Daughter of Darkness

Gabrielle jerked away from his touch, her tears freezing to stony indifference as she retreated away from him once more. "why?" was all she could say, was all she could think. why did he care? why?

Artemis nodded her head, feeling like an idiot "mhm, amazing" she watched him sit back down besides her "how do you know all that?" she breathed

Kale shrugged. "Reading mostly. Reading and tinkering and my father. He was an engineer." He gave a slight smile. "He was a tele-kenetic and had a deep passion for these types of things."

Peter watched her carefully. "You are my commrad, Gabrielle. My friend. That should be reason enough."

gabrielle glanced over, slightly shocked by his words "I've never had a friend before"

Artemis tilted her head "can everyone read?" she watched his face carefully, wondering if she was incompetent or not

Kale shook his head. "No, not everyone can read. But everyone can learn to read." He watched her carefully. "Do you want to try to read again?"

Peter stared at her. "Well, I am you friend Gabrielle. I care for you. More than you could ever dream of." He turned his gaze from her and back at the wall, letting his eyes grow dead again as he went to work on his plan to get out.

Artemis nodded, sighing and rubbing her temples. "I feel like there is so much I don't know. I feel.. stupid" she admitted, looking away, unable to stand his gaze.

Gabrielle watched him for a moment before turning away and staring at the cell door. Seph would be walking through for her at any moment

Peter put peace in her mind. A calming peace and reassurance, though he also made sure to keep his distance. I will protect the baby scribbled across her mind, then faded.

Kale watched her and gave a small smile and shook his head. "You're not stupid. Stupid people are people who cannot learn. But you can learn. Therefore, you are not stupid."

Gabrielle froze, her arms snapping around her mid drift without thought. he knew? she fought hard to unclenched her arms as she heard all too familiar footsteps approach the door. She wasn't scared though, thanks to peter. She was sure she could handle this session, now that she knew she had a friend. She shot him a glance, begging him to not try and interfere like last time. she couldn't stand the thought of him getting hurt because of her.

Artemis frowned "can I? there's so much.. it's not too late?"

Kale chuckled and shook his head. "It's never to late to learn." He stood and held his hand out to her. "Do you trust me?"

Peter didn't move, but his mind did. He will be alright. Even after he is born. Again the scribbles. While calming her mind, the rest of him moved to the small form inside her, wrapping tightly around it, creating a force field that would keep it from getting harmed.

Seph appeared at the door to the cell. He unlocked it and pulled her up, dragging her down to his torture room.

Artemis put her hand in his without thought but froze at the question. did she? resolved fill her and her next words "yes. yes I do"

Gabrielle let him drag her out, not fighting anymore. she didn't want to give seph a reason to hurt her and inadvertently harm.. him? him. she smiled at the thought. so it was a boy.
(if it fits better, feel free to kill the baby off. I honestly wasn;t planning on making her pregnant, it just fit perfectly so.. O.o)

(it doesn't matter to me. It works both ways. Peter can't have a kid, but would treat the child she has as her own, or she could loose the baby and he would try his best to make it better. So ultimately, it's up to you)

Peter tightened his hold around the little child, as Seph strapped her up as always and began his rituals, Peter taking the force of the blows instead of the baby.

Kale smiled and pulled her up and took her to the house and into the room filled with books. He looked through and smiled as he pulled out one labled ABC's and 123's.

boy, did artemis feel stupid. She struggled to grasp the concepts and pick up the patterns that every little kid knew at an early age
(hum, we shall see then)
Gabrielle's screams filled the air. She didn't try to seem strong anymore, she just wanted it done and over with. if only seph was that kind

Peter tried his best to aliviate(sp?) her pain, though it wasn't much that he could take. He made sure to keep his promise, even as the blows seemed to cripple him, his body gaining the bruises that the child should have. Seph smiled cruely, enjoying her screams as he once again took her body from her, using it for his pleasures, making sure he hurt her in the process.

Kale worked with her patiently and smiled giving her hand a reassuring squeeze every time she picked up on something. He went around, sticking words on everything, naming each thing. Then went around putting the letters on them and made her go around and try and spell them using the letters.

Gabrielle sobbed quietly to herself, hoping desperately for the baby to be okay. it was like seph knew. her stomach had received the most damage, black and blue, all slash apart- his insurance policy

Artemis's frustration slowly deminious (sp?) as step by step, she got the basics under her belt. finally, that ABC's book wasn't so hard, she could read it without his help now

Kale smiled as he brought Artemis a new book to read, wrapped in beautiful paper he had drawn on himself, a bow resting on top. He sat down as he handed it to her. "Thought I'd get you a present since you're doing so well."

Peter clung to the unharmed child, his mind and body not looking to great. He refused to let anything happen to the child though. Seph thrust into her, staying there as he stared at her. "Going to give me what I want yet?"

Gabrielle stared at him, tears streaming down her face as her will crumbled. Slightly delirious with pain, she forgot herself and glanced down at her stomach, a slight bump visible between her blood stained hips. more tears fell and she looked back up at him, utterly torn. hundreds of people, or her baby?

Artemis stared at the present "no one's ever given me a gift before" she murmured, opening it gingerly. she puckered her lips as she went to read the cover "P-peter Pun, no Peter Pan?" her eyes filled with light

I am protecting the baby, don't give in scribbled across her mind. Fortunately for her Seph had been distrated enough that he didn't notice her glancing at her stomach. "Well?" He growled, pressing deeper into her.

Kale smiled widely and nodded. "Yes. Peter Pan. I thought you might like to try and read it on your own this time."

Gabrielle sobbed, looking away from him as she tried to separate their bodies.
Could she trust peter whole heartily? she did not know. "south side of the gate" she lied, "a few miles in"
she knew he'd find out she was lying, it would only take an hour to figure it out, but she grabbed at it. An hour more was better than nothing at all

Artemis grinned "thank you" she breathed, fingering the beautiful cover "you shouldn't have"

Kale chuckled. "why? did I just create a reading monster?" He stood and winked at her, kissing her forehead gently and headed into the kitchen to make something to eat.

Seph smiled widely, his cold eyes dancing. He pulled back, not totally removing himself, then thrust back inside, staying for a while longer before he let her go, dropping her to the ground as always and dragging her back to her cell, throwing her inside.

Peter's body looked just as bad, if not worse than her stomach. His eyes were dead, obviously he wasn't inside. He still clutched the child as he began to heal her body, his preassence weak.

Gabrielle pushed him out of her mind, putting up a block and promptly passing out. She was going to need the next hour of sleep. she knew she'd be lucky of she surveyed the following night

Artemis stared at the book then scrambled after him, cradling it like she did the plant "as a matter of fact- yes. yes you have"

Kale smiled widely at her and chuckled. "Well, that's a good thing." He watched her hold the book and his heart filled with happyness. "I'm glad that I could help you, Artemis." He watched her carefully. "I'll make you a deal. If you can make it through this book," he tapped the cover of Peter Pan. "Then you can read any of the books in my library."

Peter found his way around the block and finished healing her body, then went back to protecting the baby.

Gabrielle remained out, each minute ticking by a marked one, one minute she had less until seph returned for her

Artemis furrowed her eyebrows. the whole book? O.o "deal" she dipped her chin, a bit daunted by the prospect but determined none the less

Seph came back on que, filled with anger. He opened the cell and his foot mad contact with her chest to wake her up. Trust me Gabrielle, I have the baby. Please, please don't give in, scribbled across her mind. Curses flew from Seph's mouth as he dragged her down the hall.

Kale smiled and turned handing her a sandwhich, taking a bite of his own. "You should probably get started then, don't you think?" he smiled and winked at her.

Gabrielle stifled a cry as he dragged her away, staring at peter forlornly. She hoped to god he could keep his word. She should have healed him when she had the chance.

Artemis grabbed the sandwich and retreated to a corner with her book and, oddly enough, her plant in hand. Her face puckered into a serious mask as she opened the cover and started to read, ever so slowly

Kale watched her and smiled, his heart filling with love. He sighed and took his sandwhich and went back outside to "do chores" when in all reality he just sat on the porch. He felt his heart ache as he realized nothing would ever happen between him and Artemis. He sighed and closed his eyes, as the sun beat down on his back, letting it fill him with warmth and chase the heartache and memories away.

Seph therw her agains the wall, not even bothering to chain her as he went at her with a knife, driving it into her shoulder, curses flying steadily from his mouth. He then threw her to the floor, his foot slamming into her, Peter wincing as he again took the blow. Seph continued to beat the tar out of her.