Essence of Quinn Parts 3 & 4 (MxM)

Words of Wisdom

Secondo, Shay and Earth had decided that they should give them some time to digest the situation before the next talk they'd have to have with Amaya.

She, Quinn and Air remained in the infirmary room. Quinn had his back to the headboard of the bed, Amaya was curled up in his lap and Air sat next to them, resting his head on Quinn's shoulder.

It made him think of when Calista had first arrived there, when Helena had given her back her voice. They'd talked about Amaya that night, although they hadn't known her name back then. Calista had filled him in on what had happened and they'd cried together, grieving that which had been forced upon them both and then snatched away so cruelly.

Calista was still completely oblivious to the fact that her final missing kit had been found.

Quinn wasn't sure how Amaya was going to react to her. He was still reeling from the fact that she seemed to have accepted him, but he could feel the cogs of her mind working. Hopefully she would be happy to know that she had a family who were relieved that she'd finally been recovered and were prepared to build a relationship with her, to support her through this absolute shit show of trauma.

Quinn dropped his emotional shields once the others had left them. He owed it to Amaya to show his true self and his genuine emotions now that she knew what was what. She was more than capable of judging for herself what their intentions towards her were and, as much as he hated to admit it, she was also more than capable of making her own decisions.

Amaya had finally calmed down and her breathing had evened out. The sobs had gradually given way to little whimpers, which had given way to the odd sniff here and there.

Quinn stroked his palm up and down her back, sending her subtle quintessence throughout it all to help her through it.

Air must have felt the moment that he'd worked up the courage to breach the topic of Calista with her because he stirred slightly. He sat up straight, kissing Quinn's cheek and stroking a hand along his biceps gently.

Now was as good a time as any, Quinn supposed.

"Would you like to meet the water ghuleh who birthed you?" he said against her hair.

He felt Air's annoyance at him. He probably could have worded it better, but he didn't want to say 'mother' just yet because, as far as Amaya was concerned, she already had a mother. There had been so much for her to deal with since she arrived here. He didn't want to risk something like that tipping her over the edge.

Quinn glanced sideways at Air and shrugged.

Amaya shifted in his lap and raised her head so that she could look at him. She wore a frown, and she sighed.

"She is here?" she said carefully.

"She was summoned here some years back, yes."

Amaya looked between Quinn and Air, confusion written all over her face.

"You are mated to her and to Air? I don't understand."

Quinn sighed and readied himself for what he was going to have to explain to her. She was part quintessence so she would have been able to recognise the mating bond that he and Air shared. Quinn had thought of her as a kit this whole time, and although she was still young, she seemed to be fiercely intelligent and able to handle the truth.

"I am mated to Air, yes. But I am not mated to Calista. The circumstances of your conception were..." Quinn scrunched his brow, trying to find the right words. He offered her some hard earned words of wisdom. "What you need to understand, Amaya, is that pretty much everyone that you are going to meet in your life are going to use you because of what you are."