Experiments Reborn

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Jay didn't want to cry, but the more her mother talked about the horrible place, the less desire she had to fight the oncoming tears. She didn't remember how she'd let Dr. Naris trick her into believing they were friends, but it made her hate the woman even more. Something, however, caught the young dragon's ear.

"Hybrid? What do you mean? Did they... make you?" Aari and Jay were never told that their parents weren't necessarily born into the traits they now had. The scientists had kept that information from them as well, making them think they were there for simply torture. "Does that mean we're not real?" Her grip on her mother was tight, like she was now thinking one day they'd dissipate into the air and never come back.

---

Layla, for once, actually listened to Chris. She wasn't one to let any authority dictate her speech, but Chris seemed truly messed up with what his life had become. Sure, she and Aari had some troubles, but she wasn't unsure like Chris was.

"Birdy... Chris." With how little she used his real name, she made it known that she was serious. "She's a dragon. If you give her your heart and tell her how you really feel, she will protect it and love you. You know how possessive dragons can get. She'd probably kill anyone who got near her, or you. Feeling different doesn't mean you have to fear what is beyond."

She paused, sounding wise beyond her years and wondering where in the hell that snippet of knowledge came from. "You can love her, but you don't want to. You won't give her a chance." Layla stood up, making a strange gesture by hugging Chris. Layla wasn't touchy feely by any stretch of the sense, unless she wanted it, but now, she felt like he needed something.

"Tell her. You will spend the rest of your lives wondering what would have happened if you didn't. Even if you think it might end in real death for you, you won't know unless you try." She released him, jumping onto the counter and sifting through the cabinets until she found a snack. That seemed to end the seriousness within her, because she came back with, "and think about it Birdy. She's really fierce now. Just wait until you get her in bed." It was followed by a wink and then she disappeared with the bag of chips she'd found.
 
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Jami could almost smell the salt of tears her daughter wouldn't let fall and she wanted to tell Jay that it was all right to cry, but the blond refrained. If her daughter cried, she'd sooth her and let her know that she thought no less of her for it, but she was not going to draw attention to such a thing because she knew it would only make the younger female clam up. Oh, yes, Jami had great experience with dragons. They were the only species she'd been around for nearly two years.

At Jay's question, Jami nodded, but had to laugh softly at the last bit, her fingers running gently through the black haired head now against her chest, remembering so many moments like this when her daughter had been younger, smaller. "Jayveleme, you are very much real." she assured with a smile and sighed a little. "I was a human before I met your father. A pure human and then the scientists changed me into a hybrid, just as they did your father. He was a human and he was their first dragon hybrid. That is why your grandparents and uncle Leo are all human. You, however, are four species and that is just as real as your father or I are. We are changed from what we were, but we are real just as a caterpillar that turns into a butterfly is real."

--

Chris remained quiet as he listened to his friend, because she never used his NAME and he knew whatever she was going to say would probably be a rare gem of information. Trial and error had taught him such things with Layla but they knew each other now. Damn, he really couldn't even remember how long they'd known each other, but it had been awhile. So when she was so incredibly blunt, saying he loved Jay like it was the most natural thing in the world, he took it from her in a way he would not have listened to anyone else. He still had to wonder where LAYLA had gone...this wise female before him could not be his friend.

He almost teased her about that, but held his tongue as she came over and hugged him. That threw him for a loop, but he hugged her back, needing it. He released her easily when she drew back, though, because neither of them were really affectionate unless it be to a rare few - very few - and watched her with a slight smile as she got her food, thinking on her words. She was right - of course - and he was still scared, but....at least she'd put it in ways he understood, had unraveled his tangled yarn of thought with a swift swipe of her claws. Such was Layla's way it seemed.

Tell her. HOW? And now? It had only been a month, but....she was going to leave. When would he get another opportunity? He didn't want to lose her. He didn't- Wait. What?! Chris' head jerked up, looking at Layla with an incredulous expression and as she left, he threw the rag on the table after her. "Damn cat!" he yelled after her, but he knew it would only make her grin. And if Chris was truthful with himself...the thought had crossed his mind and he was only sore about what she'd said because he couldn't retaliate.

Ugh. He'd get her later for that. He told himself that as he stood, shaking his head and started around for something to do, his thoughts once again whirling, their center focused on an exotic, beautiful dragon he couldn't - hadn't - been able to get out of his mind. And how her father was probably going to skewer him. That would be fun.

--

Aari turned the shower off after a time and it was then that he heard his mother's voice through the door. He stilled, dripping wet and then finally moved, drying half-haphazardly and putting his pants back on before he moved toward the door. His hands shook and he clenched them with a soft growl, willing them to still, for his body to stop trembling. He was a dragon. He shouldn't be scared.

He didn't have reason to be scared.

The hybrid made himself open the door and he slipped out of the bathroom, looking like he wanted to fade into the shadows around him. His mother's back was facing him, but he saw her still, sensing, probably smelling him and before she could turn, he panicked and disappeared out the balcony doors, but didn't go to the roof this time, jumping off the balcony instead. He ran then, not sure what he was running from, but needing to run and instinct came over everything else as he came to the brick wall that surrounded the mansion. He didn't pause, he just changed and the wolf-dragon leaped up, paws skimming the top of the stone before his wings caught the air and he landed on the other side without harm. He stopped then, looking around, feeling like chains had slipped off him as this powerful form took over and no pain came to bring him out of it.

His feet flew again then, taking him down the rocky terrain and toward the beach.
 
Jay nodded, though there was still some doubt. She wanted to be real, even if her parents were created by a facility. She heard a noise, finding Aari leaving the room in a hurry. He was scared because Jami was there, and it made him run. Jay pulled away from her mother, going to the balcony to watch her brother bolt away from the mansion. He would be back, since he never strayed too far from her.

Waiting until she could no longer see Aari, she turned back to Jami. "Is... Is Chris still downstairs? I... I think I should talk to him. Is that a good idea?" Her arms crossed over her stomach, eyes down on the ground. She wanted Chris to know that she still wanted to be friends and that she was sorry for leaving him alone so much.

~

Layla walked along the beach, making sure her bare feet didn't touch the water. Being a cat, she disliked water outside of showering, and even then she was careful not to spend too much time in there. There were noises all around, and then she saw a massive frame bounce down onto the beach. It was a wolf with wings, and since they were so rare, she figured it had to be someone she know. "Hey there, big boy. Care not to run anything over down here. This is Birdy's favorite place, and he'd probably kill whoever messes it up."

She popped the bag of chips open, digging inside for the snacks, sitting down on the sand. She stretched her legs out, toes pointing into the ground, bending her knees and swirling them in circles in the air, alternating.
 
Jami closed her eyes tightly as she caught just a flash of her son fleeing from the room. She wished she could simply talk to him, hold him, sooth away the fear of rejection that he feared. Her heart ached with pain for her child and she approached the other one who looked so uncertain, telling herself to talk small steps. Just like with Kain. She'd done this before, she could do it again. She could. It just sucked that she had to.

The mother touched her daughter's arms, rubbing gently and then tilted Jay's chin up, kissing her forehead. "That's a very good idea." Similar eyes looked into younger versions of themselves. "He's downstairs and I am sure you can find him with your talented nose." She tapped said nose with a warm smile and let go of her daughter, instead putting a hand on her lower back and giving a playful push. "Now go. You'll be fine. I will be right outside with your father if you need me."

Their eyes met again for a moment and Jami smiled softly. "And Jay, you can speak with me about anything and I will never stop loving you. I promise."

--

Aari slowed to a halt at the sight of Layla and he felt a calm come over him. It was different than what his sister evoked. Jay's calm and comfort was that of a family member. She relaxed his agitation, let him know he was safe with her, but when he was with Layla....he felt calm all the way through and strong. He felt like he could do anything he set his mind to when he was with her. He wanted to keep her safe so he could do anything.

He didn't know if that was something he should feel, but didn't know how to stop it so he didn't.

The winged-wolf watched the werecat now with a tilted head and when she sat, he came over slowly. His fur bristled slightly, skin prickling with an electric current, his stiff legs ready to leap away at any moment, but Layla didn't move. She never did. She never made sudden movements, always gave him his space, always seemed to know what he wanted to say and couldn't.

He liked her for that. He liked her.

Now Aari came closer to her, closer than he'd ever been before if one didn't count him crashing into her earlier and when she could have reached out and brushed her fingertips against his fur, he stopped, pale blue eyes watching her still, ears slightly back but twitching as he listened to her breathing, to the sound of crunching chips, the call of a seagull and the crashing of the ocean against the shore. The wind ruffled his dark fur as he finally laid down, staying where he'd finally stopped, and his fur laid down as he let out a long sigh.

He didn't know why he'd run, but it had felt good to do so and it felt good to be in this form, to have broken past that barrier.

--

Chris tilted his head this way and that and he wiped at his face, smearing blue paint all along his cheek and forehead. Bored, he'd taken to his 'studio', a place with many paintings, some hung, others littered around the room and right now he was working one that had been nagging at him for days. It was a picture of both Jay and Aari, the first day they'd gone down to the beach - three days into staying here. It had been the closest moment to happy he'd seen both of them in those first few days and he was now trying to capture that moment; Jay's smile, the laughter that had been in her voice as she splashed her brother. Aari's eyes, looking relaxed and trusting as his tail posed for a retaliation, both their black hair whipping around in the breeze and their clothes already half-soaked.

It had been a good day for them and he smiled a little even as he kept painting. Oh, and if there happened to be a certain werecat lurking on the beach, the slightest of smiles on her face, so be it.
 
Layla twisted her legs around, setting the bag of chips aside while her arms stretched up. Aari was moving closer, and while he was three times her size, she didn't move. Even in that state, he was vulnerable and prone to attack if she moved too quickly. So she stayed still, only looking at him as he moved down beside her. She tilted her head, noticing he'd come far closer than he ever had before. He looked so soft from where he was sitting, and there was a temptation to touch him.

The werecat rolled up the bag and licked her fingers off. Shifting, she rested on her back, making sure her movements were slow so she didn't startle him. "What brings you all the way out here? Didn't want to be around anyone? I didn't mean to invade your space. Birdy's all messed up about your sister and your dad. I don't think the dragon was very nice to him."

~

Jay nodded, trying to smile at her mother. She was pushed out of the room and she slowly made her way downstairs. She could smell Chris all around since it was his house. She followed the strongest scent trail down various halls, passing by some rooms until she came to one closed door. She knocked, but her fist hardly connected with the door before she pushed it open. "Chris? Are... are you in here?" she asked, looking around. There were paintings everywhere. They were all sorts of different colors, and Jay thought all of them equally beautiful. She'd had no idea Chris possessed such talent for art.

She'd stepped forward and she saw him, but the first thing she noticed was the paint on his face. "You've got blue," she said, pointing to his forehead. Without asking, she stepped up, her tongue running over her thumb before she reached up, wiping the blue paint away from his skin. Her fingers were soft and careful, like he would hurt if she pushed too hard.
 
Aari's ears perked at the sound of her voice and then twitched back and around again, both approving of her words and not liking what she spoke about herself. She'd not invaded his space. He'd wanted her near. He'd just been scared and overwhelmed and Jay had driven Layla off without asking him if he wanted it first. He didn't know how to convey that, though, and laid his head back down again, whining softly in thought.

His sister had been upset. He could sense that even when she was comforting him, but she'd looked better in their mother's arms, so Aari wasn't too worried about that. And Chris...well, he wasn't entirely against the phoenix anymore but he wasn't overly fond of the fire-bird either. Still, that didn't mean his father should be mean. Protective was not he same as mean. The scientists were mean and harsh for no reason. Dragons were not supposed to be that way.

Aari found himself not wanting to go near his father even more now. He'd upset Jay. That was enough for the hybrid to feel wary and he lifted his head with a growl, wings flaring slightly as he looked toward the mansion. He turned his attention back to Layla, looking across and down at her, head tilting as his ears came forward again and his wings settled once more against his back. Once again she knew exactly what was bothering him and Aari put his head down again, but his body crept forward just a little in a slight army-crawl so that his nose nearly touched the splayed tendrils of her hair. He stopped again with a shiver, uncertain about going any further, but wanting to try. She was good to him and he wanted to be the same way to her.

"Layla." His mind reached out for her own like it would a dragon's, his voice smooth and deep like it would have been had he not been so conditioned to growl and snarl. and Aari tensed a little, fur rising just slightly as he waited for a reply or a rejection or...something.

--

Chris nearly jumped at the knock, but luckily, years had taught him to jump AWAY from his paintings and the brushstroke he'd been about to administer never landed but neither did it ruin what he was doing. He didn't get the chance to yell that the door was open or don't come in as Jay pushed open the wood and the words died on his throat in a smile of greeting instead. His gray eyes lit up, happy to see her and he couldn't help the way his heart leaped at knowing she was still here.

At her words, he tilted his head, frowning, confusing and then not so confused as she started to wipe the paint from his skin. The redhead smiled again, softer this time as he watched her and the look of concentration on her face. Her fingers were soft and the care she took was even more meaningful because they both knew of the deadly claws and strength that lay below. When she was near to being done, starting to pull away, his hand came up and caught her own, calloused fingers gentle against her slender ones. His gray eyes met her hazel-green with a soft intensity, studying the planes of her face, her features as if to memorize them forever as he kissed her fingertips and then slowly let her go.

He tucked her hair back behind her ear then and spoke calmly, much more calmly then he felt at the moment. "Did you need something?" It is what she always says to him when he seeks her out and Chris smiles a little now, clearly showing her he is teasing.
 
Layla crossed her arms behind her head, looking up at the stars above them. Her eyes closed before she felt Aari's nose brushing her hair. Looking over, she found the massive hybrid closer again. He said her name in his head and she smiled. "Well, good to know you sound different in your head. Not that I mind, but it's nice to hear you talk." She looked back up, her eyes closing again. She was quiet for a few minutes, enjoying the near-silence.

"Would you mind if I pet you? You look kinda soft. I get it though, if you don't want me to touch you."

~

Jay almost shied away from Chris's touch, but he kept a hold on her fingers. She tried not to snap her hand from his, and she looked down as he spoke to her. Her eyes studied the floor, pushing her hair back as he moved it behind her ear. "I just... I wanted to talk to you...." She thought to pause and allow him to speak, but then her words began to spill out and she couldn't stop.

"I... I thought you didn't like me, because I didn't help you... when my father attacked you... since I didn't defend you at all. So I left... my mother said that males don't read minds, so I should talk to you and tell you how I feel, because I was avoiding you. But... but I don't know how I feel. I... I like you... You helped me and Aari and you're nice to us. You're my friend, but... I wasn't very nice by staying away from you." Her voice broke as she tried to keep her tears in. "I... I don't want you to hate me...."
 
Aari felt a relief so profound that his tail started to wag slightly before he even realized it. She liked his voice. She'd heard him and didn't mind that he spoke, didn't push him away or tell him to shut up. There was no pain, no orders to be silent, no taunts that he was an animal and animals didn't talk. Nothing but her calm words and soothing voice, and her scent wrapping around his nose, reassuring him that all was well. He didn't need to be afraid.

The winged-wolf had laid his head back on his paws when she spoke again and Aari lifted his head, fur starting to bristle and tail rising slightly, wings flaring at her request. He didn't move, though, and his growl was only soft as he thought it over. Most of him immediately shrieked a resounding NO through his head, but it was in Dr. Cordren's voice and Aari snarled, wanting it to leave. He reasoned that the only way to make her do so, though, was to fight what she told him to do.

His pale blue eyes looked back at Layla and Aari's tail lowered, his wings drawing closer to his body, but they didn't relax and his fur still stood up slightly. When - if - Layla touched him, she'd feel him tremble badly, but his voice in her head was almost steady.

"You can...t-touch."

--

Chris let her speak without interruption, knowing that such a thing did not come easily to her. Her words both made him joyful - and amused; men certainly were not mind-readers, but apparently neither was Jay - and sad all at the same time and Chris shook his head when she was done, speaking to her softly as if she was a skittish horse that might bolt at any moment. "Jay, I could never hate you." he assured her first and then Chris acted on instinct, trying to dampen it down because he was well aware that he was a passionate creature by nature and Jay, while the same way genetic-wise, had been through too much to not be cautious.

His hands cupped her face, bringing her eyes up to meet his own and his thumbs brushed against her cheekbones, soothing when all he wanted to do was capture her lips with his own and pour everything he felt into her, to make her see how beautiful and incredible, smart and talented, fierce and strong she was in his eyes. He settled for words at this point, not wanting to scare her. She liked him, but in what way yet was to be determined and she'd admitted to not knowing her own emotions. He didn't want to push her into anything she was not ready for.

She was different from anyone he'd ever met and he wanted to treasure and protect her as she should be.

"I care for you very much, Jay. I could never hate someone I cared so much about and accept your apology. I am not mad. I understand being confused, being sad. I am glad you came to me, though. It pained me to think of not speaking to you before you left. It pains me to think of you leaving." he admitted quietly.
 
She heard the waver in his mental voice, and she almost retracted her words. However, she knew talking would only get him so far. He had to learn that touch wasn't so bad. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, crossing her legs and turning so his snout was near her shins. She leaned over, one hand coming to rest on his head. She could feel him shaking under her fingers, and it made her sad. This poor dragon had been tortured beyond belief, and yet, he still stood. He was still alive, though it wasn't necessarily to tell his tale.

Her other hand came up, cupping his ear and rubbing up and down on the fur. He was remarkably soft, something she wouldn't have expected. "You're very nice to touch, Aari. I want you to know that," she said, her voice soft. She began to pet him on the head, going no further than his neck. Her other hand stayed on his ear, and she kept up the quiet actions, doing her best not to startle him. "Do you want me to stop?"

~

Jay looked up at him, hazel-green eyes swimming with tears not yet fallen. He didn't hate her like she thought, and she gave him the slightest of smiles. He cared for her, but he didn't want her to leave. He wanted to talk to her more often than she'd thought, and she'd avoided him because she didn't know how to deal with her emotions. She nodded in his hands before she pulled from his grasp, but she moved forward, not backward.

Her arms wrapped around his neck in a hug, her body pressed against his. She didn't really know how to tell him that she cared too. She wasn't sure whether or not she wanted to leave. She loved her parents, but Chris and Layla were her only friends. She couldn't ask them to return to Castle Rock with her, but she couldn't leave her parents.

The contradicting thoughts made the tears finally spill, soaking Chris's shirt as her arms began to tremble. Dragons weren't supposed to cry, but she could no longer contain her jumbled emotions.
 
The initial touch had made his fur rise, his lips curl over his teeth in warning, but Aari had remained quiet and still, willing his body to cooperate with what the small, but determined part of his mind wanted. It became a bit easier as her fingers caressed his ear and both lifted to stand tall, but wavering, catching the words she said, feeling how gentle she was and how slowly she moved. His fur, for a time, followed the rise and fall of her hand, laying flat when she touched him and rising again when she left but after awhile it settled and his wings slowly relaxed back against his body.

Aari was just starting to truly relax when Layla spoke and his eyes opened, having closed at her initial touch and his pale blue locked with her blue-green. His gaze was the same, no matter in what form, both savagely fierce and yet incredibly vulnerable to anyone who cared to see it.

"No."

The answer was a whisper, but steady and Aari moved just a little closer to Layla so that his nose touched her leg before he turned his head a little so that the fur on his cheek brushed her shins and his body curled closer without actually making any great contact, but he was close enough for her to feel that heat that radiated off of him. Aari closed his eyes again, content to be in her presence.

--

Chris felt a moment of uncertainty, of loss and fear that made his heart constrict when she pulled away. Oh, crap, had he said the wrong thing?! The panic-attack was halted by Jay's step forward and the redhead had to hold back a shaky breath of relief as her arms came around his neck. Her body was warm and soft against his own and the phoenix closed his eyes, his arms wrapping around her waist, ready to let go at any signal she might give, but in this moment....he simply savored her touch, the smell of her hair and the beat of her heart against his chest, her breath curling against his neck.

He was not surprised when she started to cry and Chris made no comment at first, merely bringing one hand up to cradle her head, letting her know she didn't need to pull away. He held her securely, almost tightly as he feared she'd bolt at any moment and finally started to speak softly. "Shh, it's all right, Jay. It'll be okay. Everything will work out, my little flame, I promise."

Chris decided right then and there that he wasn't letting her go. It didn't matter what it took. He'd waited more lifetimes than he could count for her and he wasn't about to let her slip away.
 
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Layla was only slightly surprised by his rejection. He wanted her to keep touching him, even if her movements were small. However, she only nodded at his words, continuing to pet him. She remained quiet so she wouldn't scare him, making sure she never went past his neck. Her hands sometimes cupped his ears, rubbing up and down along the edges. He seemed to like it, but after some time, she moved onto her back, one hand still moving along his head. Her eyes closed, and her legs stretched back out.

"Thanks, y'know," she said, keeping her voice quiet. "For lettin' me touch you. I know it's not always what you want, but it means you know not everyone's all bad."

~

Jay nearly collapsed into him, a month of holding up some kind of a front that she was okay finally breaking. She was trying to be strong for Aari, hoping her parents would be able to sweep away their worry. But she hadn't gotten that. Instead, Aari was still hurting and Jay hadn't found the strength to keep going. She wanted to help, but so much was happening, and now she wasn't sure if she wanted to leave.

The dragon found she didn't want to let go of Chris. Her grip actually tightened as some of the tears stopped spilling over her cheeks. Her eyes were shut tight, and her cheek was pressed to his chest. Her horns bent back, but they didn't obscure her, and she always made sure to never jab Chris with the points.

He'd called her his little flame, but he was promising that things would work out. All she did was nod, trying to stop her claws from digging into his neck from her grip.
 
Aari opened his eyes when she moved, but such was the state he was in, nearly somewhere between awake and starting to doze that he didn't start or grow alarmed in the least as he watched her. When she'd settled again and closed her eyes, he waited for a moment, but his body moved closer again and this time Aari moved his large head to rest on his stomach. It felt right, natural and for the first time in a long time, he wasn't scared of any consequences, of what might happen if he just acted.

He liked Layla's touch and her voice and her smell, and when he was this close to her he could have that. And he liked that, too.

"You are not bad. You are good." he answered quietly, finding a sort of freedom in speaking to her mentally that he couldn't overcome physically yet. This way, no one but she could hear him and that helped. Aari sighed out slowly and this time his mind did drift toward sleep, trusting and knowing he was safe.

--

She'd been strong for so long, but he'd seen how she hurt, had known and hadn't been able to do anything until she was ready to let him. Now Chris cradled the female hybrid to him and he let her hold him as tight as she wanted, never complaining, never feeling the need to. She needed this. She needed someone to hold her and let her be fragile and hurt and safe throughout it all. Everyone should be allowed to be weak, to have moments where they just wanted to cry and wail at the injustice of the world. Jay had been denied that because her brother had needed someone to be strong for him, but now Aari had Layla, he had his parents and when Jay was steady again, he'd have her, but for now...his sister needed someone.

The redhead rubbed her back gently, careful of her wings as the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her or make her uncomfortable. Slowly, though, he moved them over to the couch and Chris sat at one end, but slightly diagonal so she could rest her upper body on his, but her lower body could curl on the sofa. He didn't want anything from her, only that she feel safe and cared for as his fingers found her hair and he ran them through her dark tresses, careful of her horns just as he was with her wings.

He'd stay here with her for as long as she needed and longer.
 
Layla cracked an eye open to look down at him, but she didn't make him move. He was comfortable enough to rest his head on her, and she wouldn't get up if he was there. She had to chuckle at his words, taking a deep breath after, his head moving with the motions of her body. "Well, I'm glad you think so," she said, petting the top of his head again.

"Try to sleep. I'll stay here with you. I'll be here when you wake up." One arm twisted to rest behind her head, eye closing again. Within a few minutes, she fell asleep, one leg propped up and the other stretched out completely. She had odd sleeping positions, a trait carried on from her werecat side.

~

Jay didn't protest when they were moved, and her legs curled up, pressing into the back of the couch. One wing hung off the side and the other rested over her. Her arms stayed curled around his neck, her breathing evening out. It seemed like she was asleep, but her head shifted and the collar of his shirt was taken in between her teeth. She began to gnaw on the material, but it wasn't in any sensual manner. Jay was in fact asleep, but she bit things when she was stressed, or like she used to do when she was a child.

Her cheek nuzzled into his chest, her teeth still chewing on his shirt. She would probably apologize profusely after she woke up for the state of his frayed and mangled collar, but in that moment, she was peaceful.
 
Aari heard her words before his mind drifted off completely and a soft growl answered her before he was lost to the realm of true sleep. He wouldn't dream this time, wouldn't wake in a panic, snarling at things that weren't there or hiding in a corner. For the first time in a year, he'd sleep a true slumber as he was content, almost happy.

--

Chris looked down without moving his head as he felt his shirt being pulled on and at the sight that greeted him, he had to resist the urge to laugh, not wanting to wake the beauty in his arms. He smiled down at her, though, still carding his hand through her black hair with a loving care that grew even more tender once she was sleeping, his fingers brushing across her cheeks and the hand around her waist tracing soft patterns on her lower back.

"You are too cute for your own good." he muttered softly and then sighed, glad he was wearing a shirt and not bare-chested because damn, being gnawed on by those teeth would have hurt! He could have cared less if she ruined the shirt, though. He had a lot of clothes for a reason. Nothing was quite fireproof enough for a phoenix he'd found. One shirt lost to a sleep-chewing dragon hybrid didn't bother him in the least.

He settled back on the couch and it wasn't long before Chris drifted off, holding Jay securely and never releasing her, even in sleep.
 
Layla woke late in the morning, finding a black form on her stomach. Her hand had stilled during the night, but it still rested on his head. She held onto his fur as she slowly moved into an upright position, making sure his head stayed in her lap. "Easy, Aari. I'm not moving. Just stretching," she said, reassuring him. Her arms popped up, twisting around and working blood back into her limbs. "Well, can't say that's the first time I ever slept on a beach."

~

Jay woke up to a very warm presence beneath her. She shifted her head and looked down, finding Chis below her. She didn't remember falling asleep on him, but she found he was warm and soft and that she didn't really want to move. He was... cuddly. She liked it. Her wings stretched up, her head nuzzling into his chest again with a soft whimper as she tried to work her way back into sleep. If this was what Chris meant by 'okay,' then she was okay with it too. One leg curled around his ankle, claws gripping his shirt. She didn't think anything of their position, even if it looked suggestive from a distance.
 
Aari woke immediately at movement, but such was the way he'd gone to sleep - peaceful - that he didn't immediately panic or spring up when disturbed now. And by the time those inclinations had occurred to him, Layla was already reassuring him that everything was fine and the winged-wolf settled again, letting out a long sigh. He watched her silently, pale blue eyes studying everything she did with an unwavering intensity.

At her words he tilted his head, but like many times before, her words didn't require that he reply and Aari didn't as he stood and proceeded to stretch his long limbs with a fang-filled yawn. He stretched his wings then, as far as they could go before folding them back against his back. He didn't know how to fly, had never learned and thought but his forms had wings, he almost never used them. The wolf brought his ears forward now as he looked around and then swiveled them back, turning his head as he detected noise from the direction of the mansion.

Another wolf was approaching from across the sand, a great gray wolf that was only slightly smaller than he was. It was his mother and for a moment Aari stiffened, every muscle in his body ready to flee, but he hesitated, looking to Layla, as if asking her what he should do.

--

Chris blinked at the sound and shifting movement on him and yawned, shifting himself before he looked down and blinked. A warm body over his he recognized - even if it had been nearly three years since something like that had happened - but he knew he'd not been to a bar, hadn't brought anyone home. And this was black hair. With horns and wings and holding such warmth that spoke to the heat inside him that the phoenix could not place any doubt as to who he held.

The redhead smiled and the fingers that had settled at her shoulder and neck now moved back up to her hair, threading through it gently as he leaned down at placed a chaste kiss on her head. "Kiwieg desta, sia moxt ibafarshan?"

He couldn't speak in her head, but he knew the dragon tongue and it seemed far less harsh and invasive in the warm silence.
 
Layla smelled the second wolf, but her scent was distinctly mother-like. She stood up, brushing sand from her clothes and popping her back as she twisted each way. She looked at Aari, who came up to her shoulder with his large head, and then she glanced at Jami. "Well, hello, Mama," she said, reaching up to pet Aari's head. She felt the wolf look at her, but she shrugged. "She's your mom, not mine. Go talk to her. She's not going to bite you. I think she just wants to know that you're okay."

The hem of her shirt brushed her stomach as she stretched her entire body. "Go on. I'll wait right here for you."

~

Jay suddenly had options. If she said yes, he might ask her to move and she didn't want to do that. But if she said no, she wouldn't have to move, but then she would be lying. She stayed still while he stroked her hair before she nodded and moved off of him. Her legs curled up to her chest as her hazel-green eyes studied him. She finally noticed the part of his shirt where she'd chewed it through and she ducked her head.

"Si mi bivai zahae dout ofilnarir. Si tira ti jatil ekess svent coi."
 
Aari growled softly at the feel of her fingers and he didn't move away until she did, looking back toward his mother who'd stopped a small distance away. Layla's calm encouragement swirled around inside his head gently and for some reason he could not fathom, her words seemed to beat back Dr. Cordren's voice in a way he'd never been able to. They created a circle of safety around him, a bubble of calm and the hybrid was thinking relatively clearly as he finally moved from Layla's side and padded slowly toward his mother.

The closer he got, the more instinct flared, but it wasn't of a savage nature this time. It was purely werewolf and Jami felt it, too as her fur started to rise just as his did, both their tails high, bodies stiff as they grew closer, circled a little, sniffing and in this state Aari had no room to think about anything else except what the wolf part of him told him to do. It was almost a relief and Jami seemed to know he'd behave this way. She'd played her cards wisely approaching him thus and not in a humanoid form.

The black wolf growled first, fangs flashing as his lips curled and the gray wolf answered with a snarl of her own as they came closer. It was clear that Aari was the bigger, possibly stronger, but Jami was his mother and in HER pack, SHE and KAIN were dominate. She bristled far more than he did, snarls louder, body stiffer in challenge and the black wolf finally backed down, fur lowering slightly, tail lowering near his legs, body sinking a little and his wings folded close to his body instead of flared. He wasn't submitting completely, but it was a clear gesture that he knew where his place was and the gray wolf almost instantly stopped her challenge.

A soft whine replaced growls as she moved closer and Aari rose a little, muzzle extending to touch beneath her jaw and Jami's tail wagged as she licked over his forehead, a very human part of her wanting to grin with joy and weep with sorrow all at the same time. Her son was letting her approach, letting her touch him and she didn't even care that it was in this form. She could feel that Aari wasn't completely relaxed, the thinking part of him still wary and unsure, but he wasn't bolting and that was what mattered.

--

He felt instant loss when she departed. Damn, if he'd known she was going to do that, he would never have asked how she was. Chris stayed where he was as she looked at him and he smiled to see that at least she didn't run. She had curled into herself again, but she didn't look so distressed this time around and the redhead tilted his head as she spoke before looking down at his shirt, pulling it away from his body. He started to laugh at the state of his collar, grinning as he looked back up at Jay.

"Tir ti xihood ihk coi. Si tepoha lyriki vur throdenilti di nomenes geou qe shafaer ixen sva creol montu ilrigan." he informed her with amusement and finally sat up, ignoring the shirt altogether and his fingers touched her face with the faintest of caresses and he tilted his head, hoping to catch her beautiful eyes from behind her black hair as he whispered. "Wux lotoc?"

A smile danced in his eyes. How could it not? He'd just had the most fantastic female he'd ever met in his arms all night. Who wouldn't be happy?
 
Layla watched the interaction, but she was silent the entire time. It was between Aari and Jami, and if she intervened, there would be consequences. She crossed her arms over her chest, patiently waiting. She wouldn't interrupt him. He was learning to be good again. Not everything was bad in the world, and with time and care, he would see that. The werecat watched as Aari backed down with a slight smile. He was still fairly dominate, but he knew his mother ultimately reigned over him. The smile grew bigger as Jami licked his forehead, and she took that time to step up.

"Nice to see you, Mama. I dunno what they did to your son over in that place, but... He is good. Underneath all that work they did on him, there's a heart. It'll take time, but you'll find not everythin' sucks." She looked down at Aari for the last part of her words, but she only moved her hand over his head once. She didn't want to take up Jami's space when Aari was just beginning to show his soft side to her.

~

She had ruined his shirt and he hadn't cared in the slightest. If she'd even so much scratched the walls in the facility, she was shocked for it. His hands on her face confirmed that she wasn't dreaming his words. Jay looked up, seeing the smile on his face and in his eyes, and she found it was contagious. The corners of her mouth turned up ever so slightly, and she nodded with his fingers.

"Axun, si mi lotoc. Wux... Wux tir ti dartak ve."

She glanced down, biting her lip, her fangs scraping along her skin with no marks. She didn't know why, but she wanted to stay with Chris. For so long, she'd wanted to go home, but now, he was changing her mind. Did she like him beyond a mere friendship? She didn't know. She didn't think the soft kisses he'd given her were something friends did, even if they hadn't been on her lips.

"Tir... Tir wux siofme sia odassi geou dartak ve... Sjek... Sjek si visp astahi si tir ti huven ekess gethrisj okarthel mrith astahi? Astahii... Astahii tepoha ocuirtor throden keari ios Aari vur si... Si tir ti siofme astahii geou hefoc sia ulhyrr ekess zexenuma tenpiswo mrith... Mrith wux."

She didn't know how to look him in the eye and admit that she wanted to stay with him. She kept her eyes down, her arms tightening around her legs.
 
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The gray wolf looked to Layla when she approached and Jami's ears perked, catching what the black-white haired female said. It made her smile in a wolfish way and she spoke gently into the werecat's head, not wanting to harm her if she wasn't used to such things. "Thank you for the ways you have been helping Aari. I suspect you've already been a great influence on him." She said such words while watching Layla stroke her son's head even just that once, seeing how Aari didn't move, even seemed to lean into the caress.

Just like his father. Stars above they were more alike in behavior - if not mind as well, but that wasn't to be confirmed yet - now than they ever had been before. It was almost like looking in a mirror and Jami hated it, hated what they'd done to Aari. She loved Kain, fiercely and with everything in her, but he was difficult to get along with. He had challenges that she still had to face and now her son...was the same way.

It nearly broke Jami's heart as she licked Aari's forehead again and rumbled a soft growl, nuzzling her nose into his fur, telling him in the most simplest of ways that she still cared. And her son let her, but it was clear he wasn't at ease, not truly. He stayed closer to Layla now that she'd come over - and something seemed to have lit up in his pale blue eyes when she called him 'good' - but while he was still crouched down, he was also stiff and whenever a sudden noise came like the screech of a gull or the loud crashing of a large wave, his teeth showed, a snarl threatening his throat.

He had two people touching him at the same time and while he didn't want to hurt either of them and logically he knew they would not hurt him, he couldn't bring himself to relax as conditioning told him to snap and get away. Jami seemed to sense this and finally moved back a little, watching how the black wolf trembled as he stood. She didn't approach again upon witnessing that, but she didn't leave either, looking back at Layla.

"Now, I know of the relationship between the phoenix and my daughter, but tell me, cat, how is it you view my son?"

--

Chris couldn't have been more shocked - or happy! - than he was in that moment, hearing Jay's words. He opened his mouth to speak and then faltered, stilling. He wanted to tell her that she was an adult and could make her own decisions, that she didn't need her parent's permission, that they could come visit, anything and everything to make her STAY, but he stopped himself. Could he really do that to her? She had a family, a place to go. She had people who loved her and a home.

What did he have here that would hurt him greatly to leave behind? There was Layla, but she was free to come and go as she pleased and she always did. No matter where he was, she'd turn up again. She always did. No, he had nothing here. No family, no true friends, this house wasn't even his.

How could he ask her to leave everything dear to her...when he couldn't offer something better in return?

The redhead shook his head slightly and while her words still made his pulse pound and his heart race, Chris' touch was gentle when he lifted Jay's chin and caught her hazel-green eyes with his adamant gray. "Si tir ti siofme batobot astahii ornla dartak wux. Astahii itov wux kiri kiarf. Yth re ti staying tenpiswo. Wux re kiri trelk ekess nomenes batobot ouith wux vur dout odassi zklaen itrewic wux ekess vi tokeq goawy. Si geou ti tor wux ekess zexenuma, Jay, shar... si geou tor ekess gethrisj mrith wux."

The words felt right and Chris searched her eyes, hoping, as he waited for her reply.
 
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