Walking Timebomb *for RiRiishtar*

Ella took him in her arms like a mother would a child and stroked a hand through his hair trying to calm him down. She says to him softly in his ear, “Just relax and take deep breaths.” She starts sings a soft tune to help him calm down. Ella has what people call a motherly heart. It is where a woman sees everyone she cares about as her children and wishes to help them. So the woman shows people the love they were not given as young children. Weather it is the love of a mother, the love of a good friend, or the love of a lover. A woman born like this can not fight the urge to help people.

Nick was surprised when Ella took him in her arms but he continued to tremble, terrified by the reality and horror of his dream. he had seen some pretty gruesome things in his life, but that topped all. He tried to listen to her advice, taking the deepest breaths he could over his hyperventallating. His red eyes were still wide and staring at a spot on the wall as the dream repeated itself in his head. He shook harder at this and squeezed his eyes shut, moving closer to Ella in his fear, just wanting it to go away. This was a side of him nobody had ever seen before, as he hid all of his emotions except his anger from everybody except his demon, who he can't keep anything from.

Ella’s hands glowed and she started to slowly take away the images from his nightmares. She kept singing to him. She says to him, “Just relax Nick. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.” Ella ran her fingers through his hair as she sang to him. She was worried that Nick would somehow hurt himself in this state. She decided to hold him for the rest of the night. Maybe having someone with him would ease his pain of this demon. She says to him, “You can tell me what you saw in your dream if you want. I think it might help a bit.” Ella winced slightly as she hit a big bruise on her back.

Nick wanted to believe Ella's words, but he couldn't bring himself to it. Bad things always happened to him, no matter what he did, or what anyone else did, and the people he loved always ended up getting hurt. The sound of her singing to him did help him relax a little, and her fingers running through his long black hair felt nice, and he felt the images of his dream dissappearing. His eyes weren't as wide as they had been, and he looked up at Ella tenatively when she said that he could tell her what he saw. He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her or not, but he decided to. "It was all of my family walking towards me, glaring at me. And then they started to attack me to kill me, and my demon took over and killed them. All of them" he said quietly. He had had images of himself killing his family before, as that was what had happened, but they had never attacked him before in his dreams.

Ella kept taking away the images from his dreams. His body seemed to stop shaking as she did this. His eyes were not as wide now. "It was all of my family walking towards me, glaring at me. And then they started to attack me to kill me, and my demon took over and killed them. All of them." Nick said quietly even though she could hear him fine. Ella listened as he explained what he dreamt. She says, “Your demon had protected you and him from being killed. It is not your fault. Sometimes regular people cannot handle what is different from them.” She moved a bit as she laid him down. She was still holding him as she laid down with him.

Nick was silent as he controlled his breathing. It was finally normal as he was laid down and she lay down with him. He rested in Ella's arms as his eyelids slowly flickered closed tiredly. "Thank you" he mumbled quietly before falling into a fitful sleep. He couldn't sleep soundly after that, even if the images were gone from his mind. He shifted in Ella's arms restlessly in his sleep.

Ella smiled as Nick finally went to sleep again. She laid her head on a pillow and held him in her arms as she went to sleep too. Her silver hair went down against her head as she slept. When morning came, Ella woke up and looked down at Nick. He was still asleep in her arms. She kissed his forehead softly after she got out of the bed. She went into the kitchen and began to make him and her some breakfast. Soon the smell of pancakes, sausage links, hash browns, and fresh juice filled the air.

Nick woke to the smells of pancakes, sausages, hash browns, and juice. He sat up in alarm, not knowing where he was. His eyes were wide as he looked around the room quickly before realizing that he was in Ella's house. He recalled the events of the previous night quickly and his hand went to the gold collar on his neck. His hair was sticking up in weird places from sleeping. He got up from the bed and walked out of the bed to the kithen silently and he stood leaning in the doorway watching Ella as she cooked.

Ella smiled and hummed softly as she cooked. She was baking something in the oven that smells like chocolate. The whole house was mixed with smells. Ella looked at Nick with jump. She says, “You should have told me you were up.” She set the table and put the food on the table. The dessert was going to take a bit longer. Ella’s mother had left earlier in the morning for work. She put two plates on the table. She waited for Nick to sit down before she sat down herself. She says to him, “I hope you slept a bit better after that nightmare you had.”

Nick smiled slightly but didn't respond to her words. He sat down when the table was set and then nodded. "I did, thank you" he said quietly. The words 'thank you' still stuck in his throat. He had never had any reason to thank anybody for anything before. The smells in the kitchen made his stomach growl loudly and he glanced down at, slightly embarassed by that. He looked at the food on the table and put some on his plate before picking up his fork and beginning to eat.

Ella smiled and put some food on her plate. She ate and looked at the time. She says, "I have to get dressed and hurry off to school. you can stay here if you want. I should be back home by two o'clock in the afternoon maybe three at the latest." She finished her food and put her dish in the sink. Then she hurried off to get dressed and then hurried out to the bus that came to her drive way. Boys that recongized Nick as a kid that likes to skip school, yelled out at him to tease him. Ella hit them hard over the head with a big and thick book. She then took her seat in the back of the bus. A few other guys started to hit on her a bit. She glared at them and looked out the window calmly.

Nick nodded at her words, surprised that she had offered to let him stay there. But the way she had treated him so nicely, he shouldn't have been surprised. "Thank you" he said as she put her plate away. He finished his food and put it in the sink as well. He watched as Ella went out to the bus and he glared at the boys who teased him. He felt his anger bubbling up but when Ella hit them on the head with a book his mouth twitched upwards into a small grin. He watched until the bus drove away before looking around the empty house. He didn't feel right staying there along all day, so he got dressed in some of the clothes Ella had given him and left the house and wandered around the city, thinking about Ella and how kind she had been to him. She had even slept with him to help keep his nightmares away. As he walked many people yelled at him and made fun of him. His face was a calm mask as he furiously walked back to Ella's house, returning just before two.

Ella got home and smiled some as she saw Nick was still there. She then smacked another boy with a book for teasing Nick again. She goes over to his side and says, "Come on I'll make us some lunch." She saw that he looked kind of worked up. She says calmly, "Don't pay attention to people. They only make fun of you because they know it gets a rise out of you. So just ignore them. i know it's hard but it will help you control your demon." Ella then went into the kitchen to make them lunch. She made four grilled cheese sandwhiches. Two for her and two for him. She gave him his plate and heads to the living room. She sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. She pats the spot next to her. She says, "Come on I won't bite you."

Nick glared coldly as another boy made fun of him but he couldn't help his mouth twitching as Ella smacked him too. He nodded and followed her, staying silent as she told him to ignore people. It was harder for him than it was for some people, as his demon made it easier for him to hate and harder to love, even when it was sleeping. He followed Ella to the kitchen silently and watched as she made grilled cheese for them. "Thank you" he said as she gave him his plate. A corner of his mouth twisted up into a small grin when she said that she would not bite and he sat beide her. "Are you sure?" he asked with a soft laugh, referring to the fact that she could now turn into a wolf.

Ella smiled and said, "Well even if I did, I would not bite much." She looked through the different programs on her dish network satilite. She put it on the movie called Death Race since it was the only thing that was starting soon. She asks before taking a bite of her grilled cheese, "Is your demon still asleep?" Her blue eyes looked at him curiously as she waited for his answer. Her nails went back and forth from claws to human nails. She groans and thinks, "These new skills are going to be harder to control than I thought. She sighed as the movie began to start. Ella snapped her fingers and the shades covered the windows. She smiles as the living room turned into a movie theater.

Nick smirked slightly at her reply and began to eat his grilled cheese. "Yeah" he said when she asked if his demon was still asleep. It was nice to have his mind to himself for once. He noticed her nails changing into claws and back, and he wondered what was happening to her. He looked at the blinds as they closed curiously and he glanced at Ella before back to the TV. He shook his head slightly so that he could see better through his bangs that covered his eyes. He settled down to watch the movie as he ate his grilled cheese, thought he still felt nervous spending time with another person. Despite the collar, he felt as if his demon could wake up and go on a rampage any minute.

Ella looks smiles as she saw Nick shake his head to see through his bangs. She says to him, “Maybe you should get your hair trimmed a bit. So you can see a bit better.” Her eyes went back to watching the TV. Ella tried to control the claws that kept going from her nails. She tightened her hands into fist so her claws would be cutting into her palms instead of cutting into the couch or accidently scratching Nick. Blood dripped from her palm as the claws kept cutting into her soft skin. She did not show much signs of pain. She did not want to worry Nick.

Nick glanced sideways at Ella as she suggested getting his hair cut and he frowned slightly. He liked it like this. It was easier for him while living as he did. He didn't say anything and the frown dissappeared as he watched the movie. He could smell the irony smell of blood. A smell that he was very familiar with. He glanced down at the source of the smell and he frowned again, hsi eyebrows coming together though they couldn't be seen. He took one of Ella's hands in his and he made her fingers lie flat so that her hand wasn't in a fist anymore. He wiped some of the blood away with his thumb and then looked up at her, his red eyes troubled. He didn't want Ella to be cutting her palms up like that.

Ella look at Nick as he took her hand and made them go flat. She says, “I can’t seem to control them.” She winced as he wiped away the blood. A timer went off on the stove and Ella got up to take out their dessert. She had made them chocolate cakes and put them on a plate. After a few minutes of letting them cool, she brought them into the living room. She says, “The cakes finally got done. I had forgotten how long these had to bake.” She placed their cakes on a small table so when they were done eating their grilled cheese, they could eat their dessert. Ella smiled some and sat down.

Nick glanced down at her hand again when Ella told him it was hard to control and he nodded. "It will take awhile to control it" he said, speaking from experiance. He let go of her hand as she got up to take the cakes out. He watched the TV as she put them on a plate and then on the table and he smiled. "Those look good" he commented before taking another bite of his grilled cheese. He was almost done his second one already, used to eating as quickly as he could. As he continued to eat he felt a stirring in the back of his mind as his demon woke up and his eyes widened and his face paled considerably.

Ella looked at him as his face paled. She knew that his demon was awake now. She says, “I need you to take a deep breath and hold it in…” She waited for him to draw a breath and then she began to chant. The collar glowed gold and red. Ella knew this was the only way to work with his demon without removing him from Nick’s body. She chanted a few words and the collar began to fog Nick’s mind with what seems to be knock out gas. His demon no matter how strong would have no choice but to sleep. Ella felt dizzy and uneasy as she was tired.

Nick took a deep shaky breath as instructed and held it as his demon began to scream at him in his head. It was furious with Ella. She had stopped him twice now. As the knockout gas filled. Nick's mind he let his breath out in a sigh. He was confused as to how Ella knew how to do that as his demon fell asleep against it's will again. He could see tht Ella was very tired from putting his demon to sleep and he hugged her akwardly. "Thank you" he whispered in her ear softly. His voice was still hoarse from not talking for so long, but it was getting better with use.

Ella hugged him back gently. She says, “You’re welcome Nick…” Her voice was distant for a moment. She slowly got up and said before going to her room, “I’ve got to go rest. I’ll be in my room if you need me.” She made her way to her room and changed into her second nightgown. She then crawled into her bed and began to cry when she was alone. Ella looked at a golden locket and looked at a picture of her and a boy she had loved. Tears ran down her face as she looked at the picture.

Nick nodded understandingly as Ella got up and went to her room. He turned his attention back to the TV until he heard crying from Ella's room. He didn't want to be nosy, but he didn't want her to cry either. He got up from the couch and walked to her room. He knocked on the door softly before hesitantly walking in and sitting on the edge of her bed, brushing a few tears off of her face. "Don't cry. . . " he said quietly. He brushed a few strands of hair out of his face before wiping a few more tears off of her face.

When he came in and wiped her tears away, Ella did not know what to say. Tears went down her face as she looked at him. She looked so pained inside her heart. Ella says as more tears run down her cheeks, “He died because of me. It is my fault he’s gone…It was my fault that his demon got out and killed him…” Her voice was shaky and broken. She put her locket back on her stand and curled into a ball like a dog trying to keep warm. Her whole body was shaking like crazy in the bed. Tears still going down her face at a fast pace.