Torn Apart

What Do You Dream About?

Vivi's legs dangled over Lewis' right arm, her head laid against his left shoulder. When she couldn't stand, Lewis had simply scooped her up and started walking. Muttering something about the indignity, she resigned herself to being carted like luggage.

Very tenderly held luggage, she had to admit. She was pretty sure nobody had ever-no, wait. He had, actually. Sometimes, when it was really bad, he would come find her and bring her back to the apartment and tuck her in bed. It was there, faintly, the bare outlines of a memory.

Aji stayed close to Lewis, trailing at his elbow, keeping her face down. Squire and Mystery had to be behind. She couldn't hear either of them, but hoped they were following. Lewis led them down the hall, taking it slow as the rubble cleared itself enough to form a narrow path just ahead of him. Deadbeats peeked out from his collar, surveying the damage before retreating. She tried to move one of them, but couldn't remember how it was done. It had come so easily before.

A ceiling beam groaned as it raised itself back in place, allowing the door it had blocked to swing open. Inside, dozens of Deadbeats crowded against the walls, ceiling, and floor. Aside from a few cracks in the plaster, the room remained intact.

Squinting, she shielded her eyes. She could no longer make out the bed for the shine at the center, and hid her face in Lewis' shoulder.

"Dulcie?" Lewis rumbled, tensing.

"She'll be fine." Arthur's voice came from somewhere close, maybe over Lewis' shoulder. "See, tucked up against Chloe. No safer place right now. Healing's probably doing her good. In fact, if we're going to rest, here and now will be best."

"We're not stealing from Chloe?" Vivi asked.

"She was in human form before, with barely enough for herself. There's more than enough to go around now."

Vivi fumbled with the ascot tied around her neck, pulling it free. "Here, Lew. Dulcie meant it for you." Keeping her eyes closed, she reached up, but only succeeded in smacking him in the face.

"Mff... I got it, Vivi." The cloth pulled free of her hand, and she was set down on the floor. A moment later there was a short ripping sound. A cloth of the same texture wrapped around her eyes. "But if Chloe's a bit much to take in right now, keep it a little longer. Aji, come here. You too."

Stretching her hands out, Vivi swung her arms in an arc, checking the space around her. She bumped into cushy quilting just behind. The bed?

Something large settled next to her. Large, but not heavy. "Right here, Vee. I just had to get Dulcie."

Reaching over, Vivi felt the silky smooth material of Lewis' funeral outfit, with a much smaller pair of legs hanging over his arm. "Is she okay?"

"Sleeping."

His voice could be so soft. Did he used to sing? Fragmented strains of violin concertos tumbled around in her mind but she couldn't place his singing voice.

"You should sleep too, Vee. We-I-expended all your energy." Large knuckles brushed her cheek.

A sudden aching hit her in the chest, the gesture skipping past her patchwork memories and burrowing deeper. Distance. Distance was what she needed. She cleared her throat. "I wanna check on Squire real quick. Squire?"

No answer.

"Lew, point me at Squire, would you?"

No answer.

"Lewis Pepper. Point me at Arthur Kingsmen before I take your skull and use it to smack sense into him."

Sighing, Lewis tugged on her arm until she was pointed in a different direction. "Keep going straight."