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Collab: Don't Punch the Red Demon. Leon and Ginny
As she was pulled away from the red headed bastard, Ginny almost considered fighting, but two factors stopped her - the first, that Leon was considerably larger than her and really, had very little difficulty holding her back… the second that, in truth, she didn't particularly WANT to hurt the kid. A part of her did, sure, but that part of her was an ugliness that she had tried desperately to leave behind, when she got on that bus. She wasn't a bad person. She had to remind herself of that, daily… and all she wanted was to move on with her life. She'd snapped, but actually putting effort into hurting Reggie seemed wasteful.
So when Leon suggested fresh air, she didn't argue, her breathing slowly returning to normal as her heart rate decreased, and the fog in her mind cleared. When they were outside, she huffed out a sigh and looked down at her hands, shaking slightly and scuffed from her impact with the chair and the floor.
Leon gently guided her outside of the bar, hesitantly closing the door behind him. At this point what happened in there did not matter. Another bartender was bound to come in shortly, and everything was decently locked up. The only thing Leon would have worried about was rapid depletion in stock, but to him making sure that his childhood friend was alright was top priority. His eyes flickered down to meet her gaze, noticing some marks from the scuffle. He smiled gently at her. "If that continues hurting I can give you some ibuprofen after our walk. I just figured you needed a moment away from the bar. Are...are you doing okay? I know that man was very cruel, but I need to make sure that you aren't...well, going to hurt yourself or others." He paused, cautious with his next words. "So what brings you back anyway?"
"...Trust me, Leon. This? This was nothing compared to…" Frowning, she shook her head, "I'll be fine. He set me off. It was stupid, and it won't happen again. I won't let it happen again." Breathing in, she shook out her hands, her eyes drifting upwards, moving to the cloudless blue of the sky overhead, "I'm not crazy. Whatever the hell he said, just… just get it out of your mind, okay? I'm not." Sniffing, she turned her gaze forward again, shoving her hands into her pockets with a small wince.
"...I don't even know why I'm here. I… I never intended to come back. Figured anyone worth seeing from back then would be gone. But I got this letter… felt like…" Blinking, her hands slipped free, her arms coming around her, "...Felt like something he'd send. And I guess there's a part of me that still… That's still afraid…"
"Relax. I do not think you are crazy." Leon reassured her with a genuine smile, attempting to reveal how tempted he was to allow her to get one more hit in before he disrupted the commotion. He slowly exhaled, tempted to place his hand on her shoulder. Rather, he kept them firmly secure in his pockets, glancing down towards his shoes. His hat threatened to tip straight off his head. "A letter?" His brow furrowed. Who would have sent a letter to a missing child? Did Reginald have one as well? Where there other children here in the town? His lips dipped into a frown laced with concern, and slowly he brought his hand out to rub his brow. "I understand why you'd be afraid. I cannot imagine what it was like to be abducted, nor can I imagine what it is like to be brought back to a town where, in all honesty, I can't believe people still live. It's okay to be afraid. Just know that, well, you have childhood friends here. You should feel safe when they are around." He swallowed uncertainly. "Do...do you still have that letter on you?
Chewing at the edge of her lip, she considered the question, before nodding, and digging it out of her back pocket, she held it out to him, "Came with… well… I guess you probably know about the dolls. I got rid of mine, fast as I could. Never thought I'd see it again, but the damn thing showed up with the letter…" Shaking her head, she returned her arms across her chest, "Never thought I'd see you again, Leon. Honestly… I kind of expected you to have been the first one out of this hell hole. You were always smarter than the rest of us, and damn if you didn't deserve better…"
Leon gently inspected the letter, his eyes narrowing as he realized how to the point it appeared. The fact that the doll appeared with the letter sent nausea down his stomach, and for a brief moment, he thought he could see the writing of a ghost. Shivers trickled down his spine. "Ginny be sure to tell me if anything else comes to you in the mail. Or if you feel like something is wrong." He wanted to make sure whatever had happened with her was not going to occur again, fear nipping at his stomach. "Well, I suppose there is a few reasons I stayed. Mostly to support the family. Bartending and acting doesn't necessarily bring in money, but its stable. And I like the stability. If I could leave, I don't know if I would. It's not joy, it's stability." He smiled, shaking his head. "I would consider leaving. But...now I definitely know I can't."
"Well, hell. Don't stick around for me. I… I've… Let's just say, you wouldn't like who I had to become." Pausing, she shifted, shaking her head, "Everything feels wrong, Leon." Her eyes stung as she concentrated a little harder than necessary on a passing lamp post, "Being here feels wrong. There's just so much… and I know it's gonna blow up. They won't leave it alone. They're gonna dig and poke and pry and… and they'll unbury it all. And I just… can't. I can't go through it again. Living it was hard enough, but watching it unfold? Seeing them pick away at it? At me?" Sniffing again, she brushed a knuckle across her cheek in frustration, "...It was better, feeling like Ginny Edersheim was dead."
"You are not giving yourself much of a chance, Gin. I've only rekindled our friendship for the last what...ten minutes?" He gently nudged her elbow with his, biting his lip as she spilled her emotions towards him. "Ginny I am going to be honest with you. Knowing that you are alive is one of the most joyous moments of my current life. I know you are scared, and you have every right to be. If I were you, I'd be horrified. I just...I just want you to know I am going to be there for you. You are my childhood friend. I know this situation is...weird. But...having you back in my life, and having the hope that there are others out there who are still alive, it brings me hope. I am going to be by your side if you need me. I promise. And if you want me to give you space, I shall do so. Okay?"
Biting her lip, Ginny nodded weakly, not entirely trusting her voice, which seemed to have been swallowed somewhere in a well of emotion. She wanted to tell him no. To tell him that she was better off on her own, and that she had no intention of letting anyone in - letting anyone close. But the fact was, she couldn't do it alone. Tophet. She couldn't stomach it on her own. And if she could think of anyone she'd feel safe with, it was Leon Cyrus…
"...Then there's probably a few things you should know. Because… because they'll find it, anyway. And I… I don't want you finding out in some crap newspaper article. Is… is there somewhere we can go to talk? Less open?"
"There's a few places. There's always the home…" Leon mumbled. He chewed the inside of his cheek. "There's also the cliffside. I don't think anyone would be there this early in the morning. Just as long as we don't stand on the edge, I think we'd be fine." He attempted to joke, keeping his voice even and empty.
"...No. I… I don't wanna go there." On the journey to Tophet, she'd had time to peruse the news over the last several years, and she knew, now, what had become of her tormentor. It wasn't the worst revelation in the world, finding out Diablo was dead, but she didn't exactly want to go to the place the man made his exit from the world if she could help it, "You still at your old place?"
"Right. I can understand why." Leon slowly adjusted his fedora. He slowly considered leading her back home and he nodded. "Sure. The next bartender who should be there soon probably wouldn't mind covering the shift. I opened anyway, so there shouldn't be too much trouble. As for home...yes. I'm still at the old place. Pops finally got enough money to have an extension, so I have a small apartment next to the house. As far as I know no one should be home to listen over."
Nodding at the reassurance, grateful she didn't have to ask, Ginny gestured ahead, "Lead the way, then. It's… it's been a while, and I was what… six last time I came over? You don't still have Superman sheets, do you? Or wait… was it Green Lantern?"
Leon bobbed his head as he started to walk ahead, making sure Ginny was keeping a good pace beside him. His face grew flustered as she mentioned the last time she came over and despite himself, he laughed. "Green Lantern. I loved him as a child. I still like comic book characters, although I promise the sheets this time around are a simple white." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he walked. "The house really hasn't changed since. Pops likes to keep it how it is. Cleaned up. But, there's still things there from when I was a kid. I still have that hang in there cat poster. Oh, speaking of cats...don't be surprised. I've evolved somewhat into a cat person." He coughed behind a closed fist "Not in a weird way but...well you know."
"A cat person, hm?" Looking over at him, Ginny managed a small, weary smile, "I gotta say, I'm pretty surprised, Leon. Guy like you? Not where I pictured you being. Hell, I kinda figured I'd be fightin' off an angry wife and a couple mini-Cyrus's."
"Ha!" Despite himself, Leon chuckled. He managed to silence himself, coughing as he pounded his knuckles lightly into his chest. "No no. No wife for me just yet; as much as I love the idea of mini Cyrus's. No. I haven't really had time for relationships or the desire. For right now foster cats are alright. Maybe one day I'll adopt some kiddos but...no angry wife." He paused, eyes tracing down the street. "Here we are Ginny. Just give me a minute…" he scrambled through his coat pockets, pulling out his house key before approaching the apartment door and prying it open. He bowed to Ginny. "After you."
A brow lifted, as she stepped inside, her eyes wandering around the apartment with a modicum of curiosity. It was hard to ignore that he'd grown up… and really, there was a part of her… the part of her that didn't tackle red-headed creeps in bars that wanted to know just what that meant. But ultimately, there was too much on her mind, and she couldn't quite focus on what she was taking in.
"...It's nice. Though, to be honest, I'm not hard to impress. I'm pretty used to crap motels, these days…"
"Thanks I suppose." He gestured to the small living area, which had been adjacent to the kitchenette he recalled vividly struggling to install. There was a stingy peach carpet, along with two chairs. The poster was still hanging from the left side of the room, and none to his surprise, both of his young cats resides on the bed across the hallway. He grinned. "Take a seat, can I get you anything to eat or drink? Besides alcohol, don't have that here unfortunately." He slowly made his way to the kitchenette, staring back at her for a possible confirmation.
"A bartender who doesn't keep his own liquor. I dunno if that's irony, or not." Moving to a seat, she sank down and folded her hands in front of her, gazing at her knuckles with a small frown, "I'm fine. Probably better I get this out of the way, before I lose my nerve."
"I'm not much of a liquor person. Although I was very tempted to take that Red Devils drink and down it." Leon admitted with a smirk, realizing now that it would be better just to sit and allow for Ginny to spill her sorrows. He slowly maneuvered his way to the second seat, plopping down and holding his hands patiently in his lap. "Please. Take your time Ginny. I need you to know this is a safe space to speak."
"A safe space…" Breathing out, Ginny shook her head, "...I got a hard time feeling like anywhere's safe. Especially not here in Tophet. But here goes…" Staring at her hands, she shook her head, "Should probably ask first… how much do you know? About… about everything that went down?"
"I understand. I just want you to know that you are safe here, or, well, rather that I wish to provide you a safe place." He swallowed, unsure of how much he truly wished to know. He merely smiled. "I don't want to force you to go into detail. I just want you to tell me what you feel comfortable saying. I won't pry anything else out. If there's something you wish to get off your chest, I am listening."
"...Chances are… if… if they dig just deep enough, they're gonna find it anyway. And like I said, I'd rather it come from me. I… After he… when he was done with me, he dropped me off in the middle of Grand Central Station. Just… walked in and left me there. I got picked up a few hours later by the station guards. And ended up in the system pretty quickly, after. I… I guess I could've told them who I was, where I came from, but I think a part of me was just so damn afraid if I went back there… he'd find me. So I just… I pushed it all down and I let it go. Bounced around for the next few years… till I hit one too many places that didn't agree with me. It ain't like picking out a cat, I guess. And it was one reminder after another… of Diablo."
Breathing out, she shook her head, "So I took off. I left the home… Figured the streets wouldn't be much better, but at least they'd be mine. It wasn't great, but I survived… Ran into some trouble with the law a few times, nothing major… Couldn't avoid trouble for good, I guess. Got into the wrong crowd, and I ended up with a… with a guy named Jack Baker. It was fine, at first… then it wasn't." Gritting her jaw, she straightened, "When I tried to leave, he took offense and things got ugly. I had no choice… but to defend myself. And I ended up in jail for it… I got out a few months before the letter came."
Leon remained silent during her retelling of events, biting his lip as sorrow built in his chest. Diablo just dropped her off at a station? Let her loose? That meant it was entirely possible there were more kids out there. There was a chance they were all still…
Leon almost didn't want to believe today was true. But Ginny had the doll. She had a letter bringing her back home. She reminded him of all the days they would spend time together and something within his heart threatened to shatter. He believed her. Despite the small voice in the back of his head telling her not to, he believed her fully. He exhaled, massaging his temple.
"Okay. Ginny, if that is what you are worried I was not going to like you for or think you are crazy for, you are sadly mistaken. I understand what you had to do to survive, and I admire you for being able to survive for fifteen years after what happened. It made you strong." He gripped the chair arm uncertainly. "And maybe that means it was a good thing to give you only thirty seconds with that spawn." He winked at her playfully, attempting to ease her once more. "I am sorry you had to suffer this way. I...would it be too soon to offer you to stay here? I know you had crummy motels and homes in the past but...if you are so inclined, considering your situation, I wouldn't mind you staying in the apartment."
As she was pulled away from the red headed bastard, Ginny almost considered fighting, but two factors stopped her - the first, that Leon was considerably larger than her and really, had very little difficulty holding her back… the second that, in truth, she didn't particularly WANT to hurt the kid. A part of her did, sure, but that part of her was an ugliness that she had tried desperately to leave behind, when she got on that bus. She wasn't a bad person. She had to remind herself of that, daily… and all she wanted was to move on with her life. She'd snapped, but actually putting effort into hurting Reggie seemed wasteful.
So when Leon suggested fresh air, she didn't argue, her breathing slowly returning to normal as her heart rate decreased, and the fog in her mind cleared. When they were outside, she huffed out a sigh and looked down at her hands, shaking slightly and scuffed from her impact with the chair and the floor.
Leon gently guided her outside of the bar, hesitantly closing the door behind him. At this point what happened in there did not matter. Another bartender was bound to come in shortly, and everything was decently locked up. The only thing Leon would have worried about was rapid depletion in stock, but to him making sure that his childhood friend was alright was top priority. His eyes flickered down to meet her gaze, noticing some marks from the scuffle. He smiled gently at her. "If that continues hurting I can give you some ibuprofen after our walk. I just figured you needed a moment away from the bar. Are...are you doing okay? I know that man was very cruel, but I need to make sure that you aren't...well, going to hurt yourself or others." He paused, cautious with his next words. "So what brings you back anyway?"
"...Trust me, Leon. This? This was nothing compared to…" Frowning, she shook her head, "I'll be fine. He set me off. It was stupid, and it won't happen again. I won't let it happen again." Breathing in, she shook out her hands, her eyes drifting upwards, moving to the cloudless blue of the sky overhead, "I'm not crazy. Whatever the hell he said, just… just get it out of your mind, okay? I'm not." Sniffing, she turned her gaze forward again, shoving her hands into her pockets with a small wince.
"...I don't even know why I'm here. I… I never intended to come back. Figured anyone worth seeing from back then would be gone. But I got this letter… felt like…" Blinking, her hands slipped free, her arms coming around her, "...Felt like something he'd send. And I guess there's a part of me that still… That's still afraid…"
"Relax. I do not think you are crazy." Leon reassured her with a genuine smile, attempting to reveal how tempted he was to allow her to get one more hit in before he disrupted the commotion. He slowly exhaled, tempted to place his hand on her shoulder. Rather, he kept them firmly secure in his pockets, glancing down towards his shoes. His hat threatened to tip straight off his head. "A letter?" His brow furrowed. Who would have sent a letter to a missing child? Did Reginald have one as well? Where there other children here in the town? His lips dipped into a frown laced with concern, and slowly he brought his hand out to rub his brow. "I understand why you'd be afraid. I cannot imagine what it was like to be abducted, nor can I imagine what it is like to be brought back to a town where, in all honesty, I can't believe people still live. It's okay to be afraid. Just know that, well, you have childhood friends here. You should feel safe when they are around." He swallowed uncertainly. "Do...do you still have that letter on you?
Chewing at the edge of her lip, she considered the question, before nodding, and digging it out of her back pocket, she held it out to him, "Came with… well… I guess you probably know about the dolls. I got rid of mine, fast as I could. Never thought I'd see it again, but the damn thing showed up with the letter…" Shaking her head, she returned her arms across her chest, "Never thought I'd see you again, Leon. Honestly… I kind of expected you to have been the first one out of this hell hole. You were always smarter than the rest of us, and damn if you didn't deserve better…"
Leon gently inspected the letter, his eyes narrowing as he realized how to the point it appeared. The fact that the doll appeared with the letter sent nausea down his stomach, and for a brief moment, he thought he could see the writing of a ghost. Shivers trickled down his spine. "Ginny be sure to tell me if anything else comes to you in the mail. Or if you feel like something is wrong." He wanted to make sure whatever had happened with her was not going to occur again, fear nipping at his stomach. "Well, I suppose there is a few reasons I stayed. Mostly to support the family. Bartending and acting doesn't necessarily bring in money, but its stable. And I like the stability. If I could leave, I don't know if I would. It's not joy, it's stability." He smiled, shaking his head. "I would consider leaving. But...now I definitely know I can't."
"Well, hell. Don't stick around for me. I… I've… Let's just say, you wouldn't like who I had to become." Pausing, she shifted, shaking her head, "Everything feels wrong, Leon." Her eyes stung as she concentrated a little harder than necessary on a passing lamp post, "Being here feels wrong. There's just so much… and I know it's gonna blow up. They won't leave it alone. They're gonna dig and poke and pry and… and they'll unbury it all. And I just… can't. I can't go through it again. Living it was hard enough, but watching it unfold? Seeing them pick away at it? At me?" Sniffing again, she brushed a knuckle across her cheek in frustration, "...It was better, feeling like Ginny Edersheim was dead."
"You are not giving yourself much of a chance, Gin. I've only rekindled our friendship for the last what...ten minutes?" He gently nudged her elbow with his, biting his lip as she spilled her emotions towards him. "Ginny I am going to be honest with you. Knowing that you are alive is one of the most joyous moments of my current life. I know you are scared, and you have every right to be. If I were you, I'd be horrified. I just...I just want you to know I am going to be there for you. You are my childhood friend. I know this situation is...weird. But...having you back in my life, and having the hope that there are others out there who are still alive, it brings me hope. I am going to be by your side if you need me. I promise. And if you want me to give you space, I shall do so. Okay?"
Biting her lip, Ginny nodded weakly, not entirely trusting her voice, which seemed to have been swallowed somewhere in a well of emotion. She wanted to tell him no. To tell him that she was better off on her own, and that she had no intention of letting anyone in - letting anyone close. But the fact was, she couldn't do it alone. Tophet. She couldn't stomach it on her own. And if she could think of anyone she'd feel safe with, it was Leon Cyrus…
"...Then there's probably a few things you should know. Because… because they'll find it, anyway. And I… I don't want you finding out in some crap newspaper article. Is… is there somewhere we can go to talk? Less open?"
"There's a few places. There's always the home…" Leon mumbled. He chewed the inside of his cheek. "There's also the cliffside. I don't think anyone would be there this early in the morning. Just as long as we don't stand on the edge, I think we'd be fine." He attempted to joke, keeping his voice even and empty.
"...No. I… I don't wanna go there." On the journey to Tophet, she'd had time to peruse the news over the last several years, and she knew, now, what had become of her tormentor. It wasn't the worst revelation in the world, finding out Diablo was dead, but she didn't exactly want to go to the place the man made his exit from the world if she could help it, "You still at your old place?"
"Right. I can understand why." Leon slowly adjusted his fedora. He slowly considered leading her back home and he nodded. "Sure. The next bartender who should be there soon probably wouldn't mind covering the shift. I opened anyway, so there shouldn't be too much trouble. As for home...yes. I'm still at the old place. Pops finally got enough money to have an extension, so I have a small apartment next to the house. As far as I know no one should be home to listen over."
Nodding at the reassurance, grateful she didn't have to ask, Ginny gestured ahead, "Lead the way, then. It's… it's been a while, and I was what… six last time I came over? You don't still have Superman sheets, do you? Or wait… was it Green Lantern?"
Leon bobbed his head as he started to walk ahead, making sure Ginny was keeping a good pace beside him. His face grew flustered as she mentioned the last time she came over and despite himself, he laughed. "Green Lantern. I loved him as a child. I still like comic book characters, although I promise the sheets this time around are a simple white." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he walked. "The house really hasn't changed since. Pops likes to keep it how it is. Cleaned up. But, there's still things there from when I was a kid. I still have that hang in there cat poster. Oh, speaking of cats...don't be surprised. I've evolved somewhat into a cat person." He coughed behind a closed fist "Not in a weird way but...well you know."
"A cat person, hm?" Looking over at him, Ginny managed a small, weary smile, "I gotta say, I'm pretty surprised, Leon. Guy like you? Not where I pictured you being. Hell, I kinda figured I'd be fightin' off an angry wife and a couple mini-Cyrus's."
"Ha!" Despite himself, Leon chuckled. He managed to silence himself, coughing as he pounded his knuckles lightly into his chest. "No no. No wife for me just yet; as much as I love the idea of mini Cyrus's. No. I haven't really had time for relationships or the desire. For right now foster cats are alright. Maybe one day I'll adopt some kiddos but...no angry wife." He paused, eyes tracing down the street. "Here we are Ginny. Just give me a minute…" he scrambled through his coat pockets, pulling out his house key before approaching the apartment door and prying it open. He bowed to Ginny. "After you."
A brow lifted, as she stepped inside, her eyes wandering around the apartment with a modicum of curiosity. It was hard to ignore that he'd grown up… and really, there was a part of her… the part of her that didn't tackle red-headed creeps in bars that wanted to know just what that meant. But ultimately, there was too much on her mind, and she couldn't quite focus on what she was taking in.
"...It's nice. Though, to be honest, I'm not hard to impress. I'm pretty used to crap motels, these days…"
"Thanks I suppose." He gestured to the small living area, which had been adjacent to the kitchenette he recalled vividly struggling to install. There was a stingy peach carpet, along with two chairs. The poster was still hanging from the left side of the room, and none to his surprise, both of his young cats resides on the bed across the hallway. He grinned. "Take a seat, can I get you anything to eat or drink? Besides alcohol, don't have that here unfortunately." He slowly made his way to the kitchenette, staring back at her for a possible confirmation.
"A bartender who doesn't keep his own liquor. I dunno if that's irony, or not." Moving to a seat, she sank down and folded her hands in front of her, gazing at her knuckles with a small frown, "I'm fine. Probably better I get this out of the way, before I lose my nerve."
"I'm not much of a liquor person. Although I was very tempted to take that Red Devils drink and down it." Leon admitted with a smirk, realizing now that it would be better just to sit and allow for Ginny to spill her sorrows. He slowly maneuvered his way to the second seat, plopping down and holding his hands patiently in his lap. "Please. Take your time Ginny. I need you to know this is a safe space to speak."
"A safe space…" Breathing out, Ginny shook her head, "...I got a hard time feeling like anywhere's safe. Especially not here in Tophet. But here goes…" Staring at her hands, she shook her head, "Should probably ask first… how much do you know? About… about everything that went down?"
"I understand. I just want you to know that you are safe here, or, well, rather that I wish to provide you a safe place." He swallowed, unsure of how much he truly wished to know. He merely smiled. "I don't want to force you to go into detail. I just want you to tell me what you feel comfortable saying. I won't pry anything else out. If there's something you wish to get off your chest, I am listening."
"...Chances are… if… if they dig just deep enough, they're gonna find it anyway. And like I said, I'd rather it come from me. I… After he… when he was done with me, he dropped me off in the middle of Grand Central Station. Just… walked in and left me there. I got picked up a few hours later by the station guards. And ended up in the system pretty quickly, after. I… I guess I could've told them who I was, where I came from, but I think a part of me was just so damn afraid if I went back there… he'd find me. So I just… I pushed it all down and I let it go. Bounced around for the next few years… till I hit one too many places that didn't agree with me. It ain't like picking out a cat, I guess. And it was one reminder after another… of Diablo."
Breathing out, she shook her head, "So I took off. I left the home… Figured the streets wouldn't be much better, but at least they'd be mine. It wasn't great, but I survived… Ran into some trouble with the law a few times, nothing major… Couldn't avoid trouble for good, I guess. Got into the wrong crowd, and I ended up with a… with a guy named Jack Baker. It was fine, at first… then it wasn't." Gritting her jaw, she straightened, "When I tried to leave, he took offense and things got ugly. I had no choice… but to defend myself. And I ended up in jail for it… I got out a few months before the letter came."
Leon remained silent during her retelling of events, biting his lip as sorrow built in his chest. Diablo just dropped her off at a station? Let her loose? That meant it was entirely possible there were more kids out there. There was a chance they were all still…
Leon almost didn't want to believe today was true. But Ginny had the doll. She had a letter bringing her back home. She reminded him of all the days they would spend time together and something within his heart threatened to shatter. He believed her. Despite the small voice in the back of his head telling her not to, he believed her fully. He exhaled, massaging his temple.
"Okay. Ginny, if that is what you are worried I was not going to like you for or think you are crazy for, you are sadly mistaken. I understand what you had to do to survive, and I admire you for being able to survive for fifteen years after what happened. It made you strong." He gripped the chair arm uncertainly. "And maybe that means it was a good thing to give you only thirty seconds with that spawn." He winked at her playfully, attempting to ease her once more. "I am sorry you had to suffer this way. I...would it be too soon to offer you to stay here? I know you had crummy motels and homes in the past but...if you are so inclined, considering your situation, I wouldn't mind you staying in the apartment."