her body making her feel lightheaded and an insistent ache quickly started between her legs. When he pulled away she couldn't take it, she needed to feel loved completely, in a way no one had ever shown her before.

Galen pressed herself against his hard body, aching to feel the warmth of his skin against hers. Her body ached as they kissed and she moaned as one of his hands stroked the side of her breast through the soft fabric of her dress. Barely realizing what she was doing she began to frantically pull at his clothes. He pulled back long enough to help her pull his shirt over his head before he greedily recaptured her soft lips. A need filled growl escaped him when Galen began running her hands along the planes of his chest.

Braedan's hands reached for the straps of the simple dress she always wore in this grey world, sliding them down her arms and letting the dress pool at her feet. With even greater reluctance and a groan from Galen, Braedan pulled from her hold and took a step back. He took in her slender form, so small compared to his own. Because he was not touching her the unceasing tears had begun again, trailing down her face and making their way down her chin and chest to cascade through the valley between her breasts. Her skin glowed in the otherworldly light and his pants became uncomfortably tight as his cock grew and hardened to the point of pain. Her eyes smoldered with need and Braedan couldn't take any more. He fell to his knees before her, circling her waist with his hands. Her breath caught as his tongue darted out to taste the tears between her breasts. He lowered her to the ground below him, worshiping her body with kisses.

Their desire was tangible and as Galen's moans and whimpers of pleasure became louder, Braedan wasn't sure how much longer he could hold back. His body shook with tension as he lapped gently at a nipple before pulling it into his mouth. Galen felt the fire within her flare, a new wave of moisture pooled between her legs.

"Braedan, please," she begged, pushing her desire for more through their bond. He lifted his head from his ministrations and grinned. He knew they were dreaming and he couldn't really hurt her but he wanted to treasure this moment, he wanted to prove to Galen that not only would he protect her but that he could give her more pleasure than she had ever experienced. He leaned back down and kissed just above her navel before sinking lower. Soft pecks on the sides of her inner thighs before he maneuvered her legs over his shoulders. He lapped at her feminine folds, treasuring her taste before pulling them into his mouth to tease them with tongue and teeth. Galen quivered in need as he continued his slow onslaught. She loved what he was doing but hated how gentle he was being. She pushed her impatience at him and was rewarded with a chuckle before she felt his tongue dive inside. Her eyes rolled back and a shuddering breath escaped her lips. He quickly replaced his tongue with a finger and began massaging the patch of tissue he was sure could take her over the edge. Her breathing grew more ragged as he continued and when he could feel she was getting close he pushed a second finger in, stretching her tight core and sucked the bud of sensitive nerves into his mouth. She exploded.

Galen could not remember ever feeling so happy. She was floating, she was sure. She knew she was smiling as weight came back to her limbs and when she opened her eyes it was to the vision of Adonis. Braedan knelt proudly before her, his manhood standing tall and sweat gleaming across his well muscled body. Galen licked her lips and spread her legs and lifted her hips slightly in invitation. It was all Braedan could take. He fell upon her, capturing her mouth in a bruising kiss while positioning himself at her opening. With a groan he pushed forward and was met with a sweet tightness he had never even dreamed of. Galen's accompanying moan stilled his actions until her legs wrapped around his waist and urged him forward.

"Take me," she demanded. Braedan growled in her ear and pushed forward, embedding himself fully in the woman he loved so dearly. Pulling nearly all the way out he heard a disappointed whimper before he rammed back in to the hilt with a satisfying groan from both. He reached for his discarded clothes and positioned them under Galen's lower back, lifting her hips and giving him a new angle and deeper penetration. His pace quickened with the volume of their cries, he was staking his claim. He could feel the pressure build, signaling his imminent release but he wouldn't end this alone. He changed his thrusts and began grinding his pelvis into her clit, sending her quickly over the edge. The contractions around his cock were too much and with one last deep thrust he followed.

When Braedan came back to himself he was alone on the small island in the middle of the cold lake. Despite her absence he couldn't help but smile, if she wasn't here, she was awake again. He glanced around and stretched, feeling more alive than he had in years. As he looked out over the vista his breath caught, the island was bigger and the water level had receded.

*****

Thank you all for reading, I apologize again for taking so long to get this chapter out. Please remember to vote and comments are always welcome.

Much Love,

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