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Humble beginnings

"Look, Shammi! Sheep!" Erishi pointed at the sheep. Shammi scowled and snuggled into Erishi, not wanting to see the sheep.

Hm. Kitten had been in a bad mood ever since she had been left alone with Onion Girl. Shammi didn't show any physical injuries, and Mignon didn't look that scary. Babies were odd.

"The sheep is white and furry. Go pet it!" Shammi squealed as Erishi dangled her over the sheep's back.

Björn strode boredly out into the grounds in the general direction of the farm. He'd been given the task of amusing Malachi while Faar did a few tests on Clemmie. It wasn't bad at all, really, but he was told to not smoke anywhere near the HQ, so he wasn't exactly in the best of moods. He contented himself in chewing on an unlit cigarette.

A very happy Ike was perched on Björn's shoulders, more than 6 feet off the ground. He was humming and peering around until he saw Crazy Lady and Shammi.

"SHAMMI! Wooooooah..." he slid clumsily down Björn's uniform, using the pockets as hand and foot holds, "Shammi!"


As soon as Ike called, Erishi tugged Shammi back to herself, looking somewhat guilty. "Hello, Ike-kitty." She said, plopping Shammi on the ground. "Is Lil' Guv with you?"

"Hai, Ikee." Shammi said, sighing.

Ike traveled over to Shammi as quickly as possible, ignoring Crazy Lady.

"Wha' wrong, Shammi?"

Björn huffed and quickly joined Malachi and the random lady.

"Who's Lil' Guv?" he asked. It sounded like something Faar would have said when he still sounded like a British weasel.


Looking towards the new person, Erishi ended up looking up and up. "Well, certainly not you. Nothing little about you. Look at you! You're like a tree!" Flexing her fingers as she looked up at him, she generally gave the impression that she was about to attempt to scale him.

"Anamrygh." Shammi muttered, blinking. But she did manage a smile for Ike, patting his tail. She didn't know the words to explain why she was grouchy, so mangled attempts would have to do.

"Errrr," Björn arched an eyebrow and laughed reflexively, "I'm...tall, yeh..." So this was the loony Faar had been talking about that time...

"Anamuh...huh?" Ike furrowed his brow in concern, but soon smiled at Shammi. He flicked his tail, making it flop toward the little girl. He'd been working on his tail mobility most recently.


"Fuw." Shammi said, reaching to pet Ike's tail. "Ayee, Migee, well ah me. Tupeed babee, she saee." Sighing, she reached up to tug on her hair. "Ah wike 'er 'air, an' she welle' ah me."

"I'm Erishi. Who're you? Does Ike always have such interesting people hanging around him?" Because, you know, you had to introduce yourself to someone before you started to climb on them.

Ike stared, wide-eyed and slaw-jaed for a moment. He then look up toward the sky, mouthing the word he had just heard and nodding his head to their rhythm. After the third or fourth time, he got it.

"Awwww...tha' no good! Who Migee? Wha' her...hair?...like?"

"Björn," the 7-foot-something man replied, the confused expression not leaving his face, "That all depends on what you consider interesting." He was going to be attacked now, wasn't he?


She couldn't explain the loveliness in words. Moving her hands, she indicated that it was long, and she moved her hands in spirals. "Wewwow. Pitee." Sighing again, Shammi shook her head. "Welle' ah me. Toopeed babee."

"Björn? Nice to meet you. You are big." Stating the obvious was one of her talents, after all. Still flexing her fingers, she walked around Bj�rn in a circle.

"Kinda like this?" Ike removed a picture from his pocket of Mummy and Desiree and showed the baby, "Why she yell? What Shammi do?"

"Yeah," Björn agreed to nothing in particular and moved his head from side to side, watching Erishi carefully. He cracked his knuckles out of habit and silently thanked Faar for forcing him to wear a shirt.


"Ess." Shammi leaned in closer to the picture. "Pitee wayee." Then she scowled. "Dwoowl on haiw. Say, take twoo howaws to do haiw, toopid babee."

She couldn't help it. There was a little voice in Erishi's head that told her: 'Do stupid things!' So, she did what the little voice told her to: She jumped on his back and clung to his shirt. "Climb, climb!" She squealed in glee, attempting to scale his back.

Ike put the picture away and frowned.

"Babies can'n't help droolin'," he stated simply, "It not Shammi fault." He ran his fingers through the baby's hair affectionately, trying to make her feel better.

Björn's first thought was, of course, to flail blow Erishi up. He thought better of it almost immediately, though, and peered up, waiting to see if Erishi could make it all the way to his shoulders.

"I suddenly understand why shirts are so vital," he laughed.

He really wasn't a bad guy...just a bit psychotic.

Reaching up, she caught Ike's hand and smiled at him. "Takee, Ikee." She said, cheering. It was stupid of Miggy to get mad at her. She bet Miggy had drooled a lot when she was her size! "How Ikee? Wewam?"

Glad that she didn't wear shoes often, she scaled up the shirt and threw herself over one shoulder. Now, able to get a better look at Björn, she smiled at him. "Hiya! Shirts provide much needed traction for tree climbers like me."

Ike smiled at the girl, but then cocked his head to one side.

"Ike good...wha' wewam?"

Björn laughed, although he was quite careful to not actually breathe on anything living.

"Hi," he said, and was momentarily tempted to pull some Vavvian martial arts on Erishi, "I'm glad you're happy." He wasn't that much taller than her, was he? Only a couple of feet...but, hey, whatever made her happy.

"See, Ewwi! Twee, and gwass, and.. and..!" Shammi looked up at the woman with a beaming face. "Outside good!"

"Yes." Erishi seemed preocupied, staring forward. Glasses replaced her normal contacts, and brown showed at the roots of her purple hair.

"Ewwi?" The chameleon looked worried.

"Yes?" Erishi looked down and blinked once. Almost as if she was making a mental note, Erishi smiled and patted Shammi on the head. "The walk was a good idea, Shammi."

Björn plodded along, hands shoved in his pockets, with a half-asleep squirrel boy on his shoulder. Said squirrel boy had commandeered his glasses for the time being, and he was half-blind.

Had it not been for this fact, he would have frozen in his tracks.

Suddenly, though, Ike leaped from his perch.

"SHAMMI! SHAMMI! YOU'RE SO BIG!" he yelped as he dropped the sunglasses and launched himself from Björn's shoulders to the chameleon girl.

Björn grunted and fished his sunglasses from his shirt, where they'd fallen, and placed them on his nose.

"...Jesus Christ..." he murmured after a pause, "Erishi?"


"IKE!" Shammi screeched, holding onto Ike as hard as she could. "Ike Ike Ike Ike Ike!" It was Ike! And he was here, and he wasn't going to leave anytime soon! "Ike~" She had missed him! She had missed him so much! "Shammi missed you!" She was so happy she was almost crying.

Eyes focusing on the man who spoke, Erishi blinked at him once or twice. She thought for a few more moments before speaking. "Björn." She fell back into her thoughts before speaking another word. "Hello."

Ike laughed and clung to Shammi, swinging her in a circle.

"You were gone! I was so nervous! But now you're back an'...Shammi!" He gave one last, tight hug before putting the poor girl down.

"How've you been?! When'd you grow?!"

"Jesus, hon," Björn walked to Erishi and placed a finger under her chin, tilting her head up and to the side, as if he'd see some kind of implant or surgery scar.

"What happened?"


Shami laughed when Ike swung her around, clinging to him. "Ike." She smiled up at him, eyes closed. "I've been beeg long time! Haven't seen you. I went 'way." And Shammi didn't want to talk about that, no siree.

"Shammi been.. Good. Ewwi sick for a while. But she's gettin' better. Lil' bit." She beamed. "Things good!"

"Hmm." Erishi watched Bjõrn's hand, almost suspiciously. Once she decided that he wasn't going to hurt her she replied. "I went to get Shammi. On the way out I was... Hacked. The databanks in my head got wiped." That was the shortest explination for what was wrong with her.

"Good, good!" Ike grinned and clapped his hands together, "I dunno how long Imma...I mean...whaddya wanna do?!"

Frankly, he'd be happy committing mass genocide. It was Shammi for Christ's sake!

Björn dropped his hand. God damn it all, was anyone willing to associate him going to just stay normal...ly insane, as such things were...

"I see," he nodded, face contorting into an almost concerned expression.

Almost.

"It's kinda scary, to tell yah the truth."


"Ummm..." Shammi blinked and thought, looking around. "Maze?" She asked meekly, pointing towards the tall hedges. "I never see before."

Turning one eye slightly, she watched Erishi. "Ewwi." She called sternly. Erishi jerked and looked at her, frowning. "Be Ewwi!"

"Sorry." Erishi said, blinking at her before turning back to Björn. She blinked a few more times and broke into a smile, wrapping her arms as best she could around his middle. "Hiiiiii!" She said, smiling up at him as best she could. "How're you?"

"Kay," Ike nodded, forcing a smile after a moment. His mum had been attacked in there...or something. Maybe? Or had it been him?

He couldn't remember, and that was a wonderful thing.

"We can't get seperated, though. We'll get lost n' stuff. I never made it through."

Björn heaved a sigh and returned the embrace for a moment, eyes closed, consciously making an effort to not crush the woman.

Once he realized what he was doing, however, his body once again went rigid. He stimply stood, waiting for Erishi to let go.

Crap. He'd almost lost it, there.

"I'm fine."


No reason was needed for Shammi to stick as close as possible to Ike. She grabbed his arm and held it close to her. "Okay. Shammi stay right here." She nodded seriously. "If we get lost, yell for BJ, okay? He big. See over trees."

How she remembered, through all the time, Ike's stupid nickname for BJörn, no one would ever know. But it would have proved very amusing to Erishi if she had heard.

Hugs were nice. That was why you were supposed to give them. But Björn stiffened up. So Erishi let go of him and looked up, still smiling. He was lying, too. So, it was okay that she was lying.

Reaching up to pat him, which is what her memory said she would usually do, She tried to widen the smile. "Good. I- Erishi is glad!" She nodded several times. She knew there were other people that she should be inquiring about, but she couldn't make the connection anymore.

"Umm... Little boy..." Her mind frantically serched for a name. "Little furry white boy, is he good?" Strain was showing in her voice, but she was going to be damned if she made someone else worry about her.

Ike smiled and nuzzled the top of Shammi's head with a bit of difficulty, heading for teh entrance to the maze.

Yup. It had been him that WIlliam had attacked in here, but Hell, who cared any more? The b*****d was dead! He stood there and looked down to Shammi.

"Left," he pointed left, "or right?"

"Malachi. He's alright," Björn nodded, "and don't break int'uh third person if yeh don't naturally. Really." He then sighed and dropped to a nearby rock, dropping a good three feet in height.


Shammi looked first right, then left, weighing both options in her mind. Carefully, she pointed with her tail to the right. "Dis way."

"Shammi nevva thought she see you 'gain. Missed you lots and lots and lots." She paused. "And lots! What Ike do when gone?"

"Sorry." Erishi looked at her feet and stopped smiling. "Most of what everyone was used to with my behavior was caused by a malfunctioning program. It got deleted with a lot of other stuff. Some things I have trouble remembering."

Now that he was closer to her hight, Erishi leaned over and rested a hand on his head. "It's okay. You don't have to pretend for me either. I can listen if you wanna talk." Not that he did, but it was a good gesture, right?

"Kay," Ike nodded and began to the right, and then turned the only avaliable corner to the left, "I didn't do much. Practice mostly. There was a circus thing I barely went to. Thassit. I missed you!"

Björn nodded, but flinched slightly under Erishi's touch and pulled away. He immediately began fixing his hair obsessively, using his fingers to comb it back into a ponytail.

"Not much to talk about. Just an old immortal eel-thing going through a lonely midlife crisis." He snorted.

"Age paradox."


"Pak'tiss what?" She asked, keeping one eye on Ike while the other swept around and looked at their surroundings. It never hurt to keep a watch out. Expecially for birds. She flinched when one flew over and gave Ike's arm another squeeze. "Shammi no like." She grumbled, watching it fly past.

'Touching Björn' had been listed as a thing not to do in her mind from now on, since he didn't seem too fond of it. "I'm sorry." Was her automatic response. She thought a few more minutes. "You should go sleep with someone. That's why Pathos picked up me. I think that's what you're supposed to do in a mid-life crisis."

She sat cross-legged on the ground so she could look up at him. A smile came to her face, even though she didn't feel happy. "I remembered you. I didn't can't remember lots of other people, so I guess you must be important." Her smile was a bit more real on the last bit.

"My violin," Ike nodded, "Maybe I can play for you some t--don't worry, Shammi. I'll keep you safe from the birds." He smiled down to the girl and nodded. They reached another fork in the hedges.

"Which way now?"

Something inside Björn gave an unpleasant, tight twist. He grimaced, not much unlike his usual expression, and closed his eyes for a moment.

"Thanks for the advice, but I think I've got a handle on things," he said and cleared his throat, as his voice was surprisingly light, "And I'm glad I...may be important." He gave a weak half-smile, a very rare thing to see from him.


"Vio-Len? Len Len? Len biwd. Good one, tho. How you play Len? With Vio? What Vio?" Shammi hadn't seen Len in a long time. She missed her, too. "Ummm, Yeft. Okay?"

"Don't trust my advice. It's still unreliable. And dumb." She looked worried until he smiled. Aha. Victory. She smiled back, serching her mind for anything that might make him smile more. "Of course you're important. You're the only decent guy I've ever got along with. Most of the others... Well. Right. Hah." Well, that subject wouldn't make him laugh, that was for sure.

"Nonono...Len's my--okay, left," Ike nodded and started left, "Len's one'uh my best friends. I don't play her. I play an instrument called a violin...like v-i-o-l-i-n. It makes music."

He often forget that even he, at one time, had had absolutely no idea as to what a violin was.

Björn nodded, smile fading as such things usually did, and cocked an eyebrow.

"Do I have to smack-a-b***h? Or b*****d..s...as it were..."


"Oh. Violin, not vio Len. Okay!" She perked up and nodded. "Music? Loud music? Like: Na na na na na!" She moved her free hand in the air and acted like she was beating it on a drum. "Music's good! Ike's good!" And Shammi looked up at him with adoring eyes. Ike was amazing!

"Um, no. Or, yes! If you want to, it's okay. I think most of them are dead. Soilders, and stuff. But I could find some of them if you wanted to hit something. It might make you feel better?" Erishi bit her lower lip and raised her eyebrows. ". . . Can I do anything to make you feel better? Anything at all?"

Ike smiled down fondly at Shammi.

"No...more like...uh..." he paused for a moment, and then sang a few sweet notes, oddly indicitive of a violin's timbre.

"It's real pretty."

Björn sighed. He twitched. His brain fizzed.

"Gimmee a hug."


Shammi watched him and smiled, twisting her head back and forth. "Ike pretty. Shammi wants to lis'en sometime. Maybe Shammi learn instwoo-mant. Then we music. Both! Uh huh!"

Erishi blinked once. "Okay." She stepped over to him and wrapped her arms around him as tight as she could.

I'm pretty? What?

"You can come over any time you want, Shammi. We don't do so much stuff any more. I'd be happy to play for you. You could learn to play too!"

Björn gave a defeated sigh and clung back, a single tear escaping. He wiped it away furiously, literally mad at it. He simply rested his head atop the oddly-sane Erishi's shoulder for a moment before pulling back.

"Thanks."


"Okay! I come to see Ike!" She sounded elighted at this. "Leawn slow, though. Shammi not smat. But I twy, okay?"

Even if Erishi didn't see the tear, she felt him wipe something away. Hesitating once, she reached out and patted his arm. "Anytime, Björn. Anything I can do to help, you just ask. I'll do anything."

"Oh, you're plenty smart!" Ike grinned and patted Shammi's hand, only to look up and find themselves in the centre of the maze, "Wow. You're good at mazes..."

Björn nodded and smiled.

Actually smiled.

A real smile.

"Thanks, Erishi, whether or not you remember any of this when your...ah...databank is back or whatever." He crossed his arms, feeling exquisitely foolish, and then went for his cigarettes and lit one up.


"Naw. Shammi.. cwazy. Ike bestest." Shami shook her head and waved her hand. "We good when both hewe. Uh huh!"

Shammi looked around, frowning. "Not know whewe go next. Ike help, okay?"

Erishi looked surprised at the smile, eyes wide. She blinked once or twice before blushing and rubbing the back of her head. "I'll make sure To remember this. It's important." She laughed slightly, pulling at her hair.

"Nah. Shammi's mum is crazy. Shammi has awesome hair, so Shammi can't be crazy," Ike said simply and peered about, "Well, we can try to get back out, or see if there's a way out the back."

Björn snerked, actually blushing slightly. He took a long drag and exhaled a plume of smoke.

"Or maybe it'd be best if you didn't. Yanno, I have a reputation to withhold." He smiled and shook his head.

He wasn't quite sure if this was a new personality development, or yet another brain-snap.


"Yes. Ewwi." She reached up and touched her hair, smiling. "Well, Ike have.. Aw-sawm tail. So thew." She stuck her touge out about four inches at him. "Keep goin'? We make it. Uh huh."

Yet another thing to add to her book of mental snapshots: Björn blushing. Even if it was a litle bit. "I don't think you'll be that lucky. I told you, you're important. I remember the important stuff." Gently she reached out to puch his arm. "Don't worry, you big teddy bear. I won't tell anyone."

"Okay," Ike nodded and smiled, floofing his tail a bit for Shammi's benefit. He began out the single part in the hedges, peering about, "We'll make it, no doubt! We're a fearless team of adventurers! ...or...pair of...adven--whatever."

Björn laughed slightly, his face flushing a deeper red. He wasn't quite sure which Erishi he liked batter, the confused sane one or the adorable crazy one.

"Yanno, that's what my name means," Björn said easily, taking yet another drag from his cigarette between sentence fragments, "minus the 'teddy' bit, I mean."


"Big stong ad-adven-... Big stong team!" She beamed at Ike and fluffed Ike's tail. "We'll win, and make it! Uh huh!"

"Big bear? You look like one. But not as scary. But big and strong and... Huggable." She smiled back, glad that Björn was relaxing a little bit. "You know, you should smile more often. It'll make other people smile. Then you'll feel better."

Ike laughed and gave an exaggerated gasp as the pair reached a trifurcation.

"Left, right, or straight?!"

Björn snorted in amusement.

"My smile makes little children want to hide their innards. It's a honed skill," he nodded and put the half-finished cigarette out on his hand, "and how can I be huggable? I'm too big 'round."


"Ummm..." Shammi stuck a claw in her mouth and chewed on it. Moving her lips slowly, she pointed straight. "Not went that way yet."

"Well, it makes me smile." Putting her hands on her hips, Erishi stuck out her tounge at him. "You're huggable, because I said so. So there."

"Okay," Ike smiled and began straight, compeltely amazed at how lucky they were being, having not run into any walls.

Yet.

"Yanno, Erishi," Björn twitched again, although he didn't notice himself, "You're my only friend outside th' family. Thanks. Really."


Of course, good luck couldn't take forever. After turning a corner, there was a wall. Shammi blinked at it with large eyes before looking up at Ike. "Oh. Oh. Sowwy. Picked bad."

"I'm your friend?" Her face went blank for a moment, then another smile grew on her face. "I thought I was annoying. I don't make friends easy, either. So, um, thanks back?"

"It's okay!" Ike said rather cheerfully, almost uncharacteristically so, "We'll just go back and pick another way." He lead Shammi back to the last split, and gave a sweeiping motion with his arm.

"Which way now, madame?"

"Nah. You're not annoyin'," Björn nodded, "A little off, but not annoyin'. We assholes and-or freaks need to stick together, yanno?" He laughed.

Actually laughed.

Jesus, he was starting to scare himself.


"Okay." Shammi frowned for a minute before perking up. It was different, having to get used to other people being nice to her. "Ummm, left? Sound good, Ike?" She asked up, blinking rapidly.

"Right." Erishi grinned like a fool at Björn. When he let himself go, he was pretty charming. To her, at least. "And, unfortunatly for you, you just admited that we're friends. That means you'll never get rid of me, no matter what you do."

Well, unless he blew her up, or something. But she didn't think he'd do that. Probably.

"Sounds perfect," Ike nodded and smiled, starting to the left.

"I don' have a problem with that," Björn shook his head and sighed. God damn it. Now he had friends.


"Ike." Shammi smiled up at him. "Ike... Ike best. Not mean 'cause Shammi pick bad. But! Ike pick next. Shammi gets too many tuwns." She pointed up to the upcoming fork.

"Good." She said, not knowing quite what else to say. She looked down at her feet again and sighed. "Sorry. I keep thinking. It's different, being able to complete a thought without ineruption. I keep getting lost in my own head."

Ike looked to the left, then the right, and then the left again. This was a damn hard decision.

"Right," he nodded, and began in that direction, immediately hitting a wall.

"See? That's why I don't pick. You're better at picking."

Björn nodded.

"I understand. Enjoy it while you can. A complete thought process is a beautiful thing."


"Naw. Just.. Un-lucky." Shammi blew a rhaspberry at him. Leading him back to the fork, she took the right path. Tail waggaling, she pointed at another hole in the wall. "Look, Ike! Mow light!"

"Thanks for being cool." She leaned over to puch a bicep gently. "Just.. Thanks, Björn. You're makin' me feel a little less dumb." Erishi laughed slightly, more at herself than anything else, before shooting a look at the maze. Shammi'd be fine, she was with Ike. But it had been a long time since they went in.

"We made it!" Ike grinned and began to lead Shammi through the exit, "We make an awesome team. I've never gotten this far before!"

"Ah, no problem," Björn nodded, and then followed suit and peered toward the maze, "They'll be fine."


Clapping and laughing, Shammi licked Ike's cheek with her tongue. "Good team!" She chirped, bouncing on her feet. "C'mon!" Tugging on his arm, she started to pull him back to the adults. "Ewwi! BJ! We make it! We make it!" She called.

Hesitating a moment, Erishi held her arm up and waved big. "Good girl, Shammi!" She called back, smiling. "Heh. Good kids." She muttered.

Ike picked Shammi up then and rested her on his mysteriously effeminate hipbone. "We made it all the way through!"

Björn blinked once. Twice.

"That's nice," he nodded, "but don't ever call me that again, hun."


"Uh huh!" Shammi agreed, waving. She clicked her claws at Björn, blinking before smiling. "Be-yawn?"

Erishi giggled slightly, eying him. "Don't like the nickname?" She teased. "Good job... Ike! Shammi, too."

Björn forced a smile.

"Close enough," and he then turned to Erishi, "Gee, I wonder what I could possibly have against the nickname!"

Ike snickered.


Erishi snickered as well, hiding her grin behind her hand. Controlling herself, she reached down to scoop Shammi up. "You and the big bear," She tossed her head towards Björn, "should come over some time. I'll make pancakes. And then Shammi wouldn't miss you so much, Ike."

"Uh huh!" Shammi agreed again, beaming.

After Pathos' return, Eri had taken up wandering from home in earnest. And long sleeved shirts.

Arms crossed and head down, Eri shuffled about, apparently not caring for her destination. She looked to be in though, which was surprising enough, but she also looked worried.

It kinda sucked that once you found a nice place to belong, some a*****e decided to screw with it.

Björn was in no more of a hurry to get home than Erishi, although certainly not for the same reasons. He just couldn't seem to stand being around people who didn't give a damn.

At least outside he'd have a chance to run into Ethan or Erishi.

He was reflecting on this thought as he crushed a cigarette butt into the ground with the heel of his boot, and then looked up.

Sad Erishi?


Catching movement from the corner of her eye the woman skittered slightly to the side, away from Björn. Keeping her eyes to the ground, she muttered a sort of apology, crossing her arms even tighter across her chest. She was so wrapped up inside of herself that it would have been surprising if she had even realized that the person she skittered from was a friend.

Not cool.

"Erishi," Björn said, standing and looking to the woman, "What's wrong?" He made no move to touch her, knowing full well how she may react.

"Huh?!" She jumped into the air, turning slightly. It took about a minute of starting before she apparently snapped out of her mental state enough to recognize him.

"O-Oh! I-I'm sorry, Björn. I... I didn't see you, there." She finally let her arms loose to twine her fingers together and to smile up at him. "S-Sorry. I was just... Thinking."

"I noticed," Björn said, brow arched. Something was very not-right. First off, Erishi was not meant to be a sad Erishi. Secondly...well, Hell. He knew he didn't have the friendliest-sounding voice ever, but she'd freaked...

"What happened?"

"W-What would give you the idea something happened?" She tried to make her grin bigger. "Nothing happened! Everything is normal."

To prove her point, she practically tore her hands from each other and flapped her arms. While she probably intended this to make her look like her normal, strange self, it showed what she was trying to hide. One of the sleeves on her shirt tugged up to show a large, nearly black bruise on her forearm. It wrapped all the way around her arm, and was perhaps a little larger than her own hand.

Huh. Thought so.

Björn reached out and caught Erishi's arm, holding it firmly and somehow lightly. Well, sonnuvabitch.

"You're gonna lie to me about something like this? Huh?"

If he sounded angry, he was. Just not at her.

"Who the ******** did it?"


"I-I'm sorry!" She tried to twist away, attempting to push the sleeve back into place. Eri was incredibley glad that she'd worn long sleeves, because if that one bruise had made him so mad, what the rest of her looked like would only make him more angry.

"N-No one! I... I was clumsy. I... Ran into a door?"

"Sweetheart, I know what abuse is," Björn said simply, "Now either you tell me who did this, or I'm doing my own kind of investigation."

People could assume that this would involve explosives.


"I...." Letting her head fall down to rest on her chest, she gave a sort of laugh.
"Pathos came back. And, well, I never have been good at telling people 'no'."

Pathos...Pathos...AH! Short guy at the circus thing. Right.

"Did he beat you because you said 'no'," Björn asked carefully, "or did you say 'no' to a beating?"

"He... Just likes to hit me, I guess." That's just how he was. He probably got off on it. "I don't want to think about what he'd do if I did tell him no."

Because that scared her.

"I'm going to ******** kill him."

End of discussion.


His statement had a very surprising effect on her. "No! Please don't!" She grabbed onto his arm with one hand. "Please, don't."

"You're... You're a very good person. But, please don't. I... I don't want you to do bad things for me. I'd never forgive myself."

Björn laughed. It wasn't a pleasant sound at all, but moreso the sound effect that played after the hero in a film died.

"I'm a horrible person," he said simply, "and I woldn't be doing it for you. If I was doin' it for you, I'd call the cops. This is all for me."

He was already speaking in future tense. This was probably not a good sign.


Visibly cringing at his laugh, Erishi dropped her hand from his arm and hugged her chest. "E-Even if it is for you, I told you, so it's my fault. I-I'd know, and, and please don't! He'll just get tired of me in a few weeks and leave. He always does."

"And then he'll come back," Björn said simply, already walking toward the HQ, "He always does."

"But...!" Chasing after him, Eri grabbed onto the back of his shirt, mind racing for any way to stop him.

It wasn't Pathos she was worried about, of course. But the just the thought of being indirectly responsible for more blood on Björns big hands made her feel ill inside.

"Please, just... Just not right now! Shammi is there, and she shouldn't have to see! She's too little! I'm... I'm supposed to protect her from seeing things like that!"

Björn continued walking, completely unaffected by the frantic woman.

"Then you and her can go hide out for a while. It won't take long. She'll never know the difference. Hell, she might like it."

"But... But...!" She stammered out, still trying to hold him in place. And then, she let go, arms falling to her sides.

"Okay." Eri said, staring at the back of Björns feet. "Okay."

"You'll thank me tomorrow," Björn said simply. In the door, up the stairs...that was all. He stood before Erishi's door, looking to the woman for a moment.

"You wanna go and get the kids out?"

"Yes." He would KNOW that something was up. But, she didn't care. She was tired. "Please.. Please don't come in until they're out."

"What's up with you?" Draco asked when she stepped in. He was seated in a chair facing Pathos, tail twitching.

"Please get Shammi for me." He was watching her. She could practically feel his eyes on her. "Take her out to play."

"Uh, Okay..." The dragon boy raised his eyebrows and picked up the girl. He shot a look over his shoulder at her before walking out. He raised both eyebrows at Björn and decided, very smartly, that he really didn't care to know what was going to happen. "Let's go outside right quick, Shammi."

"Bj?" Shammi peered over Draco's shoulder at him, watching the large man until Draco high tailed it down the stairs.

"So..." Pathos smirked very slightly, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "Just what do you have planned?"

"Pathos." Erishi whispered, looking at her feet.

"What?"

Slowly, she raised her head to look at him. There was a smile on her face. "No."

"You dirty whore-!" Pathos was on his feet in an instant, lunging at her.

As Shammi passed, Björn gave a little smile and a wave. The kid wasn't supposed to see her mother get hit. Even more incentive.

At the sudden sound of new feet hitting the floor, however, he lunged into the room and once more gave that hideous laugh. He approached Pathos easily and plucked him from the ground by the back of his shirt.

Pathos took being plucked into the air very well. Swearing heavily, he twisted his shoulders and attempted to disengage Björn. "Sonofabitch, put me down you ******** f*****t!" The small man snarled, twisting his body in every imaginable way.

"You never have been very PC." Eri observed.

Something in Björn's head snapped. Somewhere in his subconscious, he remembered being held to the ground with a scalding metal brand pressed into his flesh. His nostrils flared, his eyes narrowed, and he slammed Pathos back against the wall with excessive force.

He could say nothing. He was far, far beyond words.


"Fu-" The small redhead managed to get out before things in his chest just started to snap. One lung was gone, right off. The other didn't seem to be in the best of shape. It was to be certain, he wasn't going to be walking this off.

"J-Jesus Christ, is that all you've got, you ******** puss?" Pathos forced, smirking again, his lips colored by frothy blood.

Björn cocked his head slightly to one side, an eerie half-smile creeping up onto his face. If at all possible, his voice had deepened and lowered.

"No."

He paused before speaking again.

"But it was enough to kill you, wasn't it?"

He raised his free hand and placed it against Pathos' chest, pressing all his weight into it.

No time for any more profanity, or taunts. Something of that weight pressing down on already splintering bones didn't bode well. His spine splintered, his ribs cracked and punctured the remaining lung and his heart.

Pathos gave a very surprised sort of blink as the last bit of bloodied air was forced from his lungs. His lips pulled into that infuriating smirk for the last time, seemingly mocking the world from his death.

And if Pathos knew what was coming next, even he would have taken a bit more care with his words.

Well, that was that. The guy's chest was purple and flat as a pancake. He was most definitely gone.

Björn gave an unusually happy sigh, as if something had suddenly been lifted off his chest. He removed his hand from the body's ribcage, laughing slightly at the imprint it had made, and holding it up as if it were a dead cat.

"What do I do with 'im?"


"Umm..." Eri blinked at him once or twice before shuffling into the kitchen and bending down behind a counter. She rustled around for a few moments before ripping off a garbage bag and trotting back to Björn. Eri shook the bag open and held it out.

Björn gave a short snort of laughter, folded the poor sod in half (all the while ignoring the disgusting crunching and rolling of shattered bone), and dropped him into the trash bag.

"A little word of advice: don't drop him off in front of the HQ. Go frame some hobos or something."

He grimaced and looked toward the floor then. Bodily fluids were never a fun thing.

"Get me another one uh those and I'll clean this up for ye. Some bleach would be good too."

"I could always ask Draco to help me with some target practice. He's always looking for an excuse to set something on fire." She flinched at the crunchy noises and held the bag very gingerly. She sat the bag by the door, tying it very securely before going to find cleaning supplies.

"Okay. If I rip my hand off, though, you have to help me put it back on, okay? That's the only thing he was good for." Eri said as she returned from the bathroom with a bottle of bleach and a scrub brush, and then going to the kitchen for another garbage bag.

"Yeah, no problem. May hafa have Liam do it, though. My fingers aren't excactly the most nimble."

He started cleaning the floor then, glad that all muscles hadn't relaxed before they'd shoved him in a garbage bag.

...granted, that bag was starting to smell a little funky.

After all was said and done, Björn stood, sighed, and nodded.

"I don't think it'll leave a mark," he said simply, and then added, "Do you mind if I commandeer your shower?"


"Commandeer all you want. I won't even spy on you." Eri said a bit faintly before walking back to the bag. "... Shouldda double bagged him." She muttered before picking the bag back up and making her way out.

She couldn't exactly remember how high of a tempeature it took to burn bones, but knew that if he was given the chance, Draco would willingly try. She dumped the bag off in the woods before going to find him.

"Drake. I need you to burn something in the woods."

Draco looked up at her, raising an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

". . . Pathos."

"Oh. Right then. I'll be back in a bit." Draco grinned and waved at her.

"Am I the only one who had any reservations about him dying?" Erishi sighed, letting her head fall down to her chest.

"Yes." The dragon said simply. "Gareth told me a lot about him. You probably would have been dead soon, and he really wouldn't have cared." Draco gave Shammi a pat on the head before walking off in the dirction Eri had came from, whistling something that sounded suspiciously like the Andy Griffith song.

Eri sighed and scooped Shammi up, placing a kiss between her two horns and returned to her room. Shammi's nose crinkled as soon as they entered.

"Bweach? Ewwi hurt hersewf again?" She asked, giving Erishi a very dark look.

By the time the two women got back to the room, Björn was already half-dressed and partially damp.

"Shirt's got blood on it," he said simply, "Didn't want it to soak in." Into his flesh, that.

"Hi, Shammi."

"S'okay." Eri nodded at him. "I don't mind. Sorry I don't have anything that'll come near fitting you.


"Hai, Bj!" Shammi waved happily, curling her tail around Eri's arm. Then, she looked around. Someone was missing. Looking at Björn with a small frown, she asked: "Meen man go 'way?"

"I don't expect that anyone does," Björn snickered, and then turned back to the chameleon girl, "Yep! The mean man went away. I scared him off."

A bit of an understatement, but hey. The kid didn't need to know he was a murderer too.

...now if she'd just stop calling him "BJ"...

Shammi clapped her hands together. "Good! I not wike him." Shammi nodded very seriously. "He make Ewwi sad."

Very carefully, Eri reached out and grabbed Björn's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Thank you, Björn." She said very quietly.

"Mm. I didn't like him either."

A slight, sincere smile suddenly appeared across Björn's lips. He placed his other hand over Erishi's for a moment and nodded.

"No problem."

"I suppose... That if you don't mind having a little more blood on your hands, I won't mind that I help put it there." She looked up at his face and gave a somewhat sad, but relaxed smile. It was going to be nice, at least, to not have to worry about randomly being hit.

Shammi gave a somewhat confused burble, giving them both weird looks. Adults were strange things.

Björn smiled lightly and wrapped an arm 'round Erishi's waist, heaving a sigh. Sure he cared. He never liked killing people.

But, hey, that guy was an a*****e.

"Good."


Eri responded by hugging him with her free arm, leaning forward to rest her head on him.

"Thank you."

Björn heaved another sigh, chest rising and falling dramatically. Words danced at the tip of his tongue, very nearly making his brain begin to bleed. No, he couldn't. It wasn't right. She'd know what he meant by it, but still, it just wasn't r--

"I love you, ******** style="color: indigo">That was nice! Wait... What? Oh, s**t. What could you say to that?

"Well... I... I guess I'll have to choose who I hang out with more carefully in the future, so I don't leave you, then." She patted his back once, still leaning against him. "I love you too. You're too good not to."

Well, that was a bit of a shock. Suddenly, Björn's cheeks started to hurt.

It took him a monent to realize that he was grinning. Ah, and what a nice grin it was, too. Not at all frightening as it was generally made out to be. He could think of no proper reaction. Nobody'd told him they loved him in...

...

...three years.

"Thanks."


Just from his tone of voice, Eri could tell that something was up. She looked up at him and caught that smile. Seeing him smile made the last of her worry disappear. She smiled back up at him.

"See? I keep telling you you're good. That smile proves it."

Björn tried to stop and found he couldn't. Ah, hell, who cared? The damage had been done.

"How does a smile make me good? I'm sure Ted Bundy could smile."

"Probably." Eri smiled up, eyes going over his face like she was trying to memorize his smile. "But your smile makes me feel like things are right. And you make things right. So, your smile matches you."

"You're too sweet," Björn said matter-of-factly and reached up, running his hand briefly though Erishi's hair. He was suddenly noticing that he was in fact, bare-chested and she was, in fact, leaning against him.

He blushed slightly.

"Mostly just to you." Which wasn't entirely true, but she did have a special brand of sweet just for him.

And then he started to blush. Which just made her grin grow. Now that was an image she was going to sear into her mind. "Awww."

Björn looked away suddenly, and then down to the floor as he shoved his hands in his pockets and laughed slightly. Ah, nothing got much more embarassing than this.

And then he blushed harder.

"GOD DAMNIT."

He turned away.

Even though she knew she shouldn't, she couldn't help but giggle more at him. "Sorry." She covered her hand with her mouth. "You're just... Too cute, you know?"

Björn took control over himself once more, removing most of the smile with quick tongue-prods to the cheek and a few deep breaths. WHen he turned back around, however, he was still smirking lightly.

"No, I don't," he answered honestly, "This only happens around you. And don't let it go to your head."

"You must just be lucky, then. Most people don't tend to get red faced around me." Eri rested her free hand on her other hip, opposite a very confused looking Shammi.

"I won't let anything go to my head. I know I'm lucky you're my friend."

Björn nodded slightly and stooped, leaning over to Shammi's height.

"You look very, very conufused, little one."

Shammi gave him a look, then her a look, and then back to Björn. Finally, she seemed to know what she wanted to say. "You all weed." She proclaimed, giving both adults a very strange look.

"Weird?" Björn asked, "How so?"

"Weed." Shammi insisted, shaking her head.

The door opened, and Draco burst in, grinning heavily and looking only slightly charred. "That was so totally awesome! He was all: FOOSH! Fire everywhere! If you need cleanup ever again, you totally call me!" He started stripping off his jacket and walked towards the bathroom, still giggling.

"Okie. Ewwyone weed." Shammi decided.

"Ergh," Björn grimaced, "Charred flesh. And I didn't get to see it." He straightened out and stretched, figuring he wasn't going to get any better answer out of the toddler.

Giggling could still be heard from the bathroom. Eri shook her head at it. "I wind up with other people's weird kids. And, apparently, if you want off anyone else we've got someone to help clean up."

"Off?" Shammi blinked.

"Er, make them run away."

Björn wondered idly at what age it would hit Shammi that, hey, the big guy killed the little guy.

"Well...I guess I should be going."

It would probably be some time. Eri was going to shelter the girl as long as she could.

"Okay." Very carefully, Erishi dropped Shammi onto the couch. She turned back to Björn and picked up one of his hands. Erishi looked at it for a few moments before placing a kiss on the back of his hand. "Travel safe, okay?"

Björn laughed slightly.

"I'm going down the hall," he said, "but thank you." After a moment's thought he leaned down and kissed Erishi on the temple.

"See you."

And he was gone.

Oh s**t. Oh s**t. Why had she done this?

Eri hadn't felt this sick in a very long time. Holding with both hands onto her sink, head resting on the mirror, she just stared at herself. Brown hair, brown eyes, pale skin. She felt plain. She felt vulnerable. There wasn't anything to hide behind anymore.

"Nnng." She said, pushing her glasses up her nose and hugging her stomach with both arms. She needed a hug. Reassurance of some kind.

And that was how she wound up in front of Björn's door. Hesitating once, she reached up and knocked on it, already nearly in tears.

Lucky for Eri, the grand majority of the family had gone out for dinner and a movie. Björn didn't eat. Björn hadn't gone. He was sitting on the couch, flipping through a hunting magazine, when he heard the knock.

He rose and opened the door, staring at the newcomer a moment before speaking.

"Eri...?"

"Nnng." She mumbled again, looking up at him. One hand reached up to fiddle with the brown hair. Eyes behind the glasses were large and shining with unshed tears.

"I think I did something stupid." She finally said, blinking very quickly.

"What?" Björn asked, cocking his head slightly to one side. She couldn't be talking about...nooo...or maybe she was?

Apparently, 'What' wasn't a good thing to say. The tears fell down her face. "This is me. I'm not very pretty, I know."

Björn's brow furrowed and he pulled back a moment. What? Not very pre--WHAT?!

"Eri, don't say that. You're just as beautiful as you always were."

http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/the-gaian-neighborhood/please-to-not-be-postings-private/t.31445319/

The presents bought between family members had been placed under the tree. Everything was wrapped and baked and ready. Hellis was upstairs, doing Ike up like Santa Claus.

Björn partially wanted to die.

"I bet he's fuzzy, like me," Dezzy said defiantly.

"Nuh-uh!" Clemmie fought, "He prolly has skin like mine."

"Nngh..."

"Hey, now." Eri said, tilting her head. "Maybe he's both. Fuzzy with hair, and with skin. Maybe he looks like the pictures that people paint, or he could be anything."

Oh, yes. Eri still believed in Santa.

"I've seen him," Björn nodded resolutely, "He's furry and skinned and kind of like the pictures people paint. He's pretty amazing."

Rabid, wandering past with a cookie in her mouth, placed a Santa hat atop Björn's head. It obviously didn't fit, and so just kind of...sat there.

"And thus Björn has spoken. No more fighting." Eri nodded, hopping up. "More walnuts!" She hummed, going and retrieving some more. For the reindeer.

Yes. Walnuts for reindeer. After all, Ike had said so.

Why, yes. Yes he had.

"Nooo, childrens~" Björn moaned and hid his hands under his arms. This, of course, caused the girls to tickle-attack him. He just laughed.

Eri leaned over the back of the couch, just watching with a happy smile. She didn't think she'd ever get tired of hearing him laugh. She looked at the clock, kicking her slippered feet on the floor.

"What time does Santa come, here?" She asked, resting her chin on the back of the couch.

"Oh, that all depends," Björn said easily, "Always really early morning, yenno? He doesn't want people to see him."

"Oooooh." Eri nodded, clambering over the couch and crossing her legs. No doubting him. After all, he was smart. She leaned her head ont he side of the couch and just looked at the tree, her eyes large and a smile on her face. This was perfection.

"Hey," Björn said suddenly, "You!" He grabbed Eri by the sides and lifted her up into his lap. His Santa hat fell off. Awh...

Laughing, Eri clung to him. "Me what?" She asked, head tilting.

"You, I love," Björn said suddenly, out of goddamn nowhere, and smooched Eri's cheek. Dezzy 'ew'd. Clemmie 'aw'd.

Eri beamed. This was officially the best Christmas ever, and it hadn't even started yet. Not much could beat love, though. "Aw. Loved, I am. And loved you are!" Eri said, one eye closed, and smooched his jaw. She picked up his hat and balanced it on his head again.

Björn laughed again and, grinning, pulled Eri in for a deep kiss. Sure, you couldn't explain their relationship to anyone outside that trio, but hey, whatever.

Clemmie clapped her hands over Dezzy's eyes.

Giggling, Eri gave a happy little hum. Norny, he was talented.

And then Björn snuzzled his pretty woman and sighed.

"I might just wait for Santa with you tonight."

Eri smiled, leaning her head against his chest.

"Company, as always, would be most welcome."

Björn smiled and leaned his head back against the couch as he stretched his wings. The little girls giggled and clapped. He opened one eye to look at them, then shrugged them off and returned to his previous position.

It was then that Hellis came down the stairs and planted himself firmly on the other half of Björn's lap. He poked the poor man a good four times, got an eye-open, and then a smooch.

"Hello, hon. Nice nap?"

Hellis nodded and grinned.

"Good!" Eri smiled and leaned over to give Helly a snorgle and a kiss. "You wanna sit and wait for Santy with us too, Helly?"

Hellis gave a brief kiss back and snorgled into the mass of love, nodding. Why, yes, he DID want to see Ike make a fool out of himself!

"YAY!" Dezzy cried and lunged into the pile, snorgling against Scary Man and Lady.

Eri laughed and cuddled Dezzy. Ah, loves.

And to think, 3 years ago, Björn was a shambling, rotting corpse.

Huh. Go figure.

"Helly, honey, why dontcha go play some tunes?"

Hellis looked up to Björn a moment, and a slow smile crept up on his face.

"Okay!" he said and ran to the piano against the wall. He peered at the Christmas sheet music before him and began to...not so much play as pound out notes. Regardless, it made Björn proud.

Eri smiled and cuddled Dezzy, watching Helly. They'd even gotten some words!

And now they were getting singing!

Weak, angelic, adorable, lisping singing.

Awww, Helly, Frothty the Thnowman?

The girls sang along happily.

Eri's heart melted at that. She beamed, and would've joined in if she knew the words.

"Awwww."

Björn just laughed and snorgled his Eri. Finally, a happy Christmas.

Eri sighed and leaned against his chest, eyes closing, just listening. Oh, yes. Happy Christmas.

"I'll have to learn song lyrics for next Christmas." She said, smiling. "Maybe we could go caroling. I've seen them do it on TV."

"I'm pretty sure people would just slam the doors in our faces," Björn laughed, "You've heard me sing." His face contorted and he vage a series of low, disturbed growls and shrieks.

And then he laughed again.

Eri beamed at the laughter, snuzzling him.

"Oh, please. You're seven foot tall and have angel wings. I'm sure people would grin and bear it because they'd expect some holy sword shafting them otherwise."

"HELL yeah!" Björn laughed. He clearly enjoyed the thought of a holy sword, "Getting one is the issue, of course."

"Mmhm." Eri giggled. "I doubt those come as regulation equipment, huh? Poor you will just have to live without one."

"See, but I have dynamite," Björn said, waggling a finger, "That's almost as good, but without auto-repentance."

"And that makes exploding. Does a Holy sword make explosions?" Eri grabbed his hand, watching his finger like a cat.

"I have no idea," Björn said, beeping Eri's nose, "I've never seen one."

Eri gasped at the nose beep, nibbling at his finger. "So, you should stick with dynamite. Better to go with what you know than something that might suck once you get it."

Björn just smiled and watched Eri.

"Certainly."

The little trio by their side was now singing 'Angelth We Have Heard on High', apparently.

Eri kissed the place she'd nibbled, looking over at the trio. A smile grew over her face.

"Precious."

"Mmhm," Björn nodded and sighed.

Björn had been standing by the dresser for a good three minutes, contemplating something deeply. Who knew what it was, though. He then realized that he still had a shirt on, and so reach back and pulled it over his face, painfully stretching a wing.

He didn't seem to notice.

Hellis, however, was already under the covers in his boxers, staring. Huh. For once, it didn't seem like Björn was going to bluntly and openly state what was on his mind!

Eri hummed to herself, folding up her jammies and perching on the edge of the bed. She watched Björn, head tilted. Owwie. That looked kinda painful.

Björn grunted and threw his shirt to the ground.

"Guys?" he asked, turning, "What's your take on kids?"

Hellis' eyes just went wide, but he then turned to Eri and smiled. Ooh...

. . . Oh, no. The K word had been mentioned. Eri took in a little sharp breath.

What was her take on kids? They were amazing beings. The thought of actually having a child, of her own flesh and blood, feeling another life being born within her, having it grow and live, teaching it, giving it love, all of it just made her heart near ache. She wanted kids, or just a kid.

But, of course, she couldn't say that out loud. It was crazy, wanting more than what she had. She was blessed to be so loved all ready. Any more would be greedy.

"Kids are wonderful." She said, head to one side, tapping her lower lip. "And I would adore one, if it was allowed."

And even saying that much seemed somehow rude.

Björn brow furrowed as he crawled up onto the bed between his two pretty things.

"Allowed? Whaddya mean?"

Oh, great. Eri took in a little breath.

"Uh..." s**t. Brain, it would be nice of you to kick in any day now. Her eyes closed and she shook her head. "I... Just understand that a child would be a large responsibility, both emotionally and physically demanding. With my prior bouts with mental instability I wouldn't be able to give a child enough, and I..." She faltered for a moment, looking away. She wanted one, though.

"It would be greedy to want any more than this, anyway." She added hastily. "I'm blessed to have you both."

Björn pulled Eri to him and kissed her temple.

"Sweetheart, listen to yourself. You've gone far from the years of trying to turn your children into shoes." He sighed.

"And anyway. I was asking if you...wanted kids. Not if you would be able to handle them. There are three of us here."

...what. What, now?

"They weren't my children, technically." Eri said softly, wondering when she'd mentioned that particular bit of crazy.

And she went quiet for a moment. How was she to put in words how much she wanted a child? She opened ehr mouth a few times, then shook her head, snuzzling against him.

"Yes. I do want kids. But it's too much to ask for. What we all have is more than I could've ever expected."

Björn sighed.

"I've always wanted kids," he murmured and smooched Eri's jawbone, "but I haven't had the means in centuries."

Hellis just squealed.

Eyes closing at the affection, Eri frowned slightly. Hrmh? The means? Well, yes. She was a female. But...

"I... What if there's something wrong with me still?"

Björn just smiled.

"And what if there isn't?"

She wanted there to be nothing wrong. At all.

Why was she so worried? Helly seemed fine with talks of baby. And so did Norn. That meant it wasn't too much to ask, right? She wasn't being greedy or selfish.

"If nothings wrong with me, I would love children."

And Björn heaved an embarrassed little sigh, turning only slightly red in the cheeks.

"...we could... ...try."

Another squeal from Helly. Yay! Baby!

"If... You're okay with it." Oh Em Eff Gee. Baby might happen?

Quite possibly!

Björn looked from Eri to Hellis, and bit his lower lip.

"Now, jsut how are we gonna do this without hurtin' you t'much..."

Eri tipped her head to one side.

"Just let me sleep a lot tomorrow and bring me food and don't worry your pretty little head about hurting me too much. I'll be fine."

Björn shook his head.

"I'd really rather this not be a night you remember as painful."

And Hellis had a figurative light bulb turn on over his head.

"Trutht me. I have an idea."

Björn just shrugged. Hey, his partner's ideas were generally brilliant. Without a question, he went in to kiss Eri again.

Oh, silly Norn. Like something as simple as pain ever stuck in her mind after it healed. Especially when there was love attached. But, hey, Kissies were amazing and she never complained, ever.

*LOLZ BLACK CURTIAN TIEMZ*

Panting, Björn ran a hand backward through his hair.

Well then.

Baby.

"I'm gonna go take a shower," he nodded, looking to Hellis who was entirely asleep, "Feel free to join me." And he rolled out of bed and scrounged around for his boxers.

Eri groaned, face in the bed. She didn't want to move at all. She weighed the options in her mind for a moment, and groaned again, slowly getting up and finding her underwear and the first shirt she could find.

"Ugh. Wait up." she said, head momentarily lost in the shirt.

Björn helped her pull her shirt down and picked her up, carrying her bridal-style to the bathroom.

"Well..." he said introspectively, "In four months, you'll be a mommy."

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