Fade To White - Sequel to Fade To Black

Give And You Shall Recieve

Clementine had stayed up all night by the man's side and I wasn't comfortable leaving her alone so both of us had fallen asleep in the corner of her old room. I had woken up, looking down and seeing Clementine's sleeping figure on my chest. I looked around the room and then looked at the man who startled me, his eyes intently watching Clemy and I. At first i said nothing, as if I was speechless, but then the man groaned, holding his side and sitting up.He was a bit shaky but he steadied himself.

"Thank you." Was all he could muster before he began to violently cough, blood trickling down his hand that covered his mouth. His coughing had woken up Clementine who sat up quickly and looked at the man. I was going to help him but Clemy beat me too it. Besides, she knew how to take better care of him than I did. Clemy laid the man's head back down on the pillow and fetched more water and rags. She came back into the room, pulling up her sleeves as if she was ready for battle.

"Clemy... do you need help?" I asked. She looked at me and smiled, tucking a stray piece of hair back behind her ear.

"Talk to him. He need's to be distracted while I change his bandages- it will hurt." She whispered so as not to startle the young man. I stood next to Clemy and studied the his face, his piercing blue eyes looked up at mine- I was fascinated really how he had even managed to survive this far. What kind of a man was he?

"Thank you... very much." The man muttered.

"Of course. We couldn't just leave you out there. It' was very lucky of you to have followed our children to our plantation." I said.

"Y-your... children?" He said, looking between Clementine and I. Clementine had unwrapped the bandages and I tried to look away from the bloody bite that still made me queasy.

'Yes. This is my wife." The man looked at us in awe. I guess we weren't really the typical southern family.

"Are your children okay? I know I must've scared them." He said, looking apologetic. I laughed in response.

"They'll be fine! It's just good you're here now." Clementine replied and the man thanked us repeatedly. I had left the room to give the man some air when the groaning started as Clementine began to stitch his wound. I went to wake the twins, climbing up the stairs and round the corner into their room. I pushed open the curtains, letting in the bright sunlight. The two whined, covering their eyes.

"C'mon, wake up! We've got a day ahead of us." I smiled, throwing the covers off of them. They turned over, squirming in their beds, trying to hide from the sunlight streaming through the window. I sat down on Annabelle's bed, rubbing her back to coax her awake.

"Daddy?" She said, peering up at me from under her pillow.

"Yes?"

"Did you... ya' know... get rid of the white man?" She asked, a glimmer of fear sparkled in her eyes. I quickly sat her up and rested her small body against my chest. "I know he scared you but the man was hurt. Your mama is taking care of him. He'll be leaving after he's all better." I explained to her. She smiled warmly then, reassured. She probably wasn't able to sleep after last night.

Wesley had overheard our conversation and had sprung up out of his bed, getting dresses. "What's all the hurry boy?" I asked Wes who gave me a mischievous look.

"I wanna see the white man up close." He grinned.

"Why? Just look at me up close!" I laughed but Wes and Annabelle furrowed their eyebrows in confusion.

"But you're not white papa..." Wesley explained and I looked at my two children in awe. They still knew very little about the world they were living in- a world in which Clementine and I put them in. The South was as dangerous as ever and keeping my loved ones far away from harm was my only wish. But when they didn't even know that they were considered an "abomination" to the whole South, and naïve as ever, it put me in constant fear for their well-being. What if the man who had been chasing them hadn't been a Union soldier but someone even more dangerous?