Love Revival

The strong sweet smell of blue and pink hyacinths filled the blue salon, but the watcher could but see the flowers there. He appraised them with a cursory glance, making a mental note that they needed water before his eyes returned to the form in front of the window. He could see her reclining on the ledge seat with a book resting unread in her lap. Its thick covers lay closed, with her manicured hand resting on it, her eyes revealing her thoughts to be miles away.

By the suns of Brunnis he loved that woman. They had not lain together in their bed in a long while though. Even on the recent “family” vacation, they had slept separately. He knew as well, through subtle concerned questions, that Valerian had had no relations with her either. With a dramatic Kai sigh, Mus turned the security cameras on to the rest of the property, forcing his mind back to work.

He wasn’t aware of how similar their thoughts were at that moment, but such is often the case of longtime companions. They grow to think the same, even when they’re not aware of it.

A long blue leg stretched out from beneath the loose skirt, the foot brushing the crushed velvet covering of the seat. The book fell to the floor, unnoticed, as a hand rose to the window, tracing absent forms upon the glass. Eyes, gray and dim, saw the play outside in the garden. Ketana was being chased, laughing, by Cupid, as he tried to catch her to kiss her. Disco sat with his Angel, the children playing not far off, murmuring words between themselves, not heard by the one who watched them. Had she the desire, she could have heard the words, but she knew they murmured love words, and that would only make her thoughts sadder then they already were. Apollo and Lilly together pushed Skailyr on the swing, Apollo leaning close to sneak soft kisses on her neck each time the seat flew from her hands. Even Blade and his new wife sat outside, sharing chocolate covered strawberries as they cuddled close together.

She forced herself to smile and wave as Daisy saw her in the window and waved happily. When the child had once more turned away, a wave of her hands closed the curtain, cutting off the scene of love and happiness. She sighed softly, picking her book up off the floor, before heading upstairs to change to go meet Kitty for the afternoon.

Kitty sat on the porch of the Ranch House, cleaning her horses' tack while keeping one alert eye on her children. They raced around the yard, chasing each other in a rousing game of tag. Shydell, the quietest of the cubs, charged after Chase, trying with all her might to catch the bigger cub, but every time she got close, he would erupt with newfound speed, leaving his litter sister in the dust, as it were. From her perch on her mother's lap, just beside kitty, Symmetry glared at Chase. He was doing that on purpose. Kitty laughed. "It's creepy, how much she looks like her father when she does that."

"You're telling me," Katya grinned back, then called out to the cubs, "Come on, guys, Shy has been 'It' for ten minutes now, give her a break!"

Little Joe, in his cub form to make it more fair, nodded at his aunt in reply, but Shy wasn't interested in catching Joe. Joe played fair. It was Chase she wanted, but Chase wasn't interested in accommodating his tiny sister..

Dropping Ziyadah's bridle, kitty got to her feet, glancing over her shoulder at her husband. "He's got it coming," she winked at Nosferatu, who chuckled and shook his head. He knew what was coming, and almost felt bad for his little son. Almost.

In a moment, a large white tiger, which dwarfed all the others in the game, leapt down off the porch, and slid to a halt in front of Chase, cutting off his route. Little Joe came up on his right, and Katya, having handed Symmetry over to her father and shifted as well, took up the left side. Chase was trapped. He spun around, ears laid flat back in irritation, Shy was right there, and, rather smugly, batted his nose with her paw.

Shifting back to her semi-human form, kitty applauded her smallest child.. "Go Shy!" she cheered. Laughing, she looked up, catching the sound of an approaching motorcycle. She didn't think much of it until it pulled into the yard, stopping just on the other side of the fence surrounding the property. The rider wore black, trimmed in pink, and a black helmet. When she pulled the helmet off, kitty waved and smiled pleasantly. "Hey, Arania!" she called..

An hour later, Kitty and Arania were deep into the woods, on horseback. Ziyadah was Kit’s mount, while Ari rode on the more acclimated Spitfire, her black mane bouncing at the pace they took over the path. They had ridden so far in silence, save for the sounds of squirrels and birds.

As Spitfire came alongside Ziyadah, Arania looked at her riding companion. "Kit...how have things been with Fera...I mean, with the little ones around..you don't have as much time for each other do you?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that. Cubs can be pretty independent, and besides... we MAKE time."

"That's good....umm...with all the things that have..well, changed, has it been odd at times?” She paused, trying to get the words right.

"Depends on what you mean by change, I reckon. There are the physical changes, and no, that hasn't made it odd at all, at least not as far as Fera lets on."

That wasn’t quite what she had meant, so she probed a little more. "Mentally..has it made things difficult?"

"Wow. Good question. I guess so, sometimes. I can't speak for Fera, but I know that, sometimes, I feel... I dunno... different. Or, I guess, like HE thinks I'm different. That's closer to the truth, right there."

"Has he said anything? On the more positive question side, has his feline side helped?"

"Oh, Hell yeah... on my side, anyway. Now it's like... he understands what I've been going through, ya know? He understands why I'm the way I am a little better. Of course, being male, it's hitting him pretty hard, so now I think that he's got the tougher side. The jealousy, the possessiveness... all things he had before, but now it's SO much more intense. We're on a level playing field, so to speak, but the score will never quite be tied. See what I mean?"

"Yeah...he needs to relax some too though, or he's liable to blow a vein. The trip to Vegas helped a lot I imagine...

"It gave us some time to be together, away from the kids and any of our worries, thanks to Mala, but, as with most things, if there's something off... it's still gonna be off when you get back. Troubles don't just go away 'cause ya go on vacation. It's rock if they did... I'd TOTALLY be on THAT holiday."

"Point taken......do you still feel the effects from when you were bitten by that vampire?"

"Not the physical effects, but mentally? Oh yeah. Sometimes, when we're alone, I think about what I did to him... that still hurts, but Fera never mentions it."

"Have you actually said the words I’m sorry....I mean, I know you are, and I am sure he knows you are...but sometimes saying the words will make all the difference....but then...who am I to talk..." She sighed, letting the horse choose the path.

"What actually happened is kinda sketchy, at best, but I THINK I said I was sorry at the time... What's up, Ara? This isn't exactly your typical chat... especially coming from you."

"You know what happened a couple weeks ago.....when I was kidnapped.......poor Mus is...well, the trip to Vegas, and even recently, things haven't been up to his expectations...." Again she fought for the words. She knew her thoughts, she knew what was going on, but putting words to it was much more difficult.

"His expectations? After what happened to you, what does he expect? I know I... never mind, I won't EVEN go there... He has to understand how it's affecting YOU. It's hard, and nobody is hurting worse than you are over it. Trust me. Have you talked to him about it at all?"

"We haven't shared a bed, even just him laying there with me, since it happened kit....he wants to be with me, and I haven't been able to even hardly touch him......I’ve tried to talk to him about it, and I am sure he understands, at least a little, or he'd be a lot less patient......."

"That side of it is going to take time. More than a couple weeks, especially if you haven't REALLY talked about it. I mean, at length. It's a big deal, not something you can just sweep under the carpet and forget about."

"I know....but..it's hard to talk to him about it, because he can't get that, though the ones who did it, well, most of them, they're dead, but my mind..well...you can figure that part out...he's a Kai...the death of the one who caused the problem has worked so many times before...."

"But not this time. I get that. I think, what you need to do, is sit the boy down and have a good long talk about it. Find out what he's thinking, how he's feeling. Otherwise it's gonna fester. I know that, with Fera, it can be like pulling teeth, but you really do need to get Mus talking about it. He could spontaneously combust, and I'm NOT sweeping that up!"

"But then we could go shopping for a new carpet..” She managed a wane smile, for the lame attempt at a joke. “Being with Fera after..knowing what had happened before...did it help anything?"

"I'm not with ya."

"I guess knowing he still wanted you, in spite of what happened, didn't hurt..but did the physical help?"

"Aaaah... Yeah, it did. Just knowing that he still wanted me, regardless, that helped a lot. To him, I was still just... well, me. When I did THAT... I was me, but I wasn't driving. It was like looking at myself doing these things, and going, 'what am I, psychotic?' I really wish that, out of all I DON'T remember about that day, that one thing was on the list."

"Unfortunately you don't always get what you want....I think part of his own issues might be thinking I don't want him..which couldn't be further from the truth, and that I have told him almost word for word, they're so stubborn though at times..."

"You're telling me. Maybe you could do something else to let him know you love him. Take him out somewhere, spoil him rotten. Then again, if he's feeling like you don't want him, that might not help much. I swear, Fera is SO much easier to figure out. He's kinda black and white, and if he's bothered about something, EVERYBODY is bothered about it."

"He can't hide it....Mus is so...different...He's more like Sim, with the stoicism, but still, not quite you know. Sometimes I wish the cloning made them all the same, so everyone would know what to do when something was wrong...but then they wouldn't be them either....can't win for losing"

"We practically had to beat Sim with a cast iron frying pan last time he was down. He's SO stubborn! You know, when he was freaking us out after his whole 4 person killing spree awhile back, I gave him a journal, and he writes down his thoughts and feelings in it. He lets the rest of his immediate family read it, though he rather rudely doesn't provide a dictionary so we can figure out what in Hades he's going on about... Still, it's been a huge asset for him, where he IS so quiet about things. I think he's on like the fourth volume already. It can be easier to write things down, than to actually say them."

"Maybe I should take stock in notebooks for him. I think I should talk to him, not sure how far I'd get in making him understand what's going on in my own head, but at least I can say I tried...Thanks a lot kitty...."

As they made their way back to the barns, the children were playing in the yard under the watchful eyes of Fera and Katya. Arania waved in greeting, watching as Fera greeted his wife with a kiss.

Arania didn’t get home until many hours later, having had to stop in town at the shop to check on some inventory. Her mind kept going over the talk the whole time. She stepped into her room, and for the first time in months dug into the bottom drawer of her nightstand, pulling out a simple black notebook. Settling onto the bed, the soft handmade quilt beneath her, she opened the pages, reading.

She smiled and cried as she read through the events of the past year, one hand absently reaching to turn on the clock radio as the children returned and started to run through the halls outside her bedroom.

Now I know what you need
And you know what I need
The whole dang block knows this whole house needs
A love revival, love revival up in here

Now I know I'm preaching
'Cause I'm certainly not leaving
But it's time to get excited and the neighbors aren't invited
To this love revival, love revival up in here

So sit up and listen, boy
'Cause I'm tired of being nice
Now momma's gonna tell you what she needs tonight

 Revival, revival
Well, give me something soulful
Honey, all I need are your two arms around me again
So, if you're in this till the end
Then let the love revival begin

 I feel the spirit the spirit's moving
I feel the spirit moving

 So, I pray you won't deny me
Now that I've said my peace
And I'll say it again, son
Just in case you were asleep

I want a love revival, love revival up in here

'Cause I know what you need
And you know what I need
The whole dang block knows the whole house needs
A love revival, love revival up in here

So sit up and listen, boy 'cause I'm tired of being' nice
Now momma's gonna tell you what she needs tonight

 Revival, revival
Well, give me something soulful
Honey, all I need are your two arms around me again
So, if you're in this till the end
Then let the love revival begin

 Well, we’re both in this till the end
So let the love revival begin

 I feel the spirit, the spirit's moving
I feel the spirit, the spirit's moving
I feel the spirit, the spirit's moving
I feel the spirit, the spirit's moving

Revival, revival
Well, give me something soulful
Honey, all I need are your two arms around me again
So, if you're in this till the end
Then let the love revival begin

 Revival, revival
Well, give me something soulful
Honey, all I need are your two arms around me again
So, if you're in this till the end
Then let the love revival begin

She didn’t hear the words as she started to write, her fingers flying over the paper, shifting to lay on her stomach.

As he walked in many hours later, he paused in the doorway. She lay there on the bed, her head on her hands, a notebook open in front of her. She looked so peaceful in sleep, untroubled by things that had happened to her, to them. She was beautiful, the bow of her lips creased in a very slight smile. A sigh escaped from his lips and he closed the door, crossing the room. He took a light blanket from the cedar chest at the foot of the bed and gently covered her with it before picking up the notebook. Before he closed it, he noticed that the date in the corner of the page was that day’s. Settling into a chair, he started to read it, curiosity getting the better of him.

Allie is doing well at the shop, I think I’ll give her a surprise raise come next pay. That’s not the reason I’m writing in here, I just figured that I would get it written down so I don’t forget. I’ll jot it on the desk calendar.

I went riding with Kitty today. I enjoyed myself, as I always do. We talked about a lot too, the things that have happened to all of us. We have a lot in common in that respect, we’ve both been changed in so many ways, though her changes had begun before I had even known her.

I guess the real reason I am writing in this for the first time in a while is because of things that have happened to me, and what’s going on with MusiKai. Oh, my feelings haven’t changed in any way about him ,if possible, I love him even more honestly.

Every time he’s tried to touch me though, images flash in my head of what I went through in that dungeon. I am so scared, because of what they did to me, I can’t be with the man I love. Their torture of me hasn’t really stopped with their deaths, with me being rescued. I still dream about it sometimes, and because of them that part of me, the physical pleasure, is tied to that fear, that pain.

I wish I knew what to do, not for myself. I know I need time, but Mus, well he doesn’t understand what I’ve been through, he can’t understand that. He’s lucky that way.

His eyes rose from the last words of the page to the woman who lay peacefully before him. He knew she didn’t blame him, and that she did want to be with him, even before reading those words. He never doubted her. He had just never realized exactly how hard it was for her, especially since he hadn’t known how to tell her that he was willing to wait, that he wanted to help her. Still, he didn’t know how she felt, though he did want to.

Unfortunately, she was the magic person in this family, and he did not think it likely for her to put him in that position herself, so he had to go elsewhere for it to happen. He knew of only one other person who might be able to help in that. He closed the notebook, setting it upon the nightstand, and rose, going to the garage to get his car before heading to the Ranch house.

He parked his car at the far end of the driveway, so he wouldn’t wake any of the children, and walked the rest of the way up. His knock was soft upon the door, and he spoke loud enough for only the Kais, or felines, who were already awake within to hear, it would not wake those who weren’t already.

"They are still sleeping," a soft female voice, like wind chimes, answered.

Mus looked around, taking note of the two Leopards who were curled up on the cushy seat of the porch swing. They'd been so still, and he so preoccupied, that he hadn't seen them when he'd arrived. Reliance was staring, her long tail flicking as she looked up at the Kai, and he smiled.

"Good morning," he said, nodding politely to her. He was glad that these two spoke English, unlike the tiger streak in their feline forms, or Kierlin, the Snow Leopard, it was simple to understand what the Great Cats were saying. They spoke in people's heads, like telepathy, but the sound was, generally, audible to anyone within hearing distance.

Equity lifted his head next, yawning. "What brings you here so early?" he asked, not unkindly, but, as always, to the point.

"I needed to speak with Lady kitty," Mus answered, keeping his voice low considering what Reliance had told him. "I was rather hoping she would be up by now."

"Late night," Equity replied.

"Hoax would not come in, and had to be retrieved from the field before they retired," Reliance added.

"Can we be of assistance?"

"The tigers are not morning people."

MusiKai hesitated, then nodded. "Perhaps," he answered. He moved closer to the Leopards, sitting down again in front of the swing they were resting on. "If you do not mind."

"Why would we mind?" Reliance asked, tilting her head.

"We are excellent listeners," Equity finished for his mate.

"I expect you know what happened recently, with my companion, Arania," Mus began.

"Yes."

"A terrible thing."

Mus nodded. "We haven't really been communicating well since then. She wants me to understand how she is feeling, but she can't seem to talk about it, her mind isn’t past the point where speaking of it brings images of what happened. I had a thought on that, but I don't have the ability to actually do it on my own. That's why I came to see kitty. She's the one with access to magic around here, and since she and Arania are close..."

"You figured she would be your most likely source in implementing your plans."

"A clever thought."

"Inspired, really."

"He is a thinker, this one."

The Leopards spoke amongst each other through this, and then looked to MusiKai again, saying simultaneously, "Go on."

"There is a potion, given to each Kai from a friend, who is also one of us, which would enable us to sleep. I know that Arania dreams about what happened to her, and I was hoping that, if we were both asleep, there might be a way to link our minds so that I could finally see what she sees... understand her fears."

Reliance looked at Equity, and, if she could, she'd have been smiling. Her golden eyes turned back to MusiKai, and she said, "You care deeply for this woman. You wish only to heal this rift that is growing between you, through no fault of your own, or on her part. It is the situation that has caused this problem, not your hearts. It is a noble venture. Unfortunately, kitty does not have the ability to aid you in your quest to uncover the truth."

"I know," Mus replied, "I was hoping..."

"That she might ask us to assist you," Equity nodded. "You must understand that, while we are what we are, we are not omnipotent. We have no knowledge of the workings of this potion you speak of, and therefore could not interfere without being aware of potential consequences."

Mus's head fell, and he closed his eyes. At least he could honestly say that he'd tried.

"However," Reliance's soft voice continued, "We do possess the ability to allow you to sleep without it. Should you choose, you could sleep as your Lady sleeps, and, with our help, share in her dreams, her very thoughts."

"You can do that?"

"Of course."

"Kitten's play."

"Would you?" MusiKai asked, eyes full of renewed hope.

"Consent," Reliance said. "We must obtain her consent to carry this out, or I am afraid we would be violating the rules."

"You have it. I know that she wants me to understand."

Reliance looked deep into MusiKai's eyes, as if considering his words. Again, her head tilted. This wasn't a whole truth on his part. Arania hadn't given verbal consent, however, the Great Cat could see words on a page when she looked at the currently distressed clone. Words that said everything he had already told them. She did not invade his personal thoughts, that would be most unethical, even for a god of another world, she merely searched for the truth in his statement. Sharing her findings with her mate, the two felines nodded at each other. "Your words, as your motives, are true enough. Tonight, as your Lady sleeps, call, and we will come."

"Don't you have to ask Lady kitty first?"

"No."

"There is no need."

"She has been upset over the recent treatment of her friend."

"It will be a most welcome thing, to have some of the Lady Arania's pain lifted."

"If her friends are unhappy, our kitty is unhappy."

"It is our duty to assist where we can. It is justice." Equity raised his head even higher. "If we are able to help resolve this, we shall. However, once you are in her thoughts, her dreams, it is entirely up to you."

"I understand," Mus answered, smiling at the Great Cats. "You're sure?"

"We have made our decision. Equity stands firm."

"Reliance stands firm."

Those were the words he'd been hoping to hear. The statement they made when their minds were set on something, and when that something had been accomplished. They wouldn't fail him, they would come to Haven, and aid him in his endeavors to help the woman he loved so dearly to overcome what had been done to her.

The following day seemed to drag on forever for him, even with the patience he usually showed, he did experience anxiety. She was spending the day at the shop, and he spent her time away plotting, to a small degree. He knew the things she liked, and had arranged with Blade for their dinner to be sent to their room, as well as one of her favored desserts.

She returned home, weary and worn, from work and the troubles in her mind. She tried her best not to let on, and her surprise was genuine when Blade told her to go to her suites, she was not to come to the dining room for dinner.

She sighed, heading upstairs, and when she opened her door, she was alternately touched, laughing, and frightened. She did her best to subdue her fear as she walked into a softly lit room. Upon a small table sat the place setting of dinner for one, a candle lighting it. She could smell the lilac flowers in the room, and heard the drips of water into a bubble filled tub. She crossed the room slowly, noticing the lack of her companion’s familiar masculine scent, and picked up the lone slip of paper sitting on her pillow.

Beloved, enjoy your meal, and the bath I prepared for you. I have to do guard duty while the others eat, so I will not be back until later. Relax and enjoy it all.

It was nearly midnight when he finally was able to return to the suite they shared. She lay in a deep sleep under the quilt she so treasured. The soft shades of pinks and blues weaving together in harmony. Her grandmother had made it before her body weakened too much to create anymore. After she had told him this, he could not blame her in the least for treasuring it as she did.

He slipped quietly across the room, gathering the dishes and tidying up before he settled beside her on the mattress.

“Equity, Reliance…..I am ready if you hear me.” He said softly, not wishing his words to disturb her any more then he might have already by moving the bed.

“Remember, we can join you with her mind, but it is up to you what happens when you are there. It would be wise on your part to ensure you do not push her too far. By this, I mean, these are her dreams, her very thoughts... it may not be easy for her to understand that you are truly there. What you intend to happen, may not actually come to pass. She may not see what you are doing in the way you might hope.” Equity settled himself on his haunches as he looked at the clone.

Reliance gently looked at MusiKai. “Do not act violently, act out of love, and I am certain you will be fine.”

With that they instructed him to take her hand in his. He did as they asked, giving her hand a tender squeeze.

“I am ready.” He said, nodding slightly. Their noses touched his free hand lightly, and his eyes slipped close, sending him into the realm of her dreams.

His eyes opened in darkness, a dim, very small rectangle of light within his range of view. His long black clad legs carried him down the dank, cold hallway. The door that formed the light he saw was a simple wooden door, similar to the one to their shared bedroom.

The room beyond did not fit the door that he walked through. Grunts and pants blood spattered walls completing the image of torture.

He recognized the room, it was where she was found. A chain clinked against the stone wall within. He recognized this place. It was where Valerian and himself had found her, though it was more horrible here and now then then. The embellishments her mind created adding to the nightmare image. He silently walked deeper into the room, ears drawing him in to where there were cries of pain and fear.

“NO!!!” She shrieked, her face a mass of black bruises, her body battered and worn. Mus, upon seeing this, had to bite his lip to keep from interfering, he knew he needed to see what was happening first. She was not the blue, powerful person he knew lay in the bed beside him. Her skin was pale, her hair a simple brown. In her dream she was powerless, unable to protect herself from the men that wanted to hurt her.

As he watched, she struggled, breaking free and fleeing down a dark corridor that appeared out of nowhere behind her. The faceless men followed her, filled his ears, flooding his senses with the sounds and smells of a dank dungeon, feet slapping on the stone. He quickly ran after them, his mind working a mile a minute.

He gave his usual half smile as he realized a way he could help, without making her hate him. He just hoped it would work.

She ran, her hair flying behind her, skin cold in the dankness of the tunnel she ran down. She was as she had been before, before the experiments, before the magic, and she cried at their loss within her. With their loss she was left here alone and helpless, and she trembled inside with the fear that flooded her. As the hall turned, so did she, and found herself running smack into a brick wall. Her hands ran over the wall, seeking something, anything to help her, but it was ungiving, the rough stone scraping her skin, tearing a nail from her finger.

Panicked, she whirled around, hearing the sound of footsteps running, getting closer and closer. Her back pressed into the cold stone as she tried to climb it, her toes not finding purchase, her hands scraped and slick with blood.

The bulky frames of the men filled the hall, blocking her line of sight, and any chance of an escape. They laughed cruelly, slowing to a walk as they crept for her, reaching for her arms.

“Release her.” A strong voice came from behind them, causing all of them to look. “You do not deserve to touch her.”

Her eyes widened at the one she saw there. A low moan escaped her lips. “No..not again….”

She saw a Kai standing there, unsure from here if it was the original, her MusiKai or some other. She had had this happen before, with all of them, and she didn’t want to see it again. Every time he had been destroyed, the men who held her carrying weapons to give a Kai a final death.

“Watcha gonna do?” The man who was obviously in charge laughed at him. They were in control here.

Suddenly the screeching sound of a brace caught her full attention, and as she watched all three of the men were headless, their bodies slumped to the floor. Her eyes traveled up to the face of the Kai she now faced, her eyes frightened and worried.

She was surprised as he wrapped strong arms around her. “You are safe.” The only words he spoke.

She trembled, tensing in his arms, the pain and fear almost overwhelming at his closeness. Ari looked at her hands, eyes widening once more as she saw a light blue color spreading from her fingertips slowly up her arms. “What? What’s happening?”

“You are free, they were visions, fear, nothing more. I will always be here to protect you, to save you when you get into trouble. You’ll always have me to lean on, just ask.”

She felt his lips softly pressing hers as the scene of horror faded into a warm light.

Her eyes opened to his face above her, a hand holding him up, his eyes looking down into her.

“A couple friends.” His eyes were gentle and he gave his half smile as he leaned over her. “It’s true, I will always be here, no matter what happens, I won’t leave you, I won’t hurt you.”

“I know Mus, I know.” Her smile was all the reassurance he needed. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you, you’ve come to the rescue so many times.”

“And I always will, when you need me.” He smiled and leaned in, tenderly kissing her. She froze at first, for only a second before wrapping her arms around him.