Phoenix Peak: The Darkness Within ~Aarmau AU~

~Fair Game~

*Play Song*

"Here you go, little one." Aphmau rests a subtly corroded tray at the trunk-styled coffee table, consisting of a manageable tuna fish sandwich sprinkled with hints of lemon, accompanied by a local island coconut. 

The girl glances at the simple meal, her eyes thundering with hunger, but despite this, she looks away, tugging tighter at the cotton shawl resting at her shoulders from her place on Aphmau's couch. 

They were in Aphmau's apartment, which resided above the fish shack, it was a humble, two generously called 'bedrooms', living area which Aphmau had practically grown up in. 

"You have to eat, little miss.....you must be starvin'...." Aaron urges, seated alongside the girl, his hair still tousled and striking from the water's residue. 

"I'm not hungry...." The girl lies weepily, her baby blue eyes fusing with a bloodshot red, a symptom of her sobs. 

"You sure there is no one else in your family who can take care of you? No dad or aunt or---"

"Nope....just me and my mom....never knew my daddy...." If possible, her gaze saddens further, the child's state so disheartening it even makes Aaron wince. 

Then a lightbulb ignites in Aphmau's mind, a wry smile flickering at her lips as she darts her way across the rickety wooden floors, a brisk current of chilling air contending the humidity as Aphmau wedges open her freezer, retrieving from within a certain container. 

As Aphmau returns, even the girl's eyes alight at the sight of it, subconsciously licking her lips with anticipation, triggering Aphmau's smile to broaden. 

"Maybe something like this....will fit your cravings..." Aphmau suggests teasingly, dangling the carton above the girl. It's almost like, she had momentarily overlooked her troubles, her eager hands outstretched in seconds, grasping for the heavenly dessert. 

"Please miss?" She says unnecessarily, as her desirous eyes spoke her pleads. 

"Aphmau," Zane addresses, his body halfway through the main doorway to the stairs. "....the police are here."

*****

After settling the girl down with the chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, Aaron and Aphmau blunder down the trembling rear staircase, emerging with shielded eyes into the sun's domain. They heed Zane's footsteps as they circle the restaurant's supporting foundation posts, to climb the fish shack's front steps. 

"Aphmau Phoenix, why, you sure are a sight for sore eyes...." A voice calls out as Aphmau comes into view, an instantaneous smile tugging at her cheeks as she practically sprints over to the familiar figure, the two of them joining in a 'platonic' hug. 

"Laurence! I feel like its been ages since you left for Sherrif training....."

"Oh, hasn't been that long. Plus, it would be exceedingly difficult to stay so far for so long from you, Aphmau darling....." Laurence cocks a sly grin down at the woman, his slim, yet defined body adorned by his newly distributed local Sherrif uniform, his delicate fingers still lingering at her forearms. 

"Always the casanova, aren't ya, Laurence?" Aaron sneers, intuitively gripping Aphmau's shoulder, steering her out of Laurence's grasp into his own.

"Well, Lycan....to be fair, until there is a protecting label on Aphmau's heart.....I'd say she is still fair game...."

Aaron doesn't engage Laurence's whims, just folding his brawny arms with a satisfied smirk as he solely knew he had already won this battle. Though, there was the consistent reminder of the politics, which we will get to later. 

"As fun as I like to be addressed as 'fair game', you wanted to talk to us, Sherrif?"  

"Well, I apologize, my dear." Laurence atones, pressing a dainty kiss to Aphmau's hand, Aaron unmistakably steaming behind her. "But I have been admittedly stalling....as I only have bad news."     

"It is about the creature, isn't it? Because we have a little girl upstairs scared out of her mind about her mother-----" Aaron starts, but Laurence, with a peculiarly ominous expression, cuts him short. 

"We all know what remains of the girl's mother, Lycan. It was a tragic incident for many, but we should reasonably be more concerned about moving forward."

"That poor girl...." Aphmau whispers, her eyes blurring with accumulated tears as she hugged herself in comfort, the situation triggering buried memories to surface once more. 

Losing herself to the remembrance of darker times, she barely notices the sturdy arms embrace her with consolation, her tears soaking Aaron's iconically red t-shirt.

"Lilith...."

"What?" Aphmau asks quietly, her nose flushed as well as her eyelids.

"The girl's name is Lilith....."

Have a nice day my crystals!