if once was great, why not a second time through?

[called_lioness]

It's warm--well, hot, really--and Lucy's been tree climbing again.

Some things you don't get tired of, and hanging from a limb like a monkey is apparently one of them.

She's terribly mature, really, but she's also enjoying the pull under the knees and the rush of blood to her head.

Maybe not terribly mature.

Comments

[called_lioness]

"Puff would likely object. And why doesn't he like her birthday present. Jealous because he wants one of his own?"

[last_adam]

". . . . NO."

He sighs, then, a deep one.



He tries to think of a good way to put it. There isn't one, really, is there?


"Have you ever noticed the charm around she wears around her neck? Wore?"

[called_lioness]

"In passing. Never gave much thought to it."

Lucy slowly hangs from her knees again to get her head closer to his level.

"...Why, Adam?"

[last_adam]

"It was given to her when she was, I don't know. I guess she had to be thirteen or so. It's protection."

[called_lioness]

"Against what?"

And why does she have a bad feeling suddenly?

[last_adam]

"Pregnancy."

[called_lioness]

"--And she's not wearing it now," Lucy says in a very calm voice that she doesn't entirely recognize.

[last_adam]

"She's wearing a different necklace instead."

[called_lioness]

"And it doesn't protect against pregnancy. Which is why Thom is upset." Same calm voice that now she recognizes. It's the one she used in court when she was younger and wasn't about to let anyone see what she was feeing.

[last_adam]

"Yes. He-


I don't know. He told Alanna that she was going soft, if she had kids, and that if she didn't go soft, she'd be a horrid mother, and either way, it was wrong. Alanna's upset, Thom's-

who knows."

[called_lioness]

"Thom's a brother. They're all arses ninety percent of the time."

Her head's tinging and the blood is pounding at her temples and she's barely aware of it.

"He'll get over it."

[last_adam]

"I hope so. Alanna's-


sometimes it would be easier, I think, if he'd just died."

[called_lioness]

Everything's easier if you just die and no one just dies and no one gets to just die and even if you just die then there's everyone else who goes on and you watch and never touch and she's dizzy from too much blood rushing up and

Lucy's leg loosen without her thinking about it and she falls.

[last_adam]

Adam's on his feet and over at her side like he was there the whole time, pushing lightly on her shoulder, pushing pushing, trying for anything.

[called_lioness]

"Ow."

Quietly, and embarrassed, and then, "Oh, ow," as sensation hits again in her arm and her back.

"That was brilliant of me."

[last_adam]

Trying (and not really succeeding) to slide an arm under her, Adam does manage to keep the panic off his face. Mostly.






"Are you okay?"</small

[called_lioness]

"Don't touch there!" she hisses and recoils before crying out quietly at the movement.

"--Apparently not."

[last_adam]

"Fuck."

And he shouldn't curse, he tries not to in front of Lucy, but it's not really as if that's at the forefront of his mind at the moment.

"Fuck bugger damn shit. Um."

He clenches his eyes shut and peeks out of one lid.

[called_lioness]

"You forgot hell," she murmurs and eyes her arm critically, trying to determine how bad the damage is. It's never as easy on yourself with owgoodGodpainow in the back of your mind.

[last_adam]

"It'll be okay."

He insists it, just a bit too loudly.

"Just stop-"

Moving, hurting, anything.

He opens his eyes, taking deep breaths. Here, I'll just-

what? Lay hands on her? He doesn't know what to do, and it seems stupid just to go snap, you're better, but that's essentially what he does, only putting a hand on her shoulder.

[called_lioness]

It's warm

and then it's

warm

and for a moment Lucy isn't under a tree, she's in a train and there's smoke and there's fire and she can feel everything shutting down and then

(reboot from start)

it's warm again and heavy and her hand shoots out and grabs Adam's wrist.

Her arm doesn't hurt, and her back doesn't hurt, and nothing hurts and something's different and her voice is terrified as she asks, "Adam, what did you just do?"

[last_adam]

His voice echoes her fear and he grabs her arm a little too tightly.

"I fixed you?"

[called_lioness]

Let go. Let go. Let go, stop digging your fingers into his shoulder if you let go you'll fall and now you don't know where you're going to land.

"What did you do?" she repeats, staring at him. "I've been healed before, Adam, but what did you do?"

[last_adam]

"I fixed you."

He keeps repeating it, in his brain, out loud, it's all he can think, it's all he can say, it's all he can hear.

[called_lioness]

"You fixed me." Bewildered.

And the thing is, she's utterly and completely aware of her heartbeat.

"You fixed me."

And she still doesn't know what that means, entirely.