[CLOSED] nothing but broke promises.

[deacon reid rudman]

Deacon was glad to be home for the day, considering the way the wind was blowing. But he wasn't worried about Connor; he had wanted to spend the day with his sister. He guessed he didn't blame the boy, considering he had been pretty much locked up since his last transplant and Christy had only been able to come over for short periods of time.

He looked down at the book he had in his and Bandit's lap. He had managed to get her hair up in pigtails, and put bows in it and she hadn't taken them out. Yet.

"-but that one was too hot. And the next was too cold. But the third was just right." He read, then turned the page.

"Just wight." She said, and he nodded, kissing her cheek.

[connor crayze sykes]

Connor coughed, wiping at the trickle of blood from his nose. He'd been eating, but even so he was still thin, and carrying a crying seven year old over your shoulder while trying to run, only a week and a half after major surgery did nobody any good.

"Con-Con," Christy sobbed into his shoulder. They had been out for a walk when Jon had found them.
"Give me my fucking daughter Connor!"

Connor's teeth gritted as he stumbled to the ground, Christy crying harder. "Sh-shh...I-it's...okay Chris'.." Eyes were gradually becoming a vibrant blue, a choked breath passing his lips as dark wings tore through his already ripped shirt. He had taken a hard beating protecting Christy.

He yowled in pain as a hand tore at the wings, driving them back and knocking his father to the ground before scooping Christy up. "When...w-we get there, y-you stay 'way from Deacon..y-y-yeah?"
Christy's grip tighten in response, Connor gasping shakily for breath. He stumbled, heard a gun click, an threw open the door, eying Deacon, choking for a decent breath. He let Christy down and she ran straight for the bedroom. He heard the door slam, then the closet open and close before he was on hands and knees dry heaving, wings shielding his beaten body. He pulled himself back to shaky feet, breaths rasping in his throat as he locked the door, head spinning to the point that he felt like he could pass out.

[deacon reid rudman]

Deacon looked up as the door flew open. "Hi Christy. Uh.. Bye Christy?" He could tell something was wrong. Connor never let the little girl in the house, always straight to the back yard with her hand Bandit. The red head exclaimed when she saw Connor, and she pointed to her bows. Deacon kissed her head, then sat her on the sofa.

"Stay here, okay?" He told her. "'Kay." She said in response. But instead of staying, she walked over to the stairs, starting up after the other girl.

Deacon walked over to Connor, pulling him close. He tipped his chin back, realizing just how much weight he had to support. "Okay, don't faint on me." He mumbled, scooping Connor up in his arms and carrying him to the couch. Bandit was already at the top of the stairs, wandering down the hall for the other girl.

"Connor, what's wrong?" He asked worriedly.

[connor crayze sykes]

Connor groaned faintly, breaths quick and shallow as he sat on the couch leaning forward. "He-..I-..."

He coughed into an arm, jaw trembling as he gazed at him brokenly, blood trickling down over his lips from his nose. He wiped it from his chin, hands shaking.

"J-Jon, passed u-us on the st-tr-reets...c-came after m-me, then saw Christy. Wanted..to take h-her." He gagged softly.

"H-had to..protect her...."

He grabbed at the couch, leaning his head back, tears falling down his cheeks.

[deacon reid rudman]

Deacon saw he was bleeding, and when he leaned back, he quickly pulled on his arm, pulling him into a sitting position. "No, sit up, Connor. You'll choke." He said, running his hand up and down his back between his wings. He picked him up again, carrying him upstairs to the bedroom. He sat him on the bed, propping him up against the headboard.

"Christy? Come out and play with Bandit, baby." He called, watching Bandit crawl up to the edge of the bed and taking Connor's hand.

"Wook, da dee! Ees boos." She pointed at her head, smiling up at him.

[connor crayze sykes]

Connor tensed up as his arm was taken, but instantly relaxed, sitting up with a grimace. Eyes closed at the soothing touch between his dark wings, and he tucked them close with a wince, sore from feathers being torn at.

Shifting his weight when he was sat down on the bed, he draped wings on either side of him, bringing a hand to his nose, trying to get it to clot.

He glanced at his wrists, finger shaped bruises littering the sensitive skin, then over at Bandit. "H-hey baby...bows..?" He smiled, but didn't bother hide his pain, fear.

When Deacon called for Christy, all that was offered from the closet was a sobbed no.

"C-c'mon..Chris'..." Connor paused, coughing again. "Go play downs-stairs...-"
"No!" He winced at her sobbed screech. "Daddy's still gonna be outside!"
'He can't get you now...' But Connor only groaned, closing his eyes instead.

[deacon reid rudman]

Deacon smiled down at Bandit. "Uh yuh." She said with a nod, laying her head down on his hand. She heard Christy in the closet and toddled over, bending down and knocking on the door.

"Pay? Pay?" She asked, sweeping the bottom of her skirt across the floor. Deacon leaned down, kissing him softly. He moved so he was sitting on the bed with a knee behind Connor, holding him forward. He held his hand under his nose, kissing the top of his head. He rubbed his back gently, keeping him leaned forward so he couldn't swallow the blood.

"You guys are safe here, baby." He said quietly, kissing his neck gently. "I won't let anyone hurt you." Even if he knew intentionally killing someone meant everything being taken away from him.

[connor crayze sykes]

Connor felt Deacon's hand, and his knee supporting him, and he wrapped his arms over his chest, wiping blood on his torn shirt as he gagged faintly again, more on the taste than anything.

He didn't bother open his eyes, listening to Christy's hiccupped cries, then a faint sniffle and silence.

Finally she crawled from the closet, red eyes fearful and wide as she looked up at Deacon and her brother, standing.

Taking Bandit's hand, she turned away, starting for the door to go downstairs.
Connor opened his eyes to slits, head still tilted obediently forward as he watched them, breaths finally slowing into their usual, slightly irregular rhythm, if not just a tad fast.

[deacon reid rudman]

Deacon hugged him close. "You guys can play in here. It's okay." He said quietly, not sure he liked the idea of giving the crazy man easy access to his daughter and Connor's sister. Bandit smiled up at Christy, trying to reach up and brush away her tears.

"It kay." She said quietly. She toddled over to the bed, crawling under it. She popped out a moment later, tugging on a bag. She opened it up, handing Christy one of the dolls. She hugged one to her chest, then walked over to Deacon.

"Boo? Boo?" She asked.

"I can't get your bows right now, baby. Just take the ones out of your hair." He told her, realizing his hand was covered in blood. She pulled one bow out, putting it in the baby's hair. Deacon snorted, one of her pigtails now sideways.

"Oink oink." She said with a smile at Deacon.

[connor crayze sykes]

Connor eased up a bit as Christy smiled past her startled tears. She took the other doll and sat down, watching Bandit curiously.

Glad she had relaxed, Connor turned his attention to the current predicament; his nose still hadn't stopped bleeding. He coughed softly into Deacon's hand, mumbling a sorry as he did so.

Thin blood, they had said after surgery. Weak bones. It had been no surprise, what with his diet still trying to be worked out, his lack of wait and decline in health. He knew some problems had been put at bay with the recent transplant though. Just apparently not this.

"Deacon..." He complained, shifting his weight some, side aching a bit. He drew in a deep breath through his mouth, let it back out, trying to rid himself of the nausious feeling.