A week passed. Someone brought food for her three times a day. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. She ignored every meal, allowing the plates and bowls to pile up in one corner of the room.

When the guy had turned, waving her clones out with him, and cheerily left her alone she knew that she'd been right about him. The shock and anger she'd felt directly after had worn off pretty quickly; her determination not to cave had lingered behind.

The day he walked back in and locked the door behind him, Elke was nowhere to be seen. Her mattress had been moved and shoved against a wall at an angle. The remnants of her bed frame had been pushed to one side of room. Bed sheets were draped over the folded mattress to cover the gaps on either side.

Despite the fact that she hadn't eaten anything since he'd left, she'd clearly taken a lot of time and spent a lot of energy drawing more things on the walls of her prison. Some were even crude drawings that looked maybe just a little too much like the man standing in the middle of the room.

From within the mattress-tent, Elke's voice could be heard. She was mumbling things. Asleep half from hunger and half from trying to pull all-nighters in order to remain ever vigilant; the small Native girl had passed out soundly on the pillows from her bed.

It was odd... Sleeping like this, she almost seemed like a normal kid.

He'd noticed the redecoration immediately, and the pictures, though he didn't think his nose was that big, or that there ever was so much snot coming out of it. He'd found her in her makeshift fort, and opted to crawl in silently, watching her for a moment. She had to be cold... He gently draped her in a blanket...

She really hadn't eaten all week. Wow... Well, maybe the lunch he'd brought today would sway her... Either way, he really couldn't keep her like this; her determination was unlike any person he'd ever met at her age; she might just starve to death by a mountain of food.

He waited for some time until she stirred.

"You should eat..." He stated calmly...

"You mumbled a lot in your sleep..."

The casket he was in was plain oak, formal and boring. It didn't suit his personality... it didn't do justice to the man laid to rest inside. His stories had always been so colorful... spoken by someone who wove wisdom around every word and filled each tale with so much love.

He was so cold... so devoid of life, the complete opposite of the man who had sat her on his knee and told her about spirits. ...About the sun and the moon, and all of the stars in the sky.

"Elke, go say goodbye."

The eleven year old didn't budge, but the grip she had on her fathers hand tightened. "Elke.. go on, now. He'd want you too."

With a gentle hand, he guided her forward. Small tentative steps brought her closer and closer, while her family murmured encouragement from behind, until...

... there he was.

She scanned his face, her expression blank, and frowned. He was pale and his cheeks were sunken in like he hadn't eaten in a long time. They had dressed him in his best clothes and adorned him in the jewelry that his father had passed down to him. His hands were settled gently over his stomach, a poor attempt to make it look like he was resting. His salt and pepper hair was pulled into a long braid that had been rested over one shoulder; something he had often done while living.

Carefully, she reached out to touch his hand. It was cold and unresponsive. It wasn't the same hand she had held so many times while walking through the forest with him. The turquoise wedding ring he had always worn glinted in the light of an afternoon sun, and she felt hot tears start to build up.

"... Grandpa?"

The last time she'd seen him he had looked so young. The lines that ran around his face were always curved by a smile; the color of his skin always sun-kissed.

"Grandpa... tell me about the stars again?... T-tell me about Thunder Boy and... and--"

There were tears in her eyes, seeping from the corners onto the pillows below. She suddenly felt warmer than she had a moment ago, and.. not quite so alone. "..Papa... wake up.. nng. Please wake up..."

Gradually, she started to wake up. First, it was the presence of the blanket that forced her to stir. Then it was the extra spade in her mattress-tent being gone. Then, it was someone seated beside her. "...huh?"

Cracking an eye open, she caught sight of a dark shape beside her. At first the kid in her immediately started screaming bloody murder about boogey men-- but then it spoke. Her foggy mind went immediately into action, if a little slower than usual. She scrambled away, tossing the blanket to the side, and lashed out at him with her foot. The kick, even if she aimed at his face, was weak from a sufficient lack of energy on her part. She doubted it would do much, if anything at all.

"What the hell do you want?" Her cheeks flushed red from anger and embarrassment at being caught sleeping. She crossed her arms indignantly and glared at the intruder.

She was having bad dreams; He knew because he'd had his fair share.

When she woke, it was with a start; he saw her attack coming from a mile away, and let it hit him; Wasn't like she was going to hurt him or anything. He placed his hands up as if she had a gun. "Hey, hey, hey... I come in peace."

"What the hell do you want?"

He blinked a few times, and then scratched the back of his head. "Straight to the point, huh? You aren't eating, Moose... You gotta. I can't have you starving, you know?"

To be honest, he wasn't an expert when it came to talking to children; he didn't even know where to start when it came to getting the wayward child to eat. Maybe he could force food down her throat?

Awkward silence was awkward; rested his head back against the wall. "You're tough, kid... You proved that... But how far do you really want to take this? I really do just want to help."

"Straight to the point, huh? You aren't eating, Moose... You gotta. I can't have you starving, you know?"

"Why? Would that put a black mark on your perfect X-man record or sumthin'?" She would have sneered at him, but lacked the energy. Her comment came out instead as a tired grumble.

"You're tough, kid... You proved that... But how far do you really want to take this? I really do just want to help."

"That's what everyone says. 'I just want to help'. I don't want any help. You can't fix what ain't broken, and i'm not broken." She waited for him to argue; the same tired excuse people like him loved to parrot at her. 'But you need' this, and 'it's not healthy' that. 'You won't understand until you're older'.

Bah. Sometime she just wished they'd all take a moment to understand her.

"Why? Would that put a black mark on your perfect X-man record or sumthin'?"

"Heh... If you wanna put it that way... As an X-man my job is to do the right thing. I know it sounds cheesy, but it is what it is... And you... You've been through a lot. I been through a lot too... That's why I volunteered to be the one to help you..."


He tried to explain it in a way that wouldn't make her freak out again; she was so goddam unstable it wasn't funny. It was like walking in a minefield that was more mine that field.

"That's what everyone says. 'I just want to help'. I don't want any help. You can't fix what ain't broken, and i'm not broken."

"Yeah? Everyone seems to think you are... They all wrong? You ain't done nuthin to prove em wrong yet, from what I see..."

He rested his hands on his knees again, staring forward...

"This is a nice fort..."

She stared at him, her eyes clouded and angry, but didn't speak a word in return. He'd volunteered to be a pain in her ass? Why would he do that? She glanced away from him.

"Yeah? Everyone seems to think you are... They all wrong? You ain't done nuthin to prove em wrong yet, from what I see..."

She glanced back at him and frowned, but refrained from commenting. Barely. Until he changed the subject. ".... Thanks." She didn't understand why, but that one comment felt... good. It'd been a long time since anything she'd done deserved a compliment, even if it was just a stupid fort.

Her instructor had complimented her once... the day all hell had broken loose. When her instructor had given her the mission.

Tucking her knees up into her chest, she buried her face in her arms and fought back a wave of hot tears. She didn't want to cry in front of an X-man. She didn't want to cry in front of anyone. She wasn't supposed to. "..When he finds me I'm gonna be in trouble. I failed my mission."

It was odd... The compliment deflated her, almost... As tough as she way trying to be, he couldn't imagine it was an easy gig. As quick as she was to go off, she was easily just waiting for the right motivation to open up.

And open up she did. Just a little. "..When he finds me I'm gonna be in trouble. I failed my mission."

"... The man who held you captive... It's likely he died trying to escape... If he does come here, though... I'll be right there... I wouldn't let him hurt you. And trust me, I may not look it to you, but I'm pretty tough."

He grinned to her a little, and then went back to staring at the mattress in front of him. "What they did to you there... It was wrong... Ain't a damn thing supposed to make someone do something but themselves... Choice is what makes us... you know... us... That's why I ain't gonna make you do anything against your will... I gotta tell you, though... This path you're on... It's a scary path that don't lead nowhere good. I seen it a thousand times... Hell, I been on it... Man, I'm talkin a lot." He sighed.

"You ever feel like you're a little lost?"

Her head rose a little so she could peek out at him from over her arms; dark hair shielding the rest of her face. "... promise?"

"...You ever feel like you're a little lost?"

"...You do talk a lot for a grownup. Usually Susan just tells me to sit quietly and wait while she gets all of her stupid paperwork done. My mom says she's a @#$%&, and it's all because she's a barren old twat who will never land a man." Sniffling, the Native righted herself a little more, nearly mimicking his posture.

"No... I don't believe in being lost. My granddad always told me that you're never really lost, you're just discovering somewhere new."

"... promise?"

Oh, man, already he was about to make a promise to a kid... how soul crushing would it be if he didn't follow through? One helluva responsibility... Still, it wasn't like this guy was actually gonna come after her, right?

"Yeah, I promise."

"...You do talk a lot for a grownup. Usually Susan just tells me to sit quietly and wait while she gets all of her stupid paperwork done. My mom says she's a @#$%&, and it's all because she's a barren old twat who will never land a man."

If he had a drink he would have spit it out right about then. Instead, he chuckled almost instinctively before stifling the laugh. He'd met Susan. Her mom wasn't far off... Still.

"Ahem... Eh... Colorful vocabulary, your mom."

"No... I don't believe in being lost. My granddad always told me that you're never really lost, you're just discovering somewhere new."

"Huh... Sounds like a smart guy, your grandpa. I never met mine... He around?"

"Ahem... Eh... Colorful vocabulary, your mom."

"Not really, She only said the first part of that." The teen glanced at him and shrugged.

"Huh... Sounds like a smart guy, your grandpa. I never met mine... He around?"

Her frown returned and she glanced away, fixing her eyes on one of the sheets that made up her forts doorways. She didn't like the question at all. Didn't want to answer. She had been the one who opened her big ol' mouth and mentioned him though.

".... He was."

Saph nodded, and let the current conversation rest... He would have to ask her more about her grandfather when she was more comfortable around him...


"So... I brought some food... It's greek... Pretty darn good. An excellent cook made it for you. You think you could go for a bite to eat right about now?"

He decided not to mention any specifics about his fiance making the food; Moose didn't seem to respond well to sweet people, and Andrea was very, very sweet. Heck, he feared introducing them down the road; Moose would chew the poor Greek up and spit her out.

He reached out of the fort, and grabbed a small package, pulling it in, and opening the aromatic to-go box in it.

"Aww, man... that's almost making me hungry, too... But yeah... If you want it, it's here... Better than the tasteless stuff they've been trying to feed you all week, I can tell you that."

She stared at him, head tilted slightly sideways, with her eyebrows drawn together. Her stomach chose then to growl and interrupt what she'd been planning to say. "...uh.. I guess."

The teen accepted is offer, albeit reluctantly. She eyed the box like it was a bomb set to go off, wary of reaching out to take it from him; but did so anyway. Refusing to accept it now felt like she'd be letting him know just how truly shaken up she was. Settling it in her lap, she opened it fully and... stared.

"...uhhh.." Hadn't he said some kinda chef made this? She.. wasn't so sure he knew what he was talking about. Or he was trying to poison her. "... You sure this is food? Cuz it looks like someone already ate whatever it was, and then hurled it back up into the box."

She poked at some of the green stuff loitering around the side of some of the crispy breaded stuff. It was warn and slimy. Like cooked spinach. The look she cast at him next reflected the combined paranoia of every vegetable hating child who had ever been forced to face down the slimy green foliage at dinner time. Wide eyed with a glaze of horror and jaw slack.

"... you are trying to poison me."

Saph looked honestly shocked and confused as she opened up the package and gave him a look like he was trying to kill her, which she openly insinuated.

"What? This stuff's great..." He eyed it for a moment, and instantly realized his fault. It was green. Green was like a kid's worst enemy. "Well, uh... Hey, I got an idea... I bet she's still in the kitchen.. I promise if you behave, we'll go out there, and have her make something up that isn't poison. I'm gonna need to have your word on that, though."

Was he sure that Andrea was still in the kitchen? No, but he had some confidence; she'd mentioned after cooking this that she was going to make a little something for herself, which meant she was going to clean out the fridge and then go shopping for seconds.

What could he say? She liked her food... Hell, just wondered where she put it all!

"None of that trying to kill people or escape stuff... We go out, we get food, we come back. Deal?"

The Native eyed him warily, prodding at the stuff in the package he'd brought with him. "... can't you just order pizza or something?"

Elke wasn't so sure she wanted anything more from the mystery lady.

"None of that trying to kill people or escape stuff... We go out, we get food, we come back. Deal?"

"...Says the kidnapper." She mumbled in return, dropping the fork and food onto the floor. With a sigh, realizing she was going to have to play nice or starve to death, she caved. "Fine. I promise not to attack anyone or run away." Extending a pinky, the teen waited for him to return the gesture to solidify the deal.

Honestly, she didn't know if she had the energy to run, anyway.