Tuesday, May 3, 2011 Chapter 35

“Shae, I like you Shae,” his tiny voice echoed out to her as the little boy held out his hand. This was the first time she had met him. Grandfather told her there was a boy who lived in the house but warned her that she shouldn’t talk to him. She looked up at the boy from the ground, his hand was still stretched towards her, she had fallen and he was offering her his help. His unique smile made her smile, despite her now wounded and bleeding knee.
She put her hand into his and he pulled her up. She didn’t understand why her Grandfather told her not to talk to him, he was really nice. “I’ll ask Lulu for a bandaid,” he said cheerfully, he wanted to be her friend. They walked hand in hand until they reached the back kitchen door, Lucia was standing there waiting for their return. She saw the dry trails of tears on Shae’s face and brought her into a hug. “Aww, Shae did you fall?”
“Yes mother,” she sobbed.
Lucia turned to the other young boy, “Thank You, Nathaniel, for helping Shae,” she said kindly and kissed him on the head. Lucia then left the two children, while she went to look for a bandaid. Nathaniel turned to her, still smiling, “Your hair is like Lulu’s, I-It’s pretty,” he said.
She stood there, stunned, no one had ever been this nice to her. “Will you be my friend Shae?” he held out his tiny hand again. She looked at his hand and looked up at him, she smiled and reached for his hand. She was stopped midway, Lucifer stood, his hand strongly holding on to her arms, forbidding her to make contact with the other boy.
“How dare you try and touch her,” he lashed out at the boy slapping him across the face. The sound of his rough hands crashing against the young boy’s soft skin echoed throughout the room. Nathaniel stood there, still, he looked down at the floor. As this took place Lucia ran into the kitchen.
“Father?!” she screamed, shocked.
An argument broke out between her mother and grandfather,
that is all she remembered. Her grandfather then lifted her into his arms and carried her out. She only remembered the last few words he said, “Don’t talk to him, he’s a monster.” And the words repeated in her mind till this day.
The very next day he had run up to her, filled with joy and hope, while she was sitting in the corridors, playing with her toys, he was smiling, but she was cold. “Shae?” he said, seeking her attention. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with innocent hate, “I hate you, you’re a monster,” she said uncaringly. The look on his face is one she remembered till this day.
***
Shae stepped out of the limousine, the cold dry air irritated her skin, as she stood there waiting for her husband to step out of the car. “Bit chilly, init?” he said almost cheerfully. She stood there silently. “Let’s go talk to the old man before we head off home,” he said, the exciting tone in his voice had dropped, he too sensed something was wrong.
“I never thought I’d say this, but I want to leave here,” she said, resting one hand on his chest.
“We just have to get through this and you’ll be in your new, home in no time,” he smiled politely.
***
Nathaniel was about to exit the room until his phone rang. He took it out of his pocket casually, looking at the caller ID, and sighing, “It’s Lucifer.”
Zach stopped interrogating his daughter and looked up, the others were all silent, Nathaniel stood in the doorway, his back still turned to the crowd as he answered the call.
“Hello.”
“I require your immediate presence in office, tonight,” the other voice strictly stated.
“I’m sorry, I am busy tonight,” Nathaniel replied with much the same tone.
“You Dare?!-“ but Lucifer cut himself off and changed his manner of articulation, he continued in a now curious voice, “Is Nicholas there, Nathaniel?”
Nathaniel turned to look at Nicholas. Nicholas realising what the question was, shook his head at Nathaniel.
“No.”
“There is hesitation in your voice Nathaniel. I instruct you to return tonight. You know very well that you can’t run forever.”
Nathaniel was quick to reply, “I make my own decisions.”
Lucifer laughed on the other end of the line, “You are not capable of it. If only you weren’t so valuable, I’d have disposed of you at the time of your birth.”
Nathaniel remained silent as he clenched his fist.
“You’re an amoeba, Nathaniel, perhaps even worse. You were created for the purpose of following. The moment you start making decisions, well, the balance will be thrown off.”
Lucifer received no response from the other man. “Well, please convey my greetings to Nicholas.”
The empty tone sounded on the phone. The others looked at him, their eyes asking for an explanation but instead he turned and walked out of the apartment.

***
Carden entered the familiar home, he followed the trail of red carpets leading to the mafia lord’s room, all the while holding the hand of his granddaughter. He knocked politely on the door and a voice asked him to enter.
Seeing the couple walk in, Lucifer’s face lit up, “Ah, welcome back? I am hoping you had a pleasant honeymoon.”
“The arrangements were quite satisfactory,” Carden replied. Shae noticed how Carden would immediately change when speaking to Lucifer, a while ago she wouldn’t believe there were more layers to him.
Lucifer turned to Shae, “Shae, my darling, please give us a moment, there are a few things young Zicarelli and I need to discuss.”
Shae nodded and hesitantly exited the room, a sort of fear had overcome her.
Lucifer concentrated his attention upon Carden, “I have a very important favour to ask of you, son.”
“Anything.”
“Please sit down, Carden.”
The young man did as he was asked.
“I want you and your men to attack this facility, I believe that Nathaniel is present here, I have no interest in the lives of any other individuals that may be present here, I just want Nathaniel captured alive, and brought to me,” Lucifer handed Carden a sheet of paper, with an address.
Carden nodded at Lucifer, but at the same time, considered the predicament he was in, “Who else may I find at this location?” he asked, curious.
“You may happen to run into Nicholas.”
Carden sat back, shocked. “You are asking me to dispose of Nicholas, your grandson Nicholas?”
Lucifer looked questionably at Carden, “Well, if you must know, Nicholas has the potential of forming more of a threat against me, than ever supporting me. He is of no use to me anymore.”
“What about Shae, or Lucia?”
Lucifer looked at Carden, now fairly annoyed. “Women are not to be involved in such matters Carden. Also, you are not to reveal this to Shae, and you are not to further question me on this task. Is that clear?”
“Yes. Of course.” Carden nodded at Lucifer, after hesitating for a moment, he exited the room.
***

When Carden walked out of the room, Shae stood leaned against a wall, eagerly waiting for him. He looked at her and he felt his heart sink, what was he about to do? He loved her and he was going to kill her brother. It didn’t make sense in his head. It wasn’t right. He couldn’t tell her. These emotions had never stirred inside him before, but as he looked at the beautiful woman opposite him, looking up at him through her big curious eyes, her beautiful red locks cupping both sides of her face, he realised what he was going to do was undoubtedly wrong.
She looked at him waiting for a sign, but he showed no emotion. She walked up to him and cupped his face, “Is everything okay?” she asked. He said nothing, he felt cold.
Carden shrugged her off, “Everything’s fine.”
Everything was most definitely not fine.

***
It was now four in the morning, and Hilda could not go to sleep. Her mind kept wondering to Nathaniel, their adventures of the day, and where he might be now. She was worried about him. She didn’t know who this Lucifer guy was, but whatever him and Nathaniel spoke about on the phone had destroyed Nathaniel, she could see the pain in his eyes. It was unlike Hilda to lie around like this and let others suffer, she couldn’t stand suffering.
She got out of bed, picked up the closest jacket she could find and put it over the singlet she wore to bed. Her legs were still exposed to the cold air but she didn’t care. She slowly walked over to the window, opening it quietly, making sure the noise didn’t awaken anyone else in the house, particularily her father. There was a large, old oak tree opposite her window. She jumped swiftly out of the window, landing in a stable position on one of the branches. She had underestimated how cold it was outside as she climbed down the tree, the hard bark from the tree scratching her young, exposed flesh. When she reached the bottom of the tree, she started along the path, she didn’t know where she was headed, but she always had a good sense of direction. ‘A woman’s intuition,’ Jensen would call it. It wasn’t long until she heard grunting, it was Nathaniel. She paused for a moment before she ran in the direction of the voice. She didn’t know why she was doing this, or what she was about to see. When her eyes first spotted him she stopped, dead in her tracks. She could sense anger and frustration radiating off him as he continuously punched a large tree, hard enough to make it and the ground shake. Nicholas had told her once that Nathaniel was different too, but she never imagined him to be this powerful. She ran to hide behind a bush, continuing her observation of him.
Nathaniel threw one final fist at the tree before stopping, his hands clutching his knees as tears were making their way down his face. Why was everything a blur, why did nothing make sense? What was he to do, why was he this way? Why did he continue living? The same questions repeated in his mind. He noticed the blood now frozen around his knuckles and slouched down, sitting with his back against the tree. The tear tracks on his face had begun to freeze from the burning cold. It wasn’t until he heard the shuffling of plants that he looked up. He saw the girl carefully emerging from behind the bushes. It was her again. Why wouldn’t she call it a quits?
“What the fuck are you doing here?” he asked angrily. She began taking small, cautious steps towards him.
He noticed she wasn’t wearing much, she would get ill, “Go home!” he yelled, but she continued towards him.
When she finally reached him, she stood there, she didn’t know what to do, but before she could do anything, Nathaniel had already reached boiling point. He stood up and captured her by holding her by her shoulders and pinning her to back to the tree. “Go. Home,” he said, his voice dangerously low and his eyes flashing rage.
“No,” she said, her small voice barely audible amongst the loud winds.
“Did you not hear me?” he asked.
“No, I won’t go,” she screamed, tears now streaming down her face too. He was taken back by her outburst. He let go of her, he didn’t know what to do. As soon as his grip loosened on her shoulders she jumped back towards him, wrapping her arms around his torso, sobbing into his chest.
He just stood there, words could not escape him, why did this girl care for him? No one had ever cried for him. He tried to maintain his firm posture but couldn’t help but lean into her hug. She abruptly broke apart, quickly wiped the tears away with a fist and looked up at him.
“Will you be my friend, Nathaniel?”
Nathaniel stood there shocked, as memories of his childhood flooded into his mind, he was lost in them for a while before he returned to the situation at hand, “Go home, kid” he said harshly.
She sniffed before putting her hand out to him, “Will you be my friend?” she asked stubbornly.
He looked at the girl again, she was shivering and fragile, he sighed for a moment before lifting her up in his arms for the second time tonight, one of his arms under her knees the other holding up her back.
“Let’s go home together,” he said quietly.