Chapter 8

Arrian lay on the living room floor at his house. Next to him was a first aid kit. Helen who had tears in her eyes, looked down at her son. She began to remove his shirt, noticing the hole on his left shoulder.

"Baby, what happened to you?"

She moved his shirt as far as she could, but due to his heavy size, she opted to just cut the shirt with some scissors. The light showed his wound better than his ruined shirt had: she heard the women coming in gasp.

"Mom, he's going to be alright isn't he?" came Kailynn's sullen question.

"I don't know sweetheart, I wish I did."

Little Sarah came running into the living room, looking down at Arrian she stopped in her tracks.

"Mommy, did you fix his booboo? I told him when we were at that place." Innocence dripping from Sarah's words.

"What do you mean baby? Did you see what happened to Arrian?" Cindy asked.

"Ohh, I like his name mommy. Arrian. It's so pretty," she giggled.

"Honey, did you see him get hurt? How did it happen?" Cindy's 'mother' tone asked.

"Uhuh, the men that were touching me, they had a gun mommy, they gave him the booboo."

Everyone gasped, not because Arrian had been shot, well not entirely true, but mostly at Sarah's revelation about her almost molestation. Cindy feared the worst: those men had defiled her precious baby.

"He stopped them mommy," more giggling followed.

The women looked at Sarah, wondering the extent of the emotional and physical trauma she had suffered. After all, when Arrian brought her she was in nothing but panties and a huge robe.

"One of the men hit me mommy. Why did he hit me mommy?" She had tears in her eyes.

"Ohh, baby. I'm sorry! I should have been paying more attention," Cindy cried out.

Arrian momentarily forgotten, Sarah was the focus of four women.

"He picked me up, said he wouldn't let no one hurt me mommy. Then he had a boo boo, his stick looked real pretty too," she jumped out of her mothers arms and went to Arrian's side.

Sarah looked down at her savior; tears in her eyes. She leaned closer and kissed him on the cheek.

"Sarah, what did you mean by 'his stick'? Cindy asked.

"That one mommy," Sarah pointed at the Muramasa that lay near where Arrian had collapsed as he walked in.

Helen walked over to the sword and picked it up. They all surrounded her.

"It's so pretty mommy, can I have one?" Sarah pleaded.

"No!, that isn't a toy baby. You can get hurt. Why would Arrian have a sword?" Asked a perplexed Cindy.

Helen was about to mumble an answer when she drew the sword slightly out of its' sheath and saw the blood stains.

"Oh! Arrian what did you do?" Tears ran from her eyes: her son killed someone.

The other women's reactions were similar; Arrian was beginning to stir behind them.

Arrian's mind was in a cloud. He felt the slight pain in his shoulder. He looked around him, trying to remember. It all came back in a flood: Sarah, her abductors, their death's, everything.

Arrian could hear voices coming from the door so he slowly got to his feet and walked over to the vocal clatter.

"What did my brother do mom?" Kailynn asked unwilling to believe her brother was capable of violence.

"I... I'm not... sure..."

"I did what I had to." Discomfort evident in Arrian's tone.

Everyone's head snapped back to look at him. Sarah with adoring eyes: he was her hero. Samantha with an expression he couldn't understand. Ms. Masterson with a thankful though worried look. Helen and his sister had a troubled expression on their faces.

He reached out and took the sword from Helen.

"Come with me." he motioned them into the kitchen.

He sat at the counter, as they all piled in across from him. Sarah walked over to him and raised her arms in that universal language that said 'pick me up.' He did, only to send her across the counter to her mother. Sarah looked hurt.

"Sarah, my shoulder still hurts so I can't really carry you right now, maybe later." He smiled at her.

Her eyes twinkled and she nodded feverishly.

"Ms. Masterson..." he began. "Sarah was being held at a warehouse, near the outside of town. Four men and a woman were going to torture and abuse her." His eyes saddening at the memory of that moment.

All the women shared one expression: fear.

"This wasn't the first time they did something like this." He continued, "Other girls were tortured, raped and killed some while their parents watched." Tears falling from his eyes, anger shaking his hands: hands that still held the sword.

"How do you know they did that before?" Came Samantha's question.

"Helen, do you remember this morning when I said it would be warm, and that Kailynn would need to change her skirt?" He asked never lifting his gaze.

"Yes," came Helen's reply.

"I can sense or slightly read people's minds..." no more than a whisper.

"Prove it." Came Kailynn's daring reply.

Arrian had a tear fall from his eye as he place both hands on the sword.

"Think of one word when I show you the blade," he whispered.

Slowly he drew the sword out, all of it exposed before them. The blade showed dried blood, small chunks of human flesh, and worst of all: the odor from the blade was sickening. Arrian placed in back into the sheath. Looking at them he pointed one by one at each woman.

He pointed at Helen.

"Disgust."

Samantha was next.

"Fear."

Ms. Masterson followed.

"Fear."

Last, but not least Kailynn. Arrian had tears in his eyes as he looked at her, pain so deep it could be seen in his eyes as tears freely fell.

"M... Mur... Murderer."

Arrian looked at the counter tears clouding his vision. All the women were stunned. Helen was more stunned at her daughter's thought than Arrian's ability to read minds. She snapped out of her shock at the sounds of Arrian's sobs. Helen made her way to her son and held him, she felt him cling to her. Kailynn was flabbergasted.

She couldn't help the tears that filled her eyes, how could she feel her brother was a murderer? Samantha looked at her friend with what can only be described as disgust. How could her friend treat her brother who miraculously saved a little girl from certain death with such distaste?

She made her way to the hugging mother and son and joined their hug. Sarah soon followed tightly hugging Arrian's leg. Cindy followed her daughter. This young man saved her daughter, he did unmentionable things, but he did them to save her. She could not fear him. At that moment another emotion was placed in Cindy's heart: love.

Helen held her son, trying to sooth his pain, without really thinking, she reached to Arrian's face and brought his lips to hers. Neither was really focused on the spectators around them. Arrian's pain lessened in the arms of Helen, Helen loved him and didn't want him to suffer. After was seemed like an eternity, they broke apart. Suddenly realizing they weren't alone they looked at the people around them.

Cindy had a grin and her eyes betrayed her desire to be kissed like that. Samantha was shocked, but couldn't really see anything wrong with the kiss; two people who love each other kissing wasn't bad. Still, Sam felt a twinge of jealousy. Kailynn looked at her mother and brother with hungry eyes.

She moved to get next to them, her mother's gaze froze her to the chair. Her brother was still clutching their mother like a lifeline. Arrian looked at her: the pain in his eyes broke her heart. What hurt more was she put the pain there. She ran out of the kitchen, thuds echoing as she ran up the stairs.

Cindy couldn't stop looking at Arrian; she had a new found respect for the youth. Sarah beamed him a smile that made his pain lessen. He let go of Helen, flashed her a frail smile, and looked at Cindy.

"This is a lot to digest Ms..."

"Cindy, you can call me Cindy, Arrian." She interrupted him.

"As I was saying, this is a lot to digest, I understand if you want me out of your class." His tone betrayed his distaste at leaving her class.

Cindy looked at Helen, a naughty thought crossing her mind; she reached for Arrian and kissed him with passion she had bottled for years.

"I hope that answers you question Arrian." Her seductive voice called.

"Yeah," he blushed, "and fulfilled a few fantasies in the process."

Arrian turned crimson at his small confession. Helen looked amused and not jealous. Smiling at her son's shy nature and lack of assertiveness when it came to girls or women; well, he certainly was assertive with her.

"Thank you, Arrian. I will forever be grateful for what you did," a small glint in her eye as she spoke to him.

"Your sister loves you, I'm sure she's just scared that you could do such a thing," she continued, "talk to her; give her a chance to understand."

"Thank you Ms... I mean Cindy," he picked up little Sarah, "and you young lady, be good for your mommy."

Sarah merely giggled and nodded.

"Time for us to go Sarah. It's been a long day, and I wanna get you home to clean you up. Tomorrow we will be going to see the doctor." Cindy watched as Sarah cringed as she said 'Doctor.'

"Be brave Sarah, remember I am always around." Arrian blew air at her face.

Sarah beamed; her hero would watch over her. Arrian lowered her to the floor and walked them to the door leaving Helen and Sam in the kitchen.

In her room Kailynn cried uncontrollably; she had hurt her brother. She closed her eyes in the hope of blocking out the image of her brother's pain filled eyes. She didn't really succeed; she felt herself become sadder and sadder.

Arrian walked back into the kitchen after seeing off Cindy and Sarah. Sam was sitting with Helen talking, both hushed up as Arrian walked in.

"Samantha, I hope you don't think I'm a freak."

"No, Arrian. I think you are very brave, a little foolish maybe. It will be kinda strange to know you have some sort of powers."

"Helen, can you take Samantha home? I have to talk with Kai." His face showing signs of worry.

"Sure, baby. That sounds fine." She turned to Samantha, "Let me take you home, Samantha."

"Thanks Mrs. Michaels. That would be great."

Samantha went to Arrian and gave him a soft tender kiss, which after a moment he returned.

"Don't look so shocked, you're practically a hero."

Arrian was shocked, he never expected her to kiss him. He tried to mumble a sentence together, but failed miserably. Giggling, Samantha walked out escorted by Helen. Arrian calmed himself before heading up the stairs.

Arrian reached his sister's bedroom door. He breathed deeply before knocking on her door.

"Go away!" came the reply from inside.

Arrian normally would have left her alone, but this time he had to set things straight. Reaching out with his mind, slowly controlling the air around him, he focused on turning the lock in her doorknob.

Kailynn heard the noise from the doorknob and stood transfixed as she watched the lock turn and unlocked. she felt her heart skip beats as the door slowly opened. Her brother was standing there, looking at her. Kailynn's emotions boiled to the surface and she ran into his arms, her mouth trying to say five different things at once in her desperate attempt to apologize.

Arrian held her as she frantically tried her best to apologize. She squeezed him tight, it felt right holding her brother like this. Arrian led her to the bed and sat her down. Looking around her room he saw a montage of pink colors and music artist. A desk and chair in one corner, a dresser with a TV in front of her bed was all she had in there. He pulled the chair away from the desk and sat himself in front of her.

Taking her hands in his, "Kai, I know... what you think... shh... it's okay. I felt the same, until I realized they could have done this to you or Helen. I didn't see them as people anymore. They did horrible things Kai; things I can still see in my head."

"I'm so sorry! I didn't know. I felt like I betrayed you when I thought that."

"Kai, I understand. I've never done anything like what I did today. I had to do what I did, and I will live with those consequences."

"I... never thought you could do those kind of things either. Let alone have powers, which okay are cool. The thing with the lock was scary though."

"Yeah, I'm not used to them completely either. I need to tell you, chances are I'm going to have to kill again. Dad said that it was..."

"Daddy? But he's gone!"

"Kai," he sighed, "there's something you need to know about me and Helen."

"Why are you calling mom by her name? And you haven't answered me about daddy yet either."

"A God named Fujin, gave me the powers I have. He said Helen needed me." Pausing to get his thoughts in order for the following sentences, "she was really lonely, and felt unneeded, Fujin was afraid she would kill herself."

"Okay, doesn't really explain why you call her Helen or why she kissed you like you were Daddy in the kitchen."

"Fujin said I needed to be the man in Helen's life. Like dad used to be." He let that statement hang, trying to gauge her reaction.

Kailynn tried to grasp the concept of her brother's words. He was telling her, he was going to be their mother's lover.

"You can't it's wrong!"

"I said the same thing, but then dad, showed up."

Kailynn's eyes widened to their limits. She tried to muster words out, but no sound made it's way past her vocal cords.

"Dad told me I had to be with Helen. She needed the love and comfort I could give her: as a man. I was afraid dad would hate me for it. He actually told me Helen fell in love with me the moment I was born."

"But... but... but..." Kailynn sputtered.

"And he knew I was in love with Helen too."

"What?!?" she exclaimed.

"Dad knew I loved Helen in a way a son shouldn't love his mother."

"Like I do you..." Kailynn whispered.

"What was that Kai?"

Kailynn blushed and shook her head negatively. Arrian got up and sat next to her on the bed. Wrapped his arms around her.

"Can we lie down, and you hold me until I fall asleep?"

"Sure, Kai anything you want."

They lay down on the bed, Kailynn's head on her brother's chest; his left arm cradling her to his side. He stroked her hair with his right hand. That's how they fell asleep and how Helen found them when she returned.

Looking down at Arrian, she felt nothing, but pride and love. He had done unspeakable things, yes. He did them to protect a child from certain death. She felt joy seeing her children work out the problem that had plagued them moments before. She felt a twinge of jealousy; she wanted to sleep with Arrian.