[UC] a child's innocence.

[aerin "ace" camden emerson]

Ace sat in the sand box, pouring the sand into his empty cup. "A-B-C-D-E-F-G..." He sang, emptying out his now full cup to start filling it again. "H-I-J-K-ELLIMENO-P.."

He looked up at the teacher. "Whassa 'ellimeno'? Does it wook wike dis?" He asked, his speech far behind the rest of the children's. He made a random doodle, then looked up at the teacher.

"No, Aerin. L. M. N. O." She said, drawing the letters in the sand.

"No Aerin." He told her, crawling away from her. He sat at the other end of the sand box, starting to draw in the sand with his finger. "A-B-C-D-E-F-G.."

[scotty xavier mason]

Scotty watched the interaction between Ace and their teacher from a shaded area underneath a tree. He stood up and dusted the little dirt that was on his clothes, knowing how much his Auntie disliked him being dirty, and skipped over to him.

"You say the alphabet wrong." Scotty said, his British accent still strong. "You mash all the letters together."

He sat down on the edge of the sandbox next to him. "Why'd you get mad at her for callin you Aerin?"

[aerin "ace" camden emerson]

Ace looked up at the boy. "You talk funny." He said, watching him sit beside him. He moved closer, not as afraid of the boy as the adults around him.

"A'cause dat's what all the 'dults call me a'fore dey hurt me." He said, shaking the sand off his hands. "Wook. I gets a wibbily toof." He moved the tooth with his tongue. "Mommy says I'ma woose it. But I'ma find it. I'ma good finder. I found dis." He pointed to the bruise on his arm. "When I bavin'. I go a put soap in my hair 'n I seed it. I fount it."

[scotty xavier mason]

Scotty frowned, not liking people point out that he had an accent. "I'm from England." he said crossing his arms. "And there I don't sound funny."

Scotty messed with hole that was starting to form in his jeans listening to the other boys horrible English. "We could give you another name." he said looking at him and smiling a toothless smile. "Like a super hero name."

Scotty giggled, "When you loose a tooth it comes out." he said pointing to a gap in his mouth. "Like this."

He looked at the bruise, wondering what if that is what happened when the adults hurt him. He leaned over quickly and kissed it. "There, all better." he said with a smile looking up at him.

[aerin "ace" camden emerson]

Ace bit his lip, thinking for a minute. "I wanna be Spiderman! And then I kin climb on all the stuff." He smiled, digging a hole in the sand. "No, a'cause when you woose some'fin, you gots ta find it. 'N I not gonna hab a hole in my mouf." He shook his head. He didn't think he could eat if he had a tooth gone and a hole there.

"Why didn't you put it back in?" He asked, then watched the boy kiss his arm.

"Cheah. All better." He said with a smile, building the sand up around the hole.

"Aerin! Come get your water!" The teacher called.

"NO AERIN!" He cried, pushing over his mound of sand. "NO AERIN. I SPIDERMAN."

[scotty xavier mason]

"Cause you put it under the pillow and the tooth fairy comes." he said with a smile.

Scotty laughed when Aerin he wanted to be called Spiderman. "Noo..that already been taken." he sat down in the sand and started to dig a hole thinking about what he could call him. "I know!" he said with a smile. "You could go by Ace..be like the super hero of all the card games." he said with a smile. "It isn't that fun but you would be powerful 'cause nothin would be able to hurt you."

[aerin "ace" camden emerson]

"I don't wike cards." He complained, taking the water offered to him. It climbed out of the glass and up his arm, healing the bruises and cuts there before falling into the sand.

"My daddy do dat." He said with a smile. His mother had told him the first time he questioned why he was so strange that his dad was Poseidon. "My daddy is the king of the waters!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands up. He spilled his water, but didn't seem to care about it. "My mommy tell me.. Ace my uh..nish.. uls." He sounded out the word so he wouldn't get it wrong.

[scotty xavier mason]

Scotty scooted away from the boy, not sure of what to think about the water crawling up his arm and healing me. "Poseidon must be magical.." he whispered looking at him not really sure who he was.

"Then you can go by it!" he said with a smile as he filled in the hole he had dug with the sand he dug out. "My initials are S-X-M..not that pretty.." he said with a frown. "Ace is pretty." He smiled looking over at the boy. "I want you to be my friend. I have no friends here."

[aerin "ace" camden emerson]

"He IS magical!" He exclaimed, leaning close as if it were a secret.

"I be your frand. I no have any. Dey all tells me I'm broked-did. 'N I'm is stupid. 'N dey leabe.. Cept my mommy's frands. Dey tells me dey wike me. Dey say dey wikes me a wot." He made a squiggle in the sand, then erased it. "I got'sa go potty." He mumbled, pulling himself to his feet. He started walking off when the teacher called him.

"Aerin!"

"NO AERIN." He screamed. "I ACE."

"Where are you going?"

"To's da potty."

"Bring your friend. You can't go alone."

"Chu come wif me, kay?" He took Scotty's hand, pulling him out of the sandbox. "But chu no touch me, kay?"

[scotty xavier mason]

Scotty sat there trying to think about what it would be like to still have his father. He wished the his father would come back, come back magical. He would love that. He hugged his knees close to his body, thinking about his mom and dad.

He looked over at him, "Why do your momma's friends like you so much?" he asked, "My parents friends didn't like children."

Scotty nodded and went back to filling in the whole he was digging. He looked up in surprise when he felt Ace grab his hand. "Okay." he said standing up and dusting off his pants with his free hand before following him. "Why would I touch you?" he asked confused.