Sweet Surrender

~Under his Protection~

The harsh cold air bit into her skin as she swirved through the streets to reach her home.
Her tears barely fell or at least they did she did not feel them, her cheeks were beginning to numb. Her feet rapidly carried her to the entrance of shacks that aligned the streets. Breathing heavily she stopped to catch her breath. She felt so tired and cold but she pushed forward. She walked closer to the hut and gently pushed the door that hung poorly on its hinges. The hut was engolfed in darkness and slightly warm but not enough. Immediately the familiar soft baritone voice of Jobbins came forward and stood before her. Nervously he smiled and looked down at her.
"Moppet, tis best you don't come any closer," he held her shoulder forcing her to look up at him.
She frowned confused and impatiently moved in his opposite direction trying to reach Phoebe.
"Why!, has she gotten worse? She asked. Her voice meek .
He lowered his head sadly and turned to look at  Travis.

She watched as Travis appeared with a saddened stare he looked at Jobbins and shook his head.

Jobbins kept her from moving, held her tight keeping her from seeing the body laying on the cot with a sheet covering it from head to toe. She twisted and pulled away from him and was pulled into Travis's arms as he too kept her from going any further.

They stared at one another as she tried to get past him.
" She. Is gone moppet," he whispered.
His heart ached telling her this.

Evangeline refused to believe him. She pulled away angry from his hold.
"She is not gone. She can not be." She cried hysterically.

She got past Travis and threw herself on her knees beside Phoebes cot. With trembling fingers she slowly pulled the sheet away from Phoebes face. The view of her made her gasp with a whimper and choked sob.

Travis cursed in tears turning away and storming off outside the hut not able to handle Evangelines cries.

"No...Phoebe..." She screamed.

She cried uncontrollably and it tugged at Jobbins heart and he began to sob as well. Soft arms wrapped around his waist and he pulled the familiar figure into a tight hug.

"Oh lad! She is gone, " he cried holding Tonk close. He never noticed the tall gentleman that stood in the door way until he came closer.

They stared at one another silently. But too grief stricken Jobbins slumped to the floor with Tonk holding him as he continued to cry.

~•~•~•~•~•~•

He sat back in a haze of fury, his mind running wild with questions and so furious with what Tonk had told him. Their lives as destitute souls was disturbing. They lived with nothing. Meagerly they ate if at all they were fortunate to round up something edible before going to bed at nights.
He couldn't fathom the idea of how they survived this long in such a way.

Fury sparked as he was given details of Tonks life. Born of a young mother that died when he was a young boy. His father was a wealthy Baron that knew nothing of his existence. He refused to go to the orphanage and ran away. Phoebe was the daughter of a prostitute Jobbins fell in love with but she died years ago of consumption. Ever since then Jobbins raised her.

He sat rigid with rage when Tonk spoke of how they rescued Evangeline from an evil man that tried to take her away.
Her father was a heavy gambler and they lost everything.
His heart plummeted with the thought of her being given to that bastard to pay off her fathers debt.
What kind of a man could do such a thing?
He was so engulfed in his thoughts and his anger he didn't realize he was digging his hands into his seat until the pain shot from his fingernail into his cuticles. Ungripping and flexing his fingers he looked up at Tonk that busied himself staring out the window nervously.