Elementalist

7

"Okay, you told me about being able to use my abilities as a weapon, but you also mentioned they could be used to help. How?"

"If you could stop someone's heart by messing with the electrical impulses, you could also start their heart that way. A human jumpstart as it were. You could also use your air abilities and pump air into their lungs, like during cpr, just like you can keep them from breathing. Those are what comes to me without thinking about it. You might want to think about it and maybe something more will come to you.

"But there are many ways you can use your abilities to stop or kill someone."

Stephanie nods absently, already deep in thought. She needs to do some research in anatomy and physiology to think of ways to help others as well as possible ways to defend herself and others against the hunters and government that would kill or kidnap them.

By now Stephanie and the boys have been together for more than a year. Her training is more or less complete and it's just a matter of finding applications of use. She has more fine control over her abilities than Talon has ever seen and he's seen a lot.

"We've been together for some time now, yet you all have never told me how old you are. I haven't asked for your stories because they are personal, but I don't even know your birthday's or how old you are. I've been with you all for about a year, so I know you all have had birthdays since I've been with you." Stephanie wipes away the tear that slips out of her eye. She doesn't like that she's rambling and repeating herself either.

"It's stupid, I know. I thought I would have warranted at least that much of your trust after this much time. I'm sorry, I don't know how to make it so you trust me." Stephanie says at dinner startling them all.

"What?" Talon is the first to break the frozen tableau that she created with her words.

"How can I gain your trust? I have tried everything I know to do so and yet, other than Jet's story I don't really know anything about you. Not your birthdays or even how old you are. I'm just wondering if I've overstayed my welcome here? I've finished training so I'll be able to hide easily once more. I don't want to put you all into more danger than I already have. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have had to leave the city where you found me."

Talon stops Stephanie from leaving and caresses her face. "We are just used to knowing things about each other so we don't talk about it. If you want to know something about us, just ask. If it's too personal we'll tell you."

Stephanie shakes her head and gently pulls away from Talon. "You all know my story. I haven't hidden anything from you, but you don't trust me to tell me yours, nor has Ethan trusted me with his. If I have to ask for every little thing, then it means that you don't trust me, because you aren't talking to me. 

"You three are very close, you are family, like you said when I first woke up, you are brothers. You have a closeness that quite frankly I envy. But because I am here I am in the way. You haven't invited me into that closeness, you haven't done anything intentional to keep me out, you just don't talk to me, really. You spend time with each other, and reluctantly do so with me if it's outside of training.

"I've burdened you with my presence for about a year now. I should go so you won't have me to burden or give you away now." Stephanie wipes her tears away. "I just want to thank you three for giving me so much care this year. You've shown me that I'm not invisible, that I'm not a zero or a cipher. You've done more for me than any one ever has before and so I want to leave before you start to hate me. I'll leave in the morning, if that is good enough?"

They are stunned at her words. They had no idea that they've been so cold towards her.

"You don't need to leave, Stephanie. You are more than welcome here and it is us that owes you an apology." Ethan tells her, rushing his words to keep her in the room.

Stephanie shakes her head. "No, you are family and I am not. I am a pesky guest that has over stayed her welcome and it's time for me to move on."

"It's my fault that you don't feel welcome here any more, isn't it?" Jet says as she leaves the room.

Stephanie looks at him and shakes her head. "It's no one's fault. I haven't managed to earn your trust yet and I am soo tired of trying and failing. I won't stay where I'm not trusted. Been there and done that. It will be better if I am on my own, that way I won't be the cause of you being caught or killed. I might not mean much to you all, but you three mean the world to me. I would never want to cause any harm to come to you, I would rather die."

With that Stephanie leaves the room and goes to her room to start packing.

The three boys look at each other too stunned to say much.

"We can't let her go." Ethan finally says in the strained silence.

Talon gives a small bitter smile and guffaw. "I promised her that she was free to go at any time she wanted to leave us. I can't stop her without forcing her to stay. She's to fucking powerful to do so without harming her."

Jet gets up angrily from his seat and out the door. The door slams shut and the other two look at each other.

Time to move again.

"Go after him, Ethan. You are the only one that he'll listen to when he gets like this. Then once he's calmed down we'll need to start packing." Talon tells Ethan softly and Ethan just morosely nods his head. He'd liked living here, it was peaceful and there was plenty of room. Not just in the house, but the yard, that was enclosed with a privacy fence kept the nosy neighbors at bay.

Ethan gets up and slowly makes his way to the door outside.

"Talon? What's going on?" Stephanie asks some time later. "Where is everyone?"

"Jet took off, he's very angry and Ethan went to try to calm him down."

Stephanie looks out the window. "Oh."

"What?" Talon says lifting his down turned head. He's too old for this.

Jet and Ethan are kissing rather heatedly. "I see. That's good, that calms Jet down faster than just about anything else."

"I didn't realize that they were a couple." Stephanie had never felt that from them and feels stupid that at times she thought Ethan was interested in her. But then again, none of the three had made any moves or really shown any inclination of being interested in her.

"We are very close. You said it your self. We at times get lonely, but we do prefer females, they just aren't always available."

"Yeah, okay. Well, I thought I would just say goodbye now since I plan to leave early in the morning." Her voice shows her true feelings though, doubt.

"You don't believe me?" Talon asks going up to her and pushing her hair off her face. "I've been fighting myself from the first day I met you. I was sure that you wouldn't be interested or weren't ready for anything of a sexual nature."

"I'm not interested in being a booty call only. Like I told that dumb ass student, I have more self respect than that." Stephanie pulls back from Talon's gentle hold.

"Good bye, Talon and thank you for everything you've done for me. Would you please let the other two know my message as well?"

"Tell them yourself or better yet, don't go. Stay with us. We'll be leaving tomorrow as well. A new place, a new start, let us prove to you that we trust you." Talon is all but begging Stephanie at this point.

"Why?" Stephanie asks in confusion.

"Because we love you," all three of the boys answer her. She hadn't heard them come in as she was focused on Talon.

Stephanie shakes her head as she gives them a bitter smile. "No one loves me. You all have cared for me, but not loved me."

That's all it takes for the boys to go over to her and start kissing her.