Dimensions
Stir-Crazy

Summary: The building still likes collecting people.
Warning(s): Sexual situations; D/s spanking; violence; mentions of torture, involuntary drug use, abuse.

###

It was three weeks after they'd rescued Blue. The building had jumped not long after, the door and windows disappearing, except for a couple of viewing windows that resembled an aquarium. They were able to look out into the dark depths of an ocean, watching fish and other sea creatures swim past. Some of the creatures looked prehistoric. It would have been very interesting, if they could get out of the building to explore and examine the area.

The building wasn't allowing it and Sharon was frustrated. Amos could tell, just by looking at her, that the first chance at freedom and she'd be bounding off. He couldn't blame her. He felt like he might do the same; and he was used to being stuck in a small dwelling for weeks at a time, due to his space exploration. Their newest family member didn't seem to be doing much better. It was difficult to tell, though. Blue didn't talk much.

With some effort on Joyce's part, Blue had finally left her room and come downstairs. While she did eat, it was very sparingly; and only when she saw someone else eat the same food first.

She was currently stood where the door should be, staring at one of the viewing windows. A low, whining growl escaped from her throat as she pushed her fingers against the window.

Artie glanced up and worriedly towards Blue. Standing, he walked over to her. "Hey. You're not thinking of growing claws and busting your way outta here, are you? Not sure any of us could learn to breathe underwater." He reached out, like he might have put a hand on her shoulder.

Blue twisted to one side, wrapping her arms around herself, and continued to stare out of the window.

"Can't blame her. Building won't let it happen, though. It protects us, even from ourselves..." Sharon said, in a tone that gave away her own restlessness at being bound inside. "Still. If it weren't for the fact breaking the windows would kill everyone else, I'd be tempted to try."

Joyce walked into the main room at that point, in time to hear Sharon's comment. "There're a lot of animals out there I've never seen before," she said. "I want to get some more videos and pictures to add to the collection." She was carrying a plate of cookies and began to offer them around to the others.

"Pictures?" Sharon asked curiously.

Joyce nodded. "We were taking pictures and video during one of the other times when we couldn't leave. There were dinosaurs then."

Sharon's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Dinosaurs? Can I see the video?"

"Yeah. We can put it on the television." Joyce smiled and walked out of the room quickly.

Artie cleared his throat and stepped closer to Blue. "You want to watch the video?"

Ignoring him, Blue extended her hand towards the viewing window, nails turning to talons.

"Hey..." Sharon called over to get Blue's attention. "I'm not terribly worried you'll actually damage the window, but who knows what the building might do if it thinks you are endangering yourself and everyone else? Maybe come watch the videos?"

Blue didn't respond verbally. Maybe she didn't even hear Sharon. She pressed one talon against the window, but it seemed more like she was testing the glass than trying to break free.

"Hey, Blue, don't you want to see the videos?" Artie lightly touched her shoulder.

Letting out a low, threatening growl, Blue jerked away from the touch.

"Well... when you get tired of staring at water, we'll be in the media room..." Sharon smiled crookedly, before turning to go join Joyce.

Joyce eyed the two younger people worriedly, but she went with Sharon, quickly issuing an invitation to the others to join them.

Arsteel looked towards Amos. "There's not much I can do about us being stuck inside, but there's probably enough space cleared that we can spar. If you'd like to." With a self-deprecating smile, he added, "I should be practicing anyway."

Amos smiled crookedly. "Sparring will keep us occupied, at least. The building takes care of everything... doesn't leave me with much to do unless one of our appliances breaks down." He shrugged.

"It will hopefully allow for some releasing of tension, as well as keeping us in shape." Arsteel stood and offered his hand to Amos.

Faith glanced over toward the two men. "Can I get in on the sparring?" she asked hopefully. "I like the dinosaurs, but since I saw them in person, I don't need to watch the videos right now...."

Amos raised an eyebrow in question toward Arsteel, as he took the older man's hand and stood. "I don't mind if you don't."

Arsteel nodded. "I think it would be a good idea for us all to keep up with training anyway. So yes. You are welcome to join, as is anyone else who might want to."

Faith grinned brightly. "Great! Thanks!"

Adam smiled fondly at the younger girl before wrapping an arm around Dorinda. "I'm going to go help Arsteel train the youngsters... if you want to, you can join; or you can go with Joyce, Sharon and Blue to look at the dinosaurs again... whichever you prefer..." he suggested, knowing Dorinda trained because it was necessary, but that she didn't really enjoy it that much.

"I'll go and watch the dinosaurs, I think," Dorinda answered. She kissed his cheek and stood up. "Maybe we can all have family time later," she suggested.

"I figured we could give Joyce a break in the kitchen, if you want to make dinner with me. I have an old recipe for a stew I haven't made in over a hundred years, and we actually have all the ingredients for it..." Adam stood as well, kissing her forehead.

"I'd like to do that," Dorinda agreed. She hugged him, then went to join Joyce and Sharon.

Soon, the occupants of the building were training or watching videos. It was about two hours later when Sharon noticed it. "Huh... Looks like the building does try to protect us from ourselves..." she muttered.

"What do you mean?" Billy asked, as he'd been on his way to the shower and had to swerve around her to miss walking into her back, she'd stopped so suddenly.

"The windows aren't there anymore. Just a steel wall. Guess we won't be looking out to see what types of fish there are anymore..." Sharon sighed, slightly disappointed, but not surprised. She didn't think Blue would actually claw through the windows, but it was hard to figure out what the younger girl was thinking at any given time. Artie was the only one who seemed to understand her most times and even he had difficulty.

Joyce bit her lip. "I think all of us are suffering a bit from cabin fever," she said quietly. "But I think this must still feel like a prison to someone who was already locked up. Even if it's for our own protection."

Blue had apparently given up on trying to break the window and was now curled up on one of the armchairs. Artie had coaxed her into trying one of the cookies Joyce had made and she was now nibbling on it.

"Oh... believe me. I know. Still. If it's able to remove and re-add windows and doors, you'd think it could just make the windows extra thick and unbreakable. Then we could still look out and it'd be safe..." Sharon said, with a crooked pout. "How does one judge the intelligence of a building?"

"I think there have been some theories that there's something intelligent driving the building," Joyce said softly.

"Like... an invisible chauffeur?" Sharon asked. "Not so sure I like that idea any better. Although, my cousin Tony made himself an AI that I suppose one could call an invisible chauffeur. JARVIS was great... But JARVIS talked to you too, like a real person."

Billy gave Sharon a skeptical look. "Someone made an actual AI that talked to you like a person?"

"Where I'm from, that wasn't an unusual thing..." Sharon smirked.

"I had never heard of an AI, or computers, or televisions, before coming into this building," Dorinda said. "My world didn't have those kinds of advances."

"I'm beginning to think my world was unique." Sharon sighed.

Adam laughed. "Think we can all say that."

"So, most of you all come from different worlds?" Artie asked curiously. "Me and Blue are the only ones who came from the same world? Cause you've all formed a family unit pretty quickly if so."

Blue cocked her head to one side, as if Artie's words struck a chord in her. "Like Liam," she whispered.

"Who's Liam?" Amos asked curiously.

"...My brother...." Blue's response was given in a whisper that was almost too low to be heard.

Faith blinked, giving the others an uncertain look. "I'm sorry you had to leave him...."

Blue glanced away, not saying anything.

Joyce cleared her throat. "We don't really know how this place works. It's possible that it might return to one of our worlds. If it does, you can see him again."

"And until then, we help you recover and train you so you can stand up against those bastards that hurt you," Billy determined.

Blue didn't say anything more, but she reached for another cookie from the plate and began to eat.

Realizing they weren't going to get any further reaction from Blue and Artie was being quiet as well, Sharon sighed and turned to head back to her room. "Someone let me know if the building stops being a pain in the ass," she muttered, before disappearing.

Amos sighed as well, though he was a bit less grumpy. He was used to being ship bound for weeks at a time.

As it wasn't yet time to start on dinner, Dorinda looked towards Amos and asked curiously, "What was your world like?"

"I was born on Earth, but I hadn't really lived there for a very long time," Amos admitted, with a crooked smile. "There was a lot of conflict. If you had money and power, I suppose it was pleasant enough. Resources were scarce. I spent most of my time on spaceships smaller than this building, though. Trying to avoid taking a side in the Earth, Martian, Belter wars. Taking sides was a good way to end up dead."

"Martians?" Artie immediately perked up. "Martians are real?"

Amos blinked and gave Artie a confused look. "They live on the Mars Colonies and call themselves Martians. One of my friends was a Martian marine. I'm not sure what you mean?"

"So, they were human? Not actually aliens?" Artie looked disappointed.

"Oh... I suppose they weren't. I mean, there was an alien parasite that we had to fight... but Martians and even Belters were descendants of Earthers who migrated when the planet became too crowded to sustain everyone...." Amos shrugged. "It was a long time ago, so no one wants to think of that... but somewhere, there is a common ancestor or DNA."

"Alien parasites?" Artie looked really interested. "Where me and Blue come from, there were a lot of conspiracy theories about aliens and other stuff."

"Yeah... it... if you came into contact with it, it would eventually turn you into... something not human. Would kill you." Amos frowned uncertainly. "Until that happened, though, it would affect you... make you do things you wouldn't have before."

"Like mind control? Or brainwashing?" Joyce asked.

"Mind control. I guess. Never really understood how it worked. Only that you wanted to avoid it..." Amos shrugged.

"I don't think it was aliens behind it, but they were doing brainwashing or similar to the Prowlers in our world." Artie looked towards Blue.

Sharon nodded. "One of the guys I became friends with was brainwashed. It's a nasty business."

"Feels like my head's filled with cotton wool," Blue said abruptly. "All squirmy inside. Like they put worms in my brain."

Adam shuddered. "Yeah. That is not a fun experience..." he empathized.

"You've experienced that?" Faith asked, horrified.

"Once. The Quickening made short work of them, but until it did...." The oldest immortal shrugged faintly.

Artie's eyes widened. "You had worms in your head?"

"Think they weren't normal worms... it was a torture of sorts. They meant for it to kill me. I came back and their followers were so terrified, they turned on the instigator and he died a worse death. If that were possible. Pre-civilization was brutal..." Adam's smile was rueful.

"So, you're really old," Artie said. "Kind of like the Prowlers in our world." He slanted a glance towards Blue.

"Back on my world, my friends called me 'Old Man'." Adam laughed softly. He didn't look much older than twenty-five, so he figured that would corroborate the observation.

Faith smirked. "I'm not sure there were even vampires as old as you on my world."

"Do you remember everything you've experienced?" Artie asked. "I don't think I could keep it all straight in my head."

"I remember the things that impacted me strongly, either for good or bad. There's too much to remember otherwise." Adam smiled crookedly. "You keep mentioning these Prowlers. What exactly are they? Were you one?" Adam looked at Artie. "Was Blue? Why would they brainwash each other?"

"Prowlers are where the legends and stories of werewolves come from," Artie replied. "Ancient creatures who evolved to look like their prey. To look human." A distant look came over his face as he said, "A Prowler killed me. Sent my best friend into revenge mode. Blue's a Prowler. Not sure why they were targeting her...."

"We wanted peace," Blue whispered, almost to herself.

Faith frowned. "So, Prowlers aren't actually human? Just look human? They targeted you because you didn't want to fight humans?" she asked, not sure which one would answer her.

"I was killed by the first pack my best friend fought," Artie replied. "A lot of others were too. Some of us stuck around as ghosts. There are a lot of bad Prowlers, but there are also ones who want to live peacefully alongside humans. Not prey on them." He hesitated. "I saw a lot of the peaceful Prowlers were being taken. It's how I found Blue. Those Prowlers, I think, were trying to recreate the large pack. Not caring who didn't want to be involved."

"Anyone who violently forces someone else isn't good and needs to be taken out," Billy stated.

Artie nodded. "Yeah. If we get back to our world, I'll lead you right to them," he promised.

"I hope that happens..." Billy nodded.

Blue looked up suddenly, almost sharply. "What if you die again?" She focused on Artie.

Amos glanced toward Arsteel with a hint of worry. What would happen to those the building had revived if they returned to their own worlds?

"As much as revenge and stopping the bad guys is good, not sure I want to return any place that might re-kill anyone that's joined the family..." Faith whispered.

"We don't have any control over where the building lands, but if we come to a world where one of us was dead, we will decide how to handle it then," Arsteel said.

Sharon bit her lip and swallowed. She'd lost enough people in her life. The thought of losing anyone else, even if she'd only known them a short time, was depressing.

"We'll do everything possible to keep the family alive and well and safe," Kung Lao said.

Faith snuggled close. "Yeah. We will..." she determined quietly.

Billy smiled crookedly. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm wanting to watch one of those DVDs we picked up at the last stop. Anyone want to join me?"

"Do we have time to watch before we start cooking?" Dorinda looked at Adam.

"Don't see why not. We can always eat a little later," Adam suggested.

Dorinda smiled and looked at Billy. "So maybe the whole family could share in it?" she suggested.

Billy shrugged. "That was the plan. The more the merrier and all that...."

"There are some cookies left," Joyce said. "I can put out some drinks as well." She smiled at Blue, wanting to find a way of including her. "Do you want to help me?"

Blue nodded uncertainly and followed Joyce into the kitchen.

"I'll pop some popcorn..." Faith said, remembering Dorinda had enjoyed that.

"Oh, yes, I would love some popcorn!" Dorinda smiled happily before asking, "Do we have any butter left?"Pretty sure we have some..." Adam remarked.

Soon, everyone was busy getting snacks together for a movie.

The family quickly settled in to watch the movie. Artie took a seat on one of the couches and grinned when his encouragement to Blue to sit next to him worked.

Adam smiled at Dorinda, wrapping an arm around her before glancing around the room in satisfaction. Everyone had at least one person to be with. And even though some were still obviously nervous (Blue) or agitated (Sharon), everyone had calmed enough to join in the 'family' movie. He turned to watch the screen and couldn't help but laugh as Billy started 'Space Family Robinson'. 

Billy grinned unrepentantly at his 'brother' and then snuggled in closer to Joyce.

****

Another week had passed before the building deigned to move. Sharon had begun to fear that whoever was 'directing' their trip had got bored and just left them, so when they all felt the shaking just after sitting down for breakfast, she couldn't help the relieved exhale of breath. Even if they ended up somewhere without civilization, like they had with the dinosaurs, at least they might have a chance to get fresh air and food. Assuming, of course, they weren't floating on another water planet.

Amos immediately stood and went to one of the now visible windows and looked out.

Arsteel walked over to join his lover at the window. "It looks like some of those more modern worlds we've visited," he said. "We should be able to pick up some more food. Maybe even some luxuries."

"Yay!" Faith bounced in place. "I already have a list!”

"I would like to add chocolate to the list, please?" Dorinda requested.

Arsteel smiled at the rest of his family. "If everyone makes a list, in order of priority, we'll see what we can get," he promised.

Faith laughed. "Of course. I kinda figured everyone would have a chance to go out and get their own items, though. Are we only having a couple of us going to get items, and the rest of us staying in the building?" She sounded like she was getting ready to stage a mutiny if the answer was yes.

"I refuse to stay in this building one more minute..." Sharon declared, sounding like she'd do more than mutiny if she was told to stay inside.

"I want to make sure everyone who wants to go out will have the chance to," Arsteel said. "I'm not so sure Blue won't disappear on us, so I'd ideally like her to go with someone else as well as Artie."

"Figure Blue and Artie can join Joyce and I." Billy smiled. Joyce had been making inroads with the younger woman, after all.

Arsteel nodded. "In that case, there's no reason for all of us not to leave the building. We just need to make sure we pay attention to any potential warning signs."

"Yep. Pay attention. Come back if we start feeling off. Got it. Can we go now?" Sharon asked impatiently. She'd done an admirable job of hiding her restless unease, for the most part, even if the others could tell being stuck inside was getting to her a little. Being close to 'freedom', though, was causing her anxiety to quickly ramp up to an uncontrollable level. She needed to walk in fresh air and feel sun on her skin. And she needed some solitude away from the others. Living with them, even if they were now family and she liked... even loved... them all, being with them all day, every day, for weeks without being around other people was a test of her nerves. Especially when at least two, if not four of the men in the family were overprotective and always seemed to know when she was doing something even a little risky. Until she'd got stuck in the building and took Geralt as a lover, she'd been in charge of herself, and no one dared make her be careful.

She was feeling an urge to take chances. To find some excitement. To slip away from the group so she could make her decisions without fear that Geralt would stop her with a simple logical word, or that one of the others would run and tell him if they disagreed with what she planned to do. How to get away without Geralt insisting he go with her, or getting hurt that she wanted to be alone, was the question. Until they knew what was out there, she didn't have any valid destinations that being alone made sense.

"We should all take radios with us, too," Arsteel said. "Perhaps we won't need them. Perhaps there will be no danger in this world. But I would prefer not to take any chances.”

Amos had already gathered the radios and was passing them out. He gave Arsteel a crooked grin at his lover's words.

Everyone took a radio...even Blue, although she wasn't talking again and barely seemed to be paying attention to any of them.

Sharon didn't wait for the radios to be completely passed out. As soon as Amos had handed her one, she had stood, kissed Geralt on the cheek with a quick, "See you later," and rushed out the front door.

Faith blinked at how quickly she'd moved. "Wow. Guess she really needed some alone time..." She snorted.

Artie was bouncing slightly on his feet. "Does that mean we can all leave now?" he asked.

"Yeah. Let's go..." Billy agreed.

***

The world they'd ended up in was very similar to the ones those like Billy and Sharon had come from, though there was no sign of any superpowered individuals.

Across the street, a man was rubbing at his ear and muttering under his breath, eyes darting round in every direction.

Sharon had been enjoying her time alone. As much as she loved Geralt (and she did love him), being able to walk, stop or suddenly change directions to window shop without fear of irritating a companion was freeing. She sipped her mocha latte and just looked around like a tourist. Because she wasn't looking for trouble, she almost missed seeing the oddly acting man, especially as he was across the street. But... she was still a spy at heart and odd behavior tended to catch her attention, even if it was later sometimes than early. Wrinkling her nose, she crossed the street, tossing her empty cup into a rubbish bin as a cover for her changing street sides. She kept an eye on the odd man, staying far enough back that he wouldn't notice her, but still following.

"Get out!" The man was frantically pulling at something from his ear, pushing his fingers inside as if trying to get at something that was buried deep. "Get out!" Abruptly, the tone changed. Words came from the man's mouth, but they weren't understandable. The language was harsh, guttural.

Sharon's eyes widened and she immediately reached for the radio she'd stuffed into her bag as she'd left. She was a spy, not a super-hero. Refusing to call for backup was stupid and pointless, even if she sometimes waited too long to realize she needed it. She had a sneaking suspicion she'd waited too long again. She should have called the minute the man caught her attention. They could have been on their way by now. Instead, precious minutes would be lost before they could reach her and if things went pear shaped before then....

A man and a woman approached the person who was mumbling and tearing at his ear. The woman stepped right up to him, taking out a needle and injecting it into the man's neck in one swift movement.

The man spotted Sharon and instantly went towards her.

Sharon's eyes widened as the man moved toward her, finally pulling the radio from the bottom of her bag where it had been buried. "Shit!" she blurted, attempting to call Geralt while moving away from the man.

Another man came up from behind Sharon and grabbed her in a tight hold. The man in front of her caught up as well and within moments, her arms were pinned behind her back.

Sharon pushed the button on the radio and screamed as loudly as she could, even as she fought with every skill in her arsenal. Normal people, she'd have no problems breaking free. Of course, if they'd also had training....

The two men were quickly joined by the woman and even though they couldn't stop Sharon from screaming into the radio, it didn't take long for them to overwhelm her.

Sharon could only hope that Geralt had heard the scuffle and scream and that someone was on their way. She cursed her foolishness in not contacting her lover before crossing the street to see the man who was acting oddly. Distance would have been helpful. As it was, she had no clue where they were dragging her. She just knew they were dragging... and no one seemed to care.

The humans dragged her through to an alleyway and activated a secret doorway, taking her down a long, slanting slope.

The further down they got, the louder the sounds became. Screaming. Shouting. Begging for help, or just crying.

Sharon continued to struggle against her captors, angry and frustrated that she was finding it so difficult to get loose. It shouldn't be so difficult... unless they were powered individuals. And then they were dragging her through the secret door, the entrance closing behind them, and she became scared. How would the others find her? More worryingly... what did her abductors have planned? The sounds they were moving closer to weren't reassuring.

As they reached the bottom of the slope, the source of the sounds could be seen.

There was a large pool in the middle of the area. There were two piers. Along one, a line of people stood calmly...then they'd lean down once they reached the end of the pier, and a slimy, slug-like creature would drop from their ear. At which point, the majority of people would scream, struggle, fight...or cry hopelessly.

There were human guards, but also large alien creatures with blades for hands and feet. Along with those were giant creatures that looked almost like worms or centipedes. All the guards carried what looked like guns.

The second pier had people being forced to the pool, their heads pushed down and a sluglike creature wriggling into their ear. For a few moments, there would be struggles and tears...then those would stop, and the person would walk away calmly.

Surrounding the pool, there were cages that contained both humans and the bladed aliens. Some were still fighting; still resisting. Others sat quietly in a corner and cried.

Originally Sharon had been reluctant to react in more lethal ways, due to not knowing if her abductors were police in this world and not wanting to make a bad situation worse. Then she saw the pool and her eyes widened at what was obviously some form of possession; not exactly mind control or brain washing... but perhaps worse. She began her struggles anew. This time, she didn't just try to escape. She was aiming to kill.

******

Faith had been walking next to Kung Lao, enjoying a bright sunny day, window shopping and talking with her boyfriend. She suddenly stopped. "Either my Slayer senses are acting up, or the building is telling us to get back..." she said reluctantly.

Kung Lao nodded his agreement. "I'm feeling the same way." He took out his radio. "Hey, anyone else feeling like we need to get back to the building?" He spoke into it.

"Yeah. Joyce, Blue, Artie and I are on our way..." Billy said. "Should be there in fifteen minutes. We didn't actually get very far, considering."

Adam continued the reports. "Dorinda and I are also heading back."

It took a few moments for the radio to crackle with Arsteel's response...and he sounded very worried. "Geralt's radio went off and we heard Sharon before it was abruptly cut off. She's not responding, and we haven't managed to find her."

Adam quickly responded. "I assume you, Amos and he plan to look for her? The rest of us will return to the building. If she returns, we can quickly contact you...."

"We are going to look for her," Arsteel responded. "Keep a look out. We don't know what kind of threat came for her."

"We will..." Billy promised.

***

Sharon hadn't stopped fighting, even when it began to look hopeless. It hadn't helped. She soon found herself being forced to the pool, bent over it.

As Sharon was pushed into position over the pool, there was the sound of roaring. Screams and cries. Bodies were flung around.

As Sharon's head was pushed towards the pool, there was a loud screech, and a hawk flew down to attack the person who held her.

Sharon didn't know what was going on, but the attack caused her captor to loosen their grip and she immediately took advantage, throwing herself backwards and away from the pool, instinctively stomping on the slug that had crawled out of the water and was making its way toward her. She frantically looked around, trying to find an avenue of escape that wouldn't require her to hurt anyone innocent.

A loud screech came from somewhere high above and then there was the sound of breaking glass. A huge dinosaur-like creature swooped down towards Sharon, closing a large talon gently around her body and then lifting into the air.

<Stay calm. Don't fight,> a voice said calmly inside her mind. <Where is your home?>

"The fuck?!" Sharon almost tried to squirm free- easy for the giant flying reptile to say not to panic- but quickly realized the drop would kill her. "I... live in a building..." She gave him the street address; she'd looked as she left, so that she could find her way back.

The creature swooped in that direction, moving the giant talon enough to deposit her onto his back, next to a man who might have been in his twenties with dark hair and serious eyes.

The man nodded to her, but the rushing wind made normal speech virtually impossible. He did draw her tighter in, so that she'd be less likely to lose her balance.

Sharon swallowed and shifted closer to the other man, trusting that she wasn't going to fall if she followed his example of where to sit. It took little time at all to reach the building, given they were flying. They landed on the roof, and, to Sharon's surprise, there was a door that had never been there before. It opened silently. "I... thank you..." She turned toward the man and flying creature.

The man quickly hopped off the back of the dinosaur creature and as soon as he had done so, the large beast began to change and shift. It wasn't exactly a pleasant sight, looking more like something out of a horror movie than anything natural. By the time it was finished, a large alien creature stood there.

He looked almost like a cross between a deer and a human, with four legs and two stalk eyes that could look around, along with regular eyes. There was no mouth visible, and he probably looked harmless, even cute...until one took note of his tail, that curved into a blade and looked dangerous as anything. <You're welcome.> Once more, his voice sounded in her head.

The man shifted slightly, looking at the door and then at the alien. He spoke softly. "That was Jake and the others." His voice was clearly worried. He let a hand rest lightly on the alien's side.

Sharon swallowed hard. "I have to let them know I'm okay..." she said apologetically, turning toward the door. She figured the alien would change again and fly them to wherever they needed to be. She quickly went in and began to run down the stairs to the living area.

Elfangor's stalk eyes shifted to the human who stood beside him. <Are we supposed to follow her? I'm still unsure of human interactions.>

"Uh, maybe? I guess." Tom shrugged. "You've gotta be feeling tired, right? A lot of changes in a short space of time...." He reached up to touch Elfangor's cheek.

Sharon made good time and soon, she was on the second floor where the bedrooms were, yelling for whoever was around to hear her. "Geralt? Are you here? I escaped! Or was rescued, anyway...."

Billy walked out of the kitchen, where everyone was gathered to wait. "He, Arsteel and Amos are out trying to find you..." he said gruffly.

Adam was already on the radio to let the three men know of her return.

"Are you all right?" Geralt's voice crackled over Sharon's radio. "Let Adam check you over. We'll be there very soon," he promised.

"I think so..." Sharon said uncertainly but looked toward Adam to find out where he wanted her to go for the exam. "I'm not sure how to check for what I'm scared about, though..." she said, not trying to hide her fear. It was impossible not to think of those slugs crawling out of and into people's ears and while she didn't think one had got in hers, she didn't know how to be sure one hadn't.

Adam looked at her with worry and decided the tone of her voice indicated a thorough exam was needed. "I'll examine her in your room. Just come there as soon as you are back," he told Geralt, before motioning Sharon to go to her and Geralt's room.

"Will do." Geralt's voice was clearly worried...and if that wasn't enough, it didn't take long for him, Arsteel and Amos to return to the building...and then he was heading to Sharon's room.

By that time, Tom had headed down the stairs with Elfangor, who was still in his Andalite form. Elfangor was leaning heavily on the human, tired out from the amount of shifting he'd done in a short space of time.

By this time, Sharon was in her room, being examined by Adam, and didn't see the two who had saved her coming downstairs. She was busy explaining to Adam and Geralt everything that had occurred, and her voice had carried enough for Faith to hear with her Slayer hearing and realize that the two who had just shown up downstairs were the ones who had rescued her friend. "You didn't leave?!" she blurted in alarm. "You have to get out now, before it is too late!" She moved to try and help rush the two out of the building.

Elfangor shifted to place himself between Faith and Tom, as if worried the human with him was going to be harmed. His stalk eyes looked around almost frantically, like he was expecting a threat to come from any direction.

The building began to shake as Arsteel stood quickly and murmured, "It's too late."

"Oh no!" Faith moaned softly. "I'm so sorry... if I'd known...."

"It's okay, big guy," Tom murmured, rubbing a hand soothingly along Elfangor's flank. "I don't think anyone here is a threat. They all look human."

Elfangor relaxed, but only a fraction, eyes still scanning everything warily. <What is this place?>

"It travels between different worlds," Arsteel said softly.

Elfangor's eyes swiveled towards him. <A spaceship?>

"More like a dimension ship..." Billy said somberly. "The building stops in different worlds for varying lengths of time. Anyone inside when it decides to move gets transported to wherever it goes next. So far, none of us have been returned to our home dimension."

Amos frowned slightly. "Did Sharon not warn you before you came inside?" he asked in concern. That was usually one of the first things the occupants of the building thought of, if given time to give warning.

"The woman Elfangor grabbed?" Tom asked. "Uh, she just said she needed to let 'them' know she was okay. I'm guessing all of you?"

Blue had been edging closer towards the newcomers. Her head was tilted to one side, and she was delicately sniffing the air around Elfangor.

"She normally isn't so... frantic or eager... that she would have neglected to tell you of the danger that you might be stuck here with us if you didn't leave," Billy said quietly. "Maybe Adam and Geralt should be told. In case there is something wrong beyond the physical...."

"I'll let them know." Arsteel headed towards the stairs to do just that.

"Hey, Blue." Artie reached out and lightly touched her shoulder. "It's not always polite to sniff people, you know?"

Blue twitched and let out a low growl.

Elfangor stepped away from Tom and lowered his head towards the younger woman. <Scent is how many living beings get to know someone. It is no problem to me.>

Blue closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Something in her seemed to relax; some tension seemed to seep out of her body.

Faith relaxed at seeing Blue's reaction. Her Slayer senses had been going haywire since Elfangor had made himself known. They never knew friend from foe until she got to know people, so seeing Blue at ease put her at ease. "I'm sorry you got trapped helping us. It seems very unfair..." She sighed. "I'm Faith, by the way. That's Blue and Artie. This is Kung Lao..." She snuggled up to her lover, before introducing everyone else in the room. "The woman you helped is Sharon. Adam, our doctor, and her mate Geralt are with her. The man who just left is Amos' mate, Arsteel."

"I'm Tom," the human introduced himself. "This is Prince Elfangor. Though that doesn't mean he's royalty," he added. "It's more like a title. Like Captain or General."

Dorinda was frowning, remembering what Adam had mentioned to her. About warriors being gathered for some kind of war. "I'm Dorinda," she said. "You landed on the roof? I don't see any wings. Can you fly without them?"

Elfangor shook his head. <My people have the ability to morph. To change our bodies to that of any living creature. This is my natural form, but I have others that I can change into. I used one of those to fly here.>

Blue cocked her head to one side. "I can only change into one other form," she stated. "But I always wanted to fly. Not in a plane. I'd love to have actual wings."

Artie blinked and focused on Blue, taking note of the fact that she seemed more...focused. Less out of it. He then looked at Elfangor with obvious interest.

Faith blinked as the most coherent statement she'd ever heard Blue utter came out of the other girl's mouth. She gave Elfangor an interested look. "Do you have other abilities, not just being able to change forms?"

<I can share my emotions and feelings with others,> Elfangor answered. <I believe humans would refer to it as an empathic ability.>

"It certainly helps if you're terrified out of your wits," Tom muttered.

Elfangor touched the side of his face. <Being scared doesn't make you weak,> he said, as if he'd said the same words many times before. <You act despite your fear and that makes you brave. 

"Yeah, well." Tom turned a little pink.

Blue was circling around Elfangor, watching him with far more interest and curiosity than she'd ever shown in anyone or anything. "You don't have a mouth. How do you eat? Do you even eat?" she asked.

Elfangor's stalk eyes swiveled to watch her and when he spoke, his mental 'voice' was tinged with amusement. <I eat.> He lifted one of his hooves. <We absorb nutrients through our hooves when we run.>

"You like to run?" Blue asked, a wistful note creeping into her voice. "I like to run. That was the worst part of being locked in a cage. I couldn't run. Couldn't even move."

Joyce's eyes widened and she moved a little closer to Billy. "She seems so much more coherent. Maybe she can start recovering from what was done to her," she whispered.

Billy nodded. "Seems that empathy allows you to do more than just calm someone down, Mate..." he suggested to Elfangor.

"What if you can't run?" Faith was focused on the other comment. "Can you eat then?" If he couldn't, how would he survive in the building?

<It's better if I can run,> Elfangor said. <But really, all I need is to have access to soil.>

"We have plants." Blue looked completely clear and focused, at least for the time being. "Could you just put one hoof in the soil? Would that work?"

<Yes,> Elfangor replied. <I only really need to absorb nutrients through one hoof.>

"I know they set up pots and planters to grow food. We've cleared enough floors, though... maybe next time we have a chance, we should cover one of the floors with soil. Put in sun lamps. Make 'farm' and 'park' areas. It might make those times we are building bound easier to take too, if there was an 'outdoor' area," Faith said, thinking out loud about it.

"Are you hungry now?" Blue asked Elfangor. "You look exhausted."

<I will need rest and food,> Elfangor agreed. <Too much morphing in such a short amount of time is tiring.>

"I will go and get one of the plants." Blue quickly scampered out of sight.

Artie watched her. "That's the most coherent and 'here' I've seen her since we came here." He sounded a little envious...maybe even jealous.

"Blue's affliction was due to how they scrambled her head with drugs…. Right?" Faith asked curiously.

"They used drugs on her," Artie said. "But they also tortured her. Kept her caged like an animal. Did everything they could to break her. They even found a way to make sure I couldn't talk to her." He shook his head. "Before they broke her mind, she was just as curious about ghosts as she is about Elfangor here."

"Maybe... your empathy ability has calmed the chaos that the drugs caused. Has made her able to focus again..." Faith glanced toward Elfangor, to see if he agreed with her assessment.

<There have been many different effects caused by the ability,> Elfangor replied. <I haven't dealt with those in the same situation as her before, but the explanation makes sense.>

At that point, Blue returned, carrying one of the larger potted plants. Despite her slight frame, she didn't seem to have any problems carrying it. She put the plant down in front of Elfangor and then backed up next to Artie to watch the alien, leaning her arm against the young man's.

Glancing at her, Artie slowly placed his arm around her shoulders, relaxing a fraction when she didn't pull away and in fact turned her head enough to nuzzle against him, while still making sure she could see how Elfangor 'ate'.

Elfangor placed one hoof into the soil. While nothing seemed to change in the plant visually, he began to look less tired. He began to perk up.

Tom sighed and a look of relief came across his face as he placed a hand on Elfangor's flank. "Glad you're feeling better," he said with feeling.

"So, it's actually the soil that feeds you and not the plant..." Billy noted. "The plant seems unfazed. That's good to know. Soil is abundant in most of the worlds we land. We can bring it in even if we aren't near garden shops."

<If the soil is healthy enough, I can get what I need from it,> Elfangor said. <When I morph, I can eat in the way the body I change into does.>

Tom smiled faintly. "Yeah. Knowing your people don't have the sense of taste...I know why my brother was acting so strangely before." He laughed before adding, "I never saw you going crazy over food or heard you trying out sounds with your mouth, though."

Elfangor's eyes shifted and softened, like he was smiling with them. <By the time you met me, I'd been used to morphing into human form. My brother is still very young and inexperienced.> A slightly sad note crept into his voice.

"I... I'm so sorry..." A small voice carried from the doorway. Sharon slowly walked in. She'd heard the last bit and sensed the sadness. "I should have warned you. I thought you would fly away... but I should have warned you. Now you are separated from your family. I'm so sorry."

<I had already been separated from my family,> Elfangor said quietly. <My parents live on my home planet. My younger brother is fighting in a war I am no longer part of.>

Tom gently rubbed his hand over Elfangor's flank. "It seems like being here has been good, in a way." He looked towards Blue.

<Yes.> Elfangor sighed. <And I hope that our brothers have enough aid to continue the fight without our help.> He leaned down so that he could nuzzle against Tom's face.

"Still... if I had warned you, you would have had a choice..." Sharon said sadly. "You rescued me. It was poor payment for your help."

Elfangor's stalk eyes swiveled towards her, even as his main eyes remained focused on Tom. <I understand it was a mistake.>

"Whereas how you handled things after leaving the building was not," Geralt said.

Blue shifted a little, glancing towards Geralt and Sharon, then towards Faith, then towards Elfangor. "Maybe you should morph into something that doesn't hear very well," she suggested.

Faith wrinkled her nose at the suggestion, wishing she could lose her Slayer hearing sometimes. "That's Sharon, who you helped; her Mate, Geralt; and that's Adam, who moved next to Dorinda; and Arsteel, who is holding onto Amos."

Sharon blushed darkly. "No, sir..." she answered Geralt, acknowledging he was correct.

Tom was quick to introduce himself and Elfangor, still standing close enough to the alien that it was more than clear they weren't just comrades.

"I want you to eat something and then we will talk," Geralt said, his voice serious, nearly stern.

Dorinda let herself lean against Adam, in much the same way as Blue was currently leaning against Artie. It also gave her the opportunity to whisper to him about the apparent improvements Blue was demonstrating.

Adam listened intently to Dorinda before turning toward Elfangor. "I'm the group's doctor. If you are amenable to it, I'd like to give both of you a checkup... get an idea of your health when you aren't sick or wounded. That way, if I need to treat you later, I'll be better able to tell if something isn't normal."

Sharon swallowed hard and nodded. "Yessir..." Her voice was soft and subdued. She was obviously still rattled from what had occurred; she had only told the bare minimum so Adam could treat her.

Amos brought a plate of food to Geralt, before placing another in front of Tom and then going to get plates for the others. It was obvious he expected Geralt to feed Sharon from his own plate; that she wasn't going to be let out of his grip for the rest of the evening, at least.

Elfangor nodded. <I'm not a doctor, but I can answer a lot of the questions you'll have about my people,> he said.

"I think I'm about as human as most of you seem to be," Tom said. "So, you probably won't need to do as extensive a check on me. Thanks," he added, taking the plate of food from Amos, and beginning to eat.

Blue took the plate of food from Amos and when Artie went to sit down to eat his own food, she moved over and sat down next to him, close enough that she was leaning against his side, head resting against his shoulder.

Geralt took the food from Amos and wrapped his arm around Sharon, guiding her so that they could sit and eat.

Sharon moved to where Geralt directed, sitting as close as possible without being on his lap; though she'd sit on his lap if he directed. She was still rattled enough not to feel upset about being babied if he chose to do so.

Satisfied that everyone had food, Amos sat next to Arsteel.

Adam nodded at Tom. "That's helpful to know. I just need a baseline... in case something changes, and I need to do a more in-depth exam."

Elfangor couldn't really sit down on one of the chairs, but he took up position next to one, so that Tom could sit down and lean against him in much the same way as the others were.

Geralt took only a moment to decide to pull Sharon onto his lap, settling her comfortably with his arms wrapped around her waist.

Arsteel wrapped his arm around Amos' shoulders, drawing his lover in closer.

"Should I put in my earplugs after dinner?" Faith asked hesitantly, not wanting to draw attention, but also not wanting to hear her friend being punished.

Geralt just nodded, a serious look on his face.

"Earplugs?" Tom asked, looking confused.

"I... left the building this morning without giving anyone a chance to make certain the world was safe. I went alone, so had no back up if I needed. I took a radio but failed to use it when I first became suspicious, so when I did attempt to use it, it was already too late... because I was stubborn and wanted to do things on my own, I was nearly caught by whatever those things were. If it weren't for you, I would have been captured and no one would have known." Sharon winced and huddled closer to Geralt. Everyone knew how she would be handled by her Master, but the idea of saying it out loud to Elfangor and Tom was too difficult. She left it to Geralt to explain. Or one of the others.

"A couple of us have more hands-on ways of dealing with things that happened," Arsteel said calmly. "We've formed a family here, so dangerous behavior tends to be dealt with in various ways, depending on who's involved in it."

"Spanking," Artie said helpfully.

<What is spanking?> Elfangor's stalk eyes swiveled to each person in the room.

Sharon blushed more darkly.

"It's where the one in charge turns the one in trouble over their knee, bares their backside and smacks the naughty miscreant's exposed butt until they understand how they were wrong and submit to accepting that they have to do better..." Adam said. "It sometimes takes longer for understanding and acceptance to occur."

It was clear he expected Sharon to not understand immediately. At least to her. She supposed with the way she'd been behaving lately; it would make sense that they'd all expect her to balk at accepting punishment.

"For someone not on either end of it, you seem to describe the act very well," Artie mumbled.

Blue stretched, yawned, and muttered, "As the old man, he's probably had experience with it."

Adam chuckled at Blue's observation. "From both sides, actually. It isn't always used. Some relationships handle these situations using different correction with success. But some relationships need the more hands-on aspect to get the point across." He shrugged.

Sharon swallowed, forcing herself to eat what Geralt was feeding her.

"Some relationships, it is an accepted consequence for disobeying the one that a person has promised to obey. Has chosen to obey...." Amos said clearly, wanting to remind everyone that he and Sharon had chosen to put their lives into their mates' hands and let them control. It wasn't a simple case of correcting behavior but reaffirming that they still belonged.

Dorinda blinked and looked up into Adam's eyes. "From both sides?" she asked, curious about who would have, or could have, taken him in hand.

"The expectations and consequences for breaking those expectations tend to be very clearly laid out," Arsteel murmured in response to Amos' comment.

"I've been married numerous times in my long life. A lot of those times were to widows with young children who needed a father. I can't father children because of being immortal, so I frequently gravitated toward widows because I wanted a family. So, I was often disciplinarian. It's only been in modern times that corporal punishment is frowned on." Adam shrugged. "As for being on the receiving end. As I said... it's only modern times it's been frowned on. I've had commanders use it for rule infractions. One of my brothers used it when he felt I wasn't deferential enough. The Boy Scout used it when he thought I was being careless with my life, before he discovered how old I actually was and that my carelessness was an act." Adam snorted.

"Oh." Dorinda let her head rest gently against his shoulder. "I guess there's no reason for you to use it now." After all, it was Amos and Sharon who needed their lovers to keep them in hand.

"Essays seem to be the punishment of choice for most of the other 'kids'." Artie grinned, teasing a little. His arm was still wrapped against Blue, who had curled up with her head on his lap and was blinking sleepily.

"So far, not. As long as essays and conversation work to alter dangerous behavior, I see no reason to incorporate spanking. Not that it is completely off the table. If other methods of correction ceased to work for those I feel responsible for and behavior was risky, I'd use it. Especially if I felt it was the only way to keep my loved ones safe and alive." Adam hugged Dorinda close. "So far, the milder corrections have worked."

"And I for one intend for them to work. I don't want a spanking..." Faith muttered, as she was one Adam had decided to be responsible for.

Dorinda wrapped her own arms around Adam and hugged close to him. Her teeth were anxiously biting at her lower lip, though. She looked like she was thinking about something...and that something was making her feel guilty. Or unhappy. Or both.

Adam couldn't help noticing Dorinda's mood, but as she hadn't done anything to feel uncertain or guilty about, as far as he knew, and because she was much more reserved in her feelings and what she shared with the rest of the family, he didn't press. He'd give her time to talk to him in private if there was something wrong.

Artie had finished his plate of food and, noticing that Blue had finished hers, he stacked the two plates...but otherwise didn't move. As long as she was using him as a source of comfort, he wasn't going to shift.

"We're collectors' items, you think?" Blue murmured, her voice sleepy but still sounding clear. "All of us have different abilities." She focused briefly on Dorinda. "Like when you shattered that window. Didn't know you could do that."

"I... didn’t think it was possible," Dorinda admitted, wincing a little. "And the building repaired itself anyway."

"It's felt for a while that the building, or some entity behind the building, is trying to collect interesting beings. Wonder what they saw in me..." Sharon mumbled.

"Maybe that you needed a family. A place to belong and where you're wanted," Geralt said softly.

Sharon looked up at that and smiled sadly. "That wouldn't be wrong. I'm sorry I've been fighting that lately. I don't know why having someone care started scaring me so much, but...I reacted badly and a... almost..." She swallowed hard and hid her face against Geralt's chest

Geralt wrapped his arms around her and murmured, "You weren't taken away from me. You were rescued and brought back. And we'll deal with what did happen," he promised.

"Yessir... I was lucky, though. That... whatever it was... would have made me its slave..." She shuddered.

"You wouldn't have had any control over yourself," Tom said, quietly and somberly. "You would have been stuck as a prisoner inside your own mind, helpless to do anything but scream and beg as your own body hurt the people you care about. The people you love."

"Are... are we sure it didn't get inside my head?" Sharon's voice was frightened, and she turned scared eyes toward Elfangor. "Is there a way to make sure?"

<You would know if it had,> Elfangor said. <You would feel it. You would be a prisoner inside your own mind by now.>

Sharon swallowed again, then nodded wordlessly and slumped against Geralt, only slightly mollified. "I... may I be excused? I feel like I need a shower..." she finally whispered to Geralt.

Faith bit her lip, noting everyone had finished eating by this point. "I can show you both where the rooms are so you can pick one for your own..." she offered Tom and Elfangor.

Amos carefully stood and began to clear the table.

Adam just pulled Dorinda closer and sipped his beer, listening to the conversation she and Blue had started with interest.

Billy leaned in and kissed Joyce. "Want to go use the hot tub? Or the swimming pool?" he asked her, carefully ignoring the strong shudder Sharon gave at the word pool.

Geralt nodded and stood up, wrapping his arm around Sharon in a tight embrace. "I'll join you."

Tom nodded to Faith. "Yeah. We'd appreciate it." He looked towards Adam. "Let us know when you want us for those checkups."

Dorinda automatically snuggled into Adam, even as she watched Blue...changing the subject slightly. "It didn't look like you were taking in anything."

"I saw everything." Blue shrugged. "It's only now that my mind's felt...anything like clear." She sighed in contentment as Artie began to stroke her hair, half-closing her eyes and nuzzling.

Joyce smiled and kissed Billy. "The hot tub would be nice," she agreed, then glanced towards Artie and Blue...wondering if the two youngsters would be interested in joining, now that Blue seemed a bit clearer and more coherent.

"The hot tub is big. We could probably fit all six of us in," Billy said. "Go change into swimsuits and meet you there? 

Adam looked at the others. "Sounds good to me...."

Sharon pressed as close as possible to Geralt, letting him lead her to the showers.

Tom's eyes lit up and he looked at Elfangor. "Hot tubs are awesome. If you change into your human form, we could enjoy it together later. When you've rested," he suggested.

<I will take your word for it,> Elfangor replied, sounding a little dubious.

"What do you think?" Artie asked Blue softly.

She seemed to consider that before stretching and standing. "Yeah. Can't remember the last time I got in a hot tub."

Amos smiled at Arsteel. "Wanna swim?"

Arsteel smiled at his lover in return. "Yes. I would enjoy swimming with you."

It hadn't taken long for everyone to break off into their groups, either to use the hot tub, swim, or be shown to a room and then disappear to relax.

Sharon went into the bath area, quiet and subdued. Once Geralt had closed the door behind them, she frantically began to strip, making sure no slugs had hitch-hiked in her clothes. She was still frightened, despite knowing that she was safe.

"We can put those clothes in the wash, just to make sure," Geralt said reassuringly. He moved over to turn the shower on, then picked up a washcloth so that he could begin washing her.

Sharon shivered, moving under the shower spray. "I feel so stupid..." she muttered. "I let them get the drop on me...."

"You should have made contact as soon as you saw something suspicious." Geralt stripped his own clothes off, so that he could get under the spray with her and wash where she couldn't reach.

"I should have. I thought, at first, it might be nothing. It only took seconds, but by then..." Sharon swallowed hard. Shivering again, she shifted closer to Geralt.

"You don't need me to tell you what you should have done differently," Geralt said, wrapping his arms around her. "When we're finished here, you're getting a spanking. I don't want to keep you grounded. I know that you were struggling while we were stuck inside here before. I will tell you that you won't be leaving here unless you're with me, Arsteel, Adam, Billy or Joyce."

Sharon nuzzled against Geralt. "That's fair..." she whispered. The scare she'd had left her unwilling to fight. Any desire she'd had to push or pull away had been destroyed and all she wanted was to stay safe with her lover.

Geralt held her close, gently rubbing over her back, looking into her eyes. "I'm glad you're safe," he said softly.

"I'm glad I'm home with you..." Sharon pressed as close as possible.

Geralt held her for a few more moments before he asked, "Are you ready to get out now?"

Sharon took a slow breath. "Yessir." She snuggled tight again.

Geralt only let go of her long enough to dry and pull his own clothes on. He didn't dress Sharon, just dried her off and wrapped the towel around her to preserve her modesty as he guided her to their bedroom.

Sharon didn't protest being left naked. For one thing, she didn’t want the clothes she'd been wearing on again; not until they'd been washed. More importantly, though, she was still shaken from what had happened and it was comforting, having Geralt take control again. Him controlling what she would or wouldn't wear made her feel young and helpless. It also made her feel safe. Protected.

Geralt closed the door behind them, holding her close for a few moments before he removed the towel and moved over to the bed. He sat down and guided her over his lap, rubbing her back for a few moments before he delivered the first firm smack that he then repeated.

Sharon didn't resist being placed. As soon as she was over his knee, she wrapped her arms around Geralt's leg. She let out a tiny, hitched breath at the first swat, a soft whimper at the second, but otherwise, she kept quiet. The smacks on her still slightly damp bottom stung badly and it didn't take long for tears to pool in her eyes and slide down her face. The sound of Geralt's palm connecting to her bottom were very loud to her and she was certain everyone could hear. She felt like it was deserved, though and did her best to hold still.

Geralt wrapped his arm around Sharon's waist, drawing her tight against his stomach, as he settled into a pattern of swats, going down to her thighs before he started over from the top.

Eventually, despite her efforts to hold still, her backside began to sting too much to be able to hold still and Sharon began to squirm. "I'm sorry..." she finally said, in a very soft, teary voice. "I know better... or I should... I'm sorry I messed up...."

"I forgive you." Geralt took a tighter grip on her and began to swat a fraction harder and faster. "I won't let you risk yourself," he promised. "It might not be possible to make yourself completely safe, but there are ways to make me less likely to lose you."

"Staying with you..." Sharon whispered before letting out a tiny sob. "Not investigating when I'm alone..." She let out another tiny sob. "Not be so nosy?" This tiny sob held a note of wry humor, even as she slumped boneless and just accepted the punishment, no longer squirming. "I need you in control..." she admitted, through quiet sobs.  "...Need to feel you have control...was...I don't get scared... but I... I was so scared..." Her tears fell fast. She'd completely submitted. She didn't want the spanking to end, though; not unless Geralt had another way to help her physically feel his domination. She didn't think she'd feel safe if she couldn't feel he was in control.

Geralt stopped spanking and instead began to gently rub her backside, soothing out some of the sting. "I know you were scared." His voice was gentle. Tender. "What happened was very scary. You're safe now. You're safe with me. I've got you and I won't let go," he promised.

"I'm so sorry I ran off without you... was wrong. Shoulda asked... shoulda given you time to... to at least know where I was going..." She choked on her tears. "Just... needed to be by myself for a little while. Shoulda told you, but... but didn' want you to think I didn' wanna be yours anymore..." she admitted, in a small voice, still crying, but a little less frantic as he soothed her.

He continued to gently stroke and rub, still soothing the heated skin and confirming that she was still his. "I know being stuck in here was hard on you. I didn't believe you wanted us to separate. You didn't need to take off without a word."

"I know..." she said, shame clear in her tone. "I thought if I said anything, you wouldn't let me go alone. Turns out I shouldn't have..." she finished, in a whisper. "Was bad to not let you have a voice...."

He moved his other hand up her back, gently rubbing and squeezing. "Next time, you'll remember. Next time, you won't leave without saying anything," he said seriously.

"Won't be a next time..." Sharon sniffled. "Not when we go places where anything could be waiting for us. Won't leave without a partner anymore." She snuggled as close as possible. "Won't go anywhere without talking to you...." She didn't think of the fact he had effectively told her the same thing. He'd phrased it in such a way, it seemed like he was grounding her, but she needed what he'd ordered.

"Exactly," Geralt replied firmly, his hands still caressing, stroking, squeezing...rubbing more firmly when he felt the tension in her muscles.

"Sorry I didn't realize before... sorry I almost took myself away because I was bad..." she whispered, continuing to snuggle and hold tight.

"You weren't bad," he replied, voice reassuring, as he held her close and tight and secure.

"You aren't upset with me?" Sharon nuzzled his neck.

"I'm not upset with you," he promised. "You've been punished and forgiven." He kissed the side of her head. 

"I love you..." Sharon sniffled again, nuzzling his neck, then kissing it.

"I love you too." He kissed her hair, hands stroking down her back.

"Can we just... stay in our room tonight? I wanna feel like I belong to you... completely yours," she whispered.

"Of course," he replied gently.

"Thank you..." She leaned back and gave him a tiny smile, before leaning up and kissing him chastely.

He kissed her in return, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in close and tight.

"Yours..." Sharon whispered.

"Mine." Geralt leaned back on the bed, pulling her down with him, and wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her in for a deeper kiss.

Sharon smiled more brightly as she was pulled down, responding to the kiss eagerly.

He gently pushed his tongue into her mouth, gliding his hands over her hips and squeezing gently.

Sharon sighed happily, opening to the kiss, accepting the domination, and playfully rubbing her tongue against his. Her legs fell open, causing her to slot more firmly against him, pressing her hips against his.

He kissed her deeply and harder, squeezing her hips and pulling her close. He moved his fingers between her legs, beginning to stroke her clit, pushing one finger slowly inside.

Moaning softly, Sharon gently began to suck on his tongue in time with the movement of his finger. She quickly became wet, her juices dripping onto his hand.

Once he felt she was prepared enough, Geralt withdrew his finger and positioned her so he could slide into her.

Sharon pulled back to catch her breath but made certain to keep her gaze on him. As she felt him position her, she gave him another small but bright smile, her love and adoration of him shining through her eyes.

He smiled and kissed her at the same time as he slid into her, flipping them over so that he could pin her underneath him.

Sharon let out a tiny gasp as she was flipped onto her back and pinned, feeling him sliding deeper into her. She ached inside. The slow stretch of him pushing into her felt good, but it wasn't quite enough, and she whimpered softly.

Geralt pulled back enough to look into her eyes. "What do you need?"

Sharon looked up into his face, her eyes hesitant but very needy. Swallowing hard, she whispered, in a soft voice, not sure he'd agree and half afraid he'd be disturbed by her request, "I need to feel like you are in control, and I'll never get away... be taken away... from you...." She paused, swallowing again, before continuing, "Restrain me? Hold me in place so I can't move and then take me hard?"

He looked deep into her eyes, making sure it was what she really wanted, before he nodded and did as she asked, holding her hands up and out of the way. Pinning her underneath him. And thrusting harder, faster, deeper.

Sharon closed her eyes briefly, a tiny breath of relief escaping as she felt herself pinned, her hands immobile above her head, leaving every part of her vulnerable to Geralt; and then her eyes were open again, staring into her lover's eyes as he pounded into her exactly the way she needed.

Geralt leaned forward and kissed her deeper and harder, his tongue pushing into her as his member did the same.

Sharon groaned as she felt herself claimed thoroughly. Wrapping her legs around Geralt, she locked her feet against the small of his back, not willing to let him pull too far away, though leaving enough room for him to continue the hard, deep thrusts. "...Mine..." she growled out softly, feeling safe enough to voice her own possessiveness, even if she was still fully submitting.

Geralt pressed hard against her, one hand gripping hers and his other hand beginning to gently twist and squeeze her nipples. He lowered his head and took one into his mouth, beginning to suck and bite, still thrusting hard, deep, fast.

Sharon groaned at feeling his mouth on her. She was tightening inside, her body clenching around him. The feeling of him moving in her was pushing her closer to the edge with each thrust, until he shifted ever so slightly and hit the spot inside that caused her to gasp and then begin to pant and sob loudly. "There... please... harder... there..." she begged, almost frantic with need, as the ache was so strong, only his thrusting eased it.

Responding, Geralt began to thrust harder and faster. His hands and teeth clenched on her skin; enough to leave marks behind that would last. His own member grew and swelled inside her, his release close.

Sharon gurgled at feeling his fingers, teeth, and cock hard on her, in her. Marking her as his in every way possible, inside, and out. Her body arched and tightened like a vice around him, and she wailed loudly as she fell over the edge, into the hardest climax she'd ever experienced.

Geralt's own release followed hard on the heels of her own and his fingers gripped tighter and harder as the waves washed over him. He only loosened his hold once the waves had died down.

Sharon lay limp and breathless under her lover, her eyes dazed as she looked up at him with a besotted smile. "...Tender and sore in all the best places..." she whispered, with a slightly hysterical giggle.

Geralt smiled and leaned down to gently kiss her throat. "Glad to hear it," he said softly.

Sharon sighed softly, slanting her head so he had complete access to her throat. She kept her hands above her head, not trying to get loose from his grip. She kept her legs loosely wrapped around his waist; not trying to control him in any way- he could pull free if he wanted- but making it clear that, even if he was the one in control, she still considered him hers. She was feeling safer and less scared than she had been, the vigorous lovemaking having used up a lot of the adrenaline that had flooded her system. She had to fight a yawn, suddenly feeling drained and very lethargic.

Geralt noticed the yawn and that she seemed drained and lethargic. He stroked her face gently and pulled out. "I think we should sleep after I clean us both up."

"Yessir..." she whispered, in a sleepy, obedient mien.

Geralt moved just enough to clean them both up, then stretched out alongside her, wrapping his arms around her to hold her close and tight.

Sharon smiled almost bashfully as he cleaned her, but as soon as he'd pulled her close, she was snuggling against him, her head resting on his chest. "I love you," she whispered, before closing her eyes and falling into a peaceful sleep.

It didn't take long for Geralt to join her in sleep, keeping her close and tight.

*** 

Blue had taken quickly to the hot tub, even though she hadn't been in it before now. Once they'd got out and dried off, she went to her room without a word and gathered what few belongings she had, depositing them in Artie's room.

Artie's grin was more relieved than anything else. "Well. Today went way better than I hoped."

Faith stood in the hall, watching as Blue moved rooms, grinning, and obviously avoiding looking toward Geralt and Sharon's room. It was obvious what was going on, as everyone could hear Sharon's 'enthusiasm'. She looked at Artie. "Yeah. Could have gone way worse." She looked over toward Tom and Elfangor's room. "Feel bad for them, though...."

"Yeah," Artie agreed. "I do. Even though I can't help but feel selfish because I've been so worried about Blue...and now she's doing better. And I know I have Elfangor to thank for that." He winced a little. "So, I know I should feel worse for them than I actually do."

Blue slipped back out of his room, walked over to Artie, and hooked her fingers into the hem of his shirt, tugging a little.

"Looks like I'm being summoned." Artie nodded to Faith. "Night." He allowed Blue to pull him into their now shared room.

Faith sighed. "Can't find fault with that," she muttered to herself. "I'd prolly feel the same." She wandered into her own room, after noting that no one else was in the hall or downstairs.

Soon, the building was quiet.

****

At some point during the night, the building moved again. Amos woke, feeling the slight shift, and couldn’t go back to sleep, so he went down to the kitchen and began making breakfast 

Blue had ended up waking up early as well. She'd left Artie sleeping, wandering down the stairs as she smelled food cooking and heading into the kitchen. "Would you like me to make pancakes?" she asked Amos, after delicately sniffing the air.

Amos glanced over from where he was making a quiche. "That would be good..." He smiled.

Blue headed towards the cupboards, taking out what she needed so that she could make the pancake batter. She also collected a variety of items to add for fillings. "You lived on a spaceship, right? What sort of food did you eat? Was it dehydrated stuff?"

"A lot of it was pre-made, just reheat and eat..." Amos grinned.

"You mentioned humans settling on Mars," Blue remembered. "In my world, Mars was uninhabitable. Did humans settle on any of the other planets in our solar system?"

"Not in my dimension. Though they did figure out how to go through gates to other galaxies. There were a few inhabitable moons," Amos said quietly.

"Did you ever meet any aliens?" Blue's curiosity was obvious as she made the pancake batter.

"I'm... not sure?" Amos looked sheepish. "Everyone I met was human, whether they were Earthlings, Martians, or Belters. But... there was something... took over anyone it met. I think it was an alien species, but it was so foreign to anything understood...."

Blue shuddered visibly at that comment. "Mind control," she muttered, barely audible.

"Worse..." Amos shrugged uncertainly. "It physically changed you if it got in you. Coerced you to go where it 'led' you... but by the time you reached wherever that was, you weren't you anymore... you were... crystals... and you were highly infectious. So, it could take over others you encountered...."

"Like a sentient virus..." Adam had slipped into the kitchen at some point during the conversation, just in time to hear Amos describe the 'alien'. He sounded horrified.

"Worse than the worms that got put inside your head." Blue glanced at Adam. "So much worse."

"How did you all keep it from spreading to everywhere?" Adam asked.

Amos slanted his head. "Not sure exactly how it worked, but they figured out an early warning test. Quarantined those infected. Figured out how to get the... whatever it was... out of you. But it had to be caught early."

"Did anyone you know go through it?" Blue asked. 

Amos swallowed and nodded briefly but didn't go into detail. The sad look on his face likely gave away the outcome.

Blue bit her lip but didn't ask any more questions. Instead, she began to put pancakes onto plates.

Adam looked at all the food and smiled faintly. "You all couldn't sleep? That's a lot of breakfast..." he commented, taking one of the platters to put on the table.

"I like pancakes," Blue said quietly. "Liam used to make them all the time for us."

"I think most of us like pancakes. They won't be wasted..." Adam smiled again, before taking a pitcher of water to the table. By this point, the other members of the building were beginning to wander downstairs.

Artie wandered into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes, hearing Adam's comment. "I like pancakes!" He perked up and moved over to Blue. "You made these?"

Blue shrugged. "I didn't think any of you would like the way me and Liam made them on Pancake Day."

Tom headed into the kitchen, Elfangor close by his shoulder, and Blue quickly retrieved one of the plants and put it on the table, where she'd removed one of the chairs. "I can put the chair back if you want to try sitting," she said to Elfangor.

<This is fine. Thank you.> Elfangor moved over to the space she'd set out for him.

Faith came in, stretching, yawning, and sniffing loudly. "Smells delish! I could eat a dozen by myself!" she declared, with a grin.

Billy snorted, even as he pulled out a chair for Joyce to sit. "She ain't lying. I saw her do just that a week ago...."

Amos just smiled as he brought the remaining platters to the table. He then moved to sit next to Arsteel. He noted Adam sitting next to Dorinda and Kung Lao settling next to Faith. "We waiting for the last two of our group?" he asked quietly.

"I think we should make sure we save enough for them," Arsteel replied. "But we don't need to wait for them before we start. Geralt will bring Sharon when it's time."

Dorinda let her head rest gently against Adam's shoulder, leaning up to kiss his cheek before she reached to fill her plate, looking towards Blue. "What did you do on Pancake Day?" she asked the younger woman.

Blue smiled, a faraway look coming into her eyes. "We used to experiment with all of these weird fillings. All sorts of different combinations. And then surprise each other with them." A soft laugh escaped her. "Liam said the worst was the anchovies, but I don't think I agree. Pickled pancakes were...interesting."

Kung Lao snorted softly. "I for one am glad you decided not to try any of those experiments today. But since all of us come from different worlds, maybe we can each take turns cooking a dish that's specific to our own world or culture or heritage."

Amos wrinkled his nose at that. "Dunno what I'd fix... most of what I ate was either begged off someone else, so was their family foods, or was whatever swill I got in port or stole before I left Earth the first time..." He shrugged helplessly.

"Pizza. Definitely pizza," Faith interjected.

Adam chuckled. "I doubt you all would want to touch some of things considered delicacies in my long lifetime. But... one can never go wrong with a good steak; if you aren't vegetarian, anyway."

"I can get behind a good barbecue," Billy agreed. "Add shrimp with the steak.... 

At that moment, Geralt came in, Sharon standing beside and just slightly behind him. "Are we putting in orders for dinner?" she asked softly, subdued.

"We're just talking about cooking meals that are an important part of heritage or culture," Arsteel said, before making his own suggestion. "Perhaps it's worth recreating each of our favorite meals. It doesn't have to be our own recipes.” 

"I'm not sure anything from my world would be easy to get hold of in any others." Geralt led Sharon over to the table, to the two remaining seats.

Sharon sat where Geralt indicated. As soon as he was sat, she scooted her chair as close to his as possible, without being in his way. "I have a few favorites from when I was a kid that should be easy to replicate, no matter where we are."

Dorinda smiled and spoke softly. "I think sharing things like our favorite foods or meals will be a good way to get to know each other. Perhaps we can share some happy stories with each other too."

"Toasted marshmallows," Blue said wistfully. "If we have the chance, I'd like to build a fire outside. Toast marshmallows on a stick. Maybe even do some s'mores."

Artie snorted softly. "You have a real sweet tooth."

Blue shrugged. "Having s'mores in the garden with Liam is one of my happy memories. I couldn't go to school. There was too much of a chance that I'd lose control and my Prowler form would come out."

Faith smiled. "S'mores would be great. I'm sure we can get the ingredients next time we have a chance to shop."

Billy nodded. "Seems like the building might have made a few changes, if a new set of stairs going down in the stairwell is any indication."

"There's a door to the roof now too..." Sharon said softly, reluctant to remind everyone how she'd arrived the night before but wanting them to have the information.

"We should see what the building's added," Artie said. "I'm guessing it's been adding things as needed. I'm really interested in seeing what might be in the basement."

"So... spring clean and explore after breakfast?" Faith asked.

"I think some of us, at least, should take a look outside at where we've landed too," Arsteel said. "If the place looks safe enough, we can arrange for outings."

"Easy enough..." Amos grinned, stood, and strode over to the front door, flinging it open. They appeared to be in an industrial area near a harbor. People were working, but there weren't a lot of them.

Arsteel stood and walked over to look out as well. "It looks as if it might be safe enough to go outside."

"We can find a grocery..." Faith had wandered over. "If everyone makes a list of items they want or need that we aren't growing ourselves, Kung Lao and I can pick stuff up."

Sharon didn't bother suggesting she could go out too. She wasn't quite ready to leave Geralt's side, even if he'd allow it.

"It doesn't look all that different to the world we're from." Tom walked over and stood next to Faith. "I didn't see what this place looked like from the ground."

"Your world was like mine... except for the slugs trying to mind control people..." Sharon said softly.

Tom frowned. "Does that mean versions of us exist in the other worlds? A version of me who never had a yeerk inside...." He glanced over his shoulder at Elfangor. "But then, we never would have met."

"We can only assume that is the case. We haven't actually run into worlds that have other versions of us yet..." Adam admitted.

"Some of our worlds have been so different, any versions that might exist will probably be vastly different to who we are now," Arsteel said.

"I'm not sure I could relate to a me that grew up in the suburbs with a white picket fence..." Amos admitted.

"Maybe we can just see how it goes if we do run into other versions of ourselves," Joyce said.

"I mean... are they really other versions of ourselves if they have different names, family, etcetera? Could just be doppelgangers..." Faith stated.

"I would still be interested in seeing someone who looks like me, even if appearance is the only similarity," Dorinda said.

Sharon wrinkled her nose. "Not me. 'Twins' who aren't really your twin usually aren't a sign of anything good where I'm from. Or maybe I'm just paranoid...." She sighed.

"Well. Maybe we won't see anyone who looks like any of us anyway," Dorinda commented, even though she sounded a little disappointed.

Geralt shook his head. "I suspect whether it's good or bad will depend on the world we find ourselves in."

"Yeah. Here's hoping for good..." Faith muttered. "And on that note, does everyone have their list ready? Kung Lao and I can head out now."

The other couples were quick to hand over the lists they'd made.

As soon as Faith and Kung Lao had left. Adam looked around. "Well... do we want to start at the bottom and work up, or at the top and work down?" he asked.

"Let's start at the top," Arsteel suggested. "Most of what we have for cleaning is on this level. If we go from the top down, we can map out what needs cleaning."

"Sounds like a plan, then. Let's hop to it! Sooner we figure out what needs doing, sooner we can make a job list and start doing it." Adam stood, grabbing pen and paper, then headed for the stairs.

It didn't take long before the rest of the group was heading up the stairs too, joined by the cat, who apparently wanted to 'supervise'.

Sharon gave the cat a curious look and smiled. "She seems very interested in the new additions..." she said to Joyce in amusement. The animal normally stuck to the kitchen/dining area or the bedrooms, avoiding when they were working and stirring up dust. This was the first time Sharon had noticed it going above the second floor.

Joyce smiled and reached down to pet the cat, who purred and rubbed against her hand. "I think she slipped out during the night to explore, but probably couldn't get into the new areas without one of us to open the doors for her."

"Well, we explore now!" Sharon grinned, following the others up.

Adam, having taken lead, was the first to reach the newly acquired roof exit. He carefully pushed open the door and stepped out, his eyes widening.

The previously inaccessible roof had been transformed into a veritable greenhouse, all but a few feet of it surrounded by a secure, clear, material (it didn't seem to be glass) that let in sunlight. Grassy areas were interspersed with raised beds of soil, water features and benches, giving the area a park like feel. The only part not surrounded by the 'glass' was a small segment that looked to be just large enough for a 'landing pad' for a very small helicopter.

Tom looked around and then focused on the landing pad. He shifted a bit closer to Elfangor, resting his hand on the Andalite's back. "That's enough space for you to land if we have to make a quick getaway again."

Joyce began looking around at all of the features, the cat sticking close by her heels. "This is a perfect place for growing fruit and vegetables," she breathed.

Blue delicately sniffed the air, wandering off to look at some of the water features.

"Is anyone else a bit creeped out that we've got proof that either the building is intelligent and listens to us, or that there is someone behind this building and everything occurring?" Sharon asked faintly. "This is a bit different than defenses going up, or floors opening that we have to clean and repair stuff.... everything is clean and working. All we need to do is decide what to plant...."

Dorinda pressed a bit closer to Adam, looking around somewhat uneasily. She couldn't help but remember talking with him about the fact that someone, or something, might be gathering warriors for a war. "If there is someone here, why haven't they shown themselves?" she murmured.

Amos huffed softly. "If there is someone behind this... it feels that they just like playing with people's lives. Right now, they want to take care of us...." He left unsaid that they needed to be ready for if whatever was gathering them decided it didn't want to take care of them.

"We'll make sure to have contingency plans," Arsteel said. His eyes lingered on Blue, as she explored. His affection for his family, those he considered siblings and his children, was clear.

Sharon smiled. "Always be prepared..." she mumbled. "My aunt would have approved.”

Geralt wrapped his arm around Sharon's waist, just holding onto her.

Sharon let herself shift closer to Geralt, leaning on him.

"So, should we make a list of plants we'd like?" Billy asked.

Joyce nodded eagerly. "I'd like to make an herb garden," she said.

Adam nodded. "Herbs, flowers and plants that attract beneficial insects might be good. Since this is sort of a greenhouse area now, we could potentially raise our own honey, as well as maybe a few birds, butterflies, and such. Plus, maybe a corner for vegetables we can't grow in the containers we already have."

Sharon wrote down the ideas. "Alright. So... should we go down now? See how many other floors have opened? What areas we may want to clean and make use of?"

Billy nodded. "We should do that quickly. When Faith and Kung Lao return from shopping, we can send another two pairs out for the plants, if there is enough time in the day left."

"Nothing says we can't do that before they return. We have enough people in the family that can stay back and wait, after all..." Amos pointed out.

Arsteel nodded. "So long as everyone who goes out takes radios with them, there shouldn't be any problem with more of us leaving. I think we can trust that the building will alert us if it's preparing to leave, judging by what happened in Tom and Elfangor's world."

Nodding at the by now expected reminder - if Arsteel hadn't said it, one of the other 'Alphas' would have- they all went back inside, heading down to the next floor. An hour and a half later, they'd finished looking at the ten newly opened top floors. They were all large, empty spaces that could be converted into anything needed, if something was needed.

"Maybe we should convert one of the floors into an 'escape' floor," Billy joked. "For those rare times when we need a change of scenery, or to get away from each other but the building isn't cooperating."

"A time out floor?" Adam chuckled, before glancing around at the members of the group who would most likely need such a thing.

"You can say it, you know... you want a floor to contain me when I get stir-crazy and reactionary..." Sharon said, a pained look on her face.

"You may have been the first to react. But I'm sure you won't be the only one feeling the effects of never being able to go far from home," Amos pointed out logically. He wasn't really the consoling type, but he was glad to see a tiny smile at his response.

Faith and Kung Lao chose that moment to return with their groceries. "There's this cute little bodega that had everything we needed about ten blocks from here!" Faith said cheerfully. "This isn't really a shopping district, though. Seems to be mainly small restaurants or bars closer to where we found the bodega. There's a garage next door, a few construction areas. Warehouses."

"You both got back in time to finish our tour." Billy grinned. "We're heading downstairs to see the new basement."

"It can be an area for anyone who feels like they need to be alone, and it may not be safe to leave," Arsteel said thoughtfully, still thinking about the 'time-out' floor. "We could put things in there like punching bags and a training area, if someone needs to let off steam." He looked towards Faith and Kung Lao. "There's a garden area at the top of the building."

"We've been talking about what plants we might like to grow," Joyce said.

"There's a floor for a gym?" Faith looked interested. They had their sauna and pool floor already, but their training floor was mostly a huge open area with a slightly cushioned floor. The idea of punching bags and maybe other equipment interested her. Of course, they'd probably need to get it from one of the deserted worlds they landed on next. Stealing equipment like that would be too difficult and buying it would take more than their meager funds would allow.

Amos smiled. "There are several new floors that are open, empty and, for once, mostly clean of junk and trash. It was mentioned that we should make a 'time out room' for when we are stuck in one place but feel a need for space."

"There are enough empty floors we could probably have three or four retreats." Billy nodded. "Not counting a gym, where I suspect a lot of us would want to go, so it really wouldn't give much space."

"Oh... like a Do Not Disturb' floor." Faith grinned. "It could have a nice comfy bedroom. A small kitchen and dining area. Comfortable nooks to read or watch TV. Maybe a nice bath with a soaking tub. If we can find one. And when someone needs to use it, they can sign a little sheet with their name and put a do not disturb sign on the stairwell entry door!"

"There's no reason why we can't have more than one floor," Geralt said. "I'm sure there might be times when more than one person needs to be alone. So having two floors where someone can have a 'time-out', or whatever they need, would make sense. Especially if the Building ends up collecting more people."

Adam snorted. "At the rate we're going, I suspect we'll be needing to open a second floor of bedrooms. Even though all of us are sharing, we've almost filled the floor we're on. Of course, now that we know the building can make itself larger, who knows? It may like us all on the same floor."

"It definitely looks a different size on the outside, depending on where we actually are," Kung Lao said. "There's no reason it couldn't necessarily expand to be wider."

Faith shrugged. "None of this really makes sense. I'm just glad whoever or whatever controls the building wants us to be comfortable. So... there's a basement now... wanna go look at it?"

Everyone was quick to agree, and it wasn't long before they were all heading down to the basement.

It took longer to reach the lower level than expected; the equivalent of three floors' worth of stairs were traversed before they reached the landing with the door leading into the new basement floor. When Adam opened the door, stepping through and holding it open for the others, it was easy to see why it went so deep. The floor was a park with grass, a small pond, and several trees under very bright sunlamps. A hidden fan gave small bursts of air to simulate a breeze.

Sharon's mouth fell open as she stepped through the door. 

Faith bounced in place. "We can try to plant some fruit trees! Or berry bushes!" she exclaimed.

"It's like the building is making it so we never have to go out..." Amos muttered suspiciously.

Arsteel frowned, looking around slowly. "Or maybe so that someone who might draw a lot of attention doesn't need to go out." He looked towards Elfangor.

<I can change to look like a human,> Elfangor said. <But can only hold a morph for a maximum of two hours. Otherwise, I will get stuck in that morph for the rest of my life.>

Sharon blinked at that information. "How long do you have to stay in your natural form before you can morph into something else again?" she asked curiously. It would be good to know how long Elfangor could stay out before needing to return. If he could go into a bathroom stall, change into his natural form and then, a few seconds later, remorph, then they wouldn't be as time constrained as if he had to change back to himself and then wait an hour or longer before morphing again.

<It depends on the situation,> Elfangor answered. <If I do too much morphing in too short an amount of time, it is very draining. Which is why I couldn't morph again in time to leave this place before it shifted. But I had to change several times very quickly. In normal circumstances, I could morph back into my natural form and then morph again swiftly three, perhaps four, times.>

"That's good... at least you aren't going to always be limited to a two-hour window of being outside before returning to the building. You can work around it to maybe stay out longer...." Amos said quietly.

"Heck. Some places, you might be able to just go out as yourself..." Faith said. "If the world we land is more diversified."

"Let's just hope that we don't find any more worlds with yeerks," Tom said quietly.

Elfangor placed one arm around Tom, holding the human close.

Sharon shuddered, swallowing hard and uncharacteristically, but very obviously, turning, and cuddling up to Geralt. She seldom showed fear in front of the others. The only other time she had been afraid to this level was when she ran into the giant spiders... and that fear had worn off once she was safe. It didn't linger like her fear of the yeerks was doing.

Geralt wrapped his arms around Sharon, holding her close and tight, rubbing her hair and back gently. "We're not in that world anymore," he said softly. "And hopefully, we'll never run into them again."

Sharon just nodded silently. She did relax, Geralt's words and comforting actions easing her distress. Finally, she stepped back and gave him a tiny smile. "They aren't here now..." she said, with a slight catch in her breath.

Geralt nodded. "You're safe," he said reassuringly. "And with luck, we won't have to encounter them again."

"And hopefully nothing worse..." Sharon muttered, though not softly enough, if the way several heads turned in her direction and nodded with grimacing agreement was any indication. 

"And if we do encounter anything worse, we will protect and look after each other," Arsteel said.

Adam nodded. "But it makes it abundantly clear that we can't just rush off by ourselves in these new areas. First, we scope out the areas, in groups, to make certain there are no hidden dangers. Once we are sure it is safe, we can do solo trips, but we still need to be sure everyone else knows exactly where we will be going in case something happens. And, of course, carry the radios."

Arsteel nodded his agreement and then added, "And if anything feels wrong or off, even a little...even if you're not sure it is anything...use the radios. I don't care what it is or where you are."

Amos sighed softly and shifted. He didn't mind being stuck in the building so much... it wasn't a lot different than being on a spaceship... but having to tell everyone where he was going all the time did make him feel tethered and watched. He didn't argue, though. Unfortunately, it was the reality they lived in and the best way to stay safe. And it affected everyone, so he couldn't say it was unreasonable.

"So..." he finally said. "...Did you find a gardening store while you were out? Will we be able to get some new plants, shrubs, flowers and trees?" He looked toward Kung Lao.

"Yeah," Kung Lao replied. "Maybe it'd be worth you going with someone, in your human form." He looked towards Elfangor. "That way, you can guide us towards what would be better for you."

<I will do that,> Elfangor agreed.

"So, who is going this next trip?" Faith asked curiously.

"There's no reason why all of us can't go, or at least those who want to," Arsteel said. "We've gone for meals together in other worlds, as a family. Perhaps we could do something similar here."

"And we could get some popcorn?" Dorinda suggested hopefully.

Adam chuckled. "I'm sure we could get some popcorn."

"No better time than the present, I say." Billy clapped his hands together.

"How much preparation do you need?" Geralt asked Elfangor.

<No more than a couple of minutes,> Elfangor replied. <I will move to one of the empty rooms, as the sight of morphing can be very disturbing.>

"We can wait for you at the front door!" Faith smiled, moving toward the stairwell.

Everyone else followed.

Tom was the only one who didn't join them at the door, instead going with Elfangor to wait with his lover while the alien morphed.

About a minute later, Tom was heading to join the others, accompanied by a tall man with dark skin and black hair, dressed in a simple white shirt over jeans.

"Alright. I don't think I need to remind you all to stay in pairs..." Adam commented. "I think we should probably have a time to return... just in case something happens, and we can't radio, it will let everyone's else know there was a problem if someone doesn't get back in time."

"Let's say five hours," Arsteel suggested. He looked towards Elfangor. "Will you be able to morph enough during that time?"

Elfangor nodded. "Yes. That should be easy enough."

"Great! See you in five hours!" Faith grinned, grabbing Kung Lao's hand, and disappearing to head back into the town to explore.

Arsteel looked around at the remaining couples. "Does anyone want to stay together?" he asked.

Amos and Sharon looked at each other and shrugged, before looking at the others. "If you want to..." Sharon said, but she was looking at Geralt.

Geralt nodded. "There's no reason not to all go together," he commented. "And if any of us would like to split up from the group later, there's no reason why we can't do that."

It didn't take long before the rest of the group left the Building, each person making sure to take one of the radios with them.

***

Lee Christmas was observant. You couldn't be in his 'line of work' if you weren't. And lately, he'd had even more time and opportunity to be observant, due to Lacy breaking up with him again. ("Yeah, I know you never liked her, Barney," and "No, watching the nearby buildings isn't being excessively paranoid or nosey; it's being vigilant!") So, having more time to be observant meant he'd noticed the group of people who suddenly began coming and going from the condemned building next door as if they lived there. What was worrying was that he hadn't noticed them initially moving in; and he'd been observing for a long time.

"I tell you, it's weird, Barney. It's like they came out of nowhere. And right on the heels of that Fubar mission to Colombia. Something ain't right..." he groused.

"Are they watching us?" Barney asked in concern.

Lee shook his head. "It doesn't seem so. But how could we tell without doing our own investigating?"

Barney sighed. "I have a meet about another potential job tonight. If you want to check it out tomorrow?"

"I can do the legwork tonight. If it seems suspicious, we can look deeper tomorrow..." Lee suggested.

"Just be careful." Barney nodded.

****

They'd been at the new location for several weeks now. Long enough to discover the new dimension was free from anything 'super', be it superheroes or supernatural. They'd bought all the plants that could realistically grow in a rooftop greenhouse or basement park. They'd also replenished their stock of supplies, perishable and otherwise.

Faith had corralled the other women for a 'girls only' excursion to get hair and nails done, which left the men at loose ends. Amos looked around at the others. "I think Faith meant for us to hang out. But... I'm not really good at that."

"There are still some things about technology and computers I have yet to learn," Arsteel said. "Perhaps you could help me become more familiar with it."

"You know what I'd like to do?" Tom asked suddenly. "I'd like to just sit back and watch a movie. Make some popcorn. After so long being under the control of a space slug and then pretending I was under the control of a space slug...I need a bit of normality." He sighed, a little mournfully. "If I'd have known we were going to be here a while, I woulda set up a basketball hoop."

"Basketball?" Geralt asked, sounding interested.

"Didn't someone pick up a couple of hoops from that sporting goods shop we were at the other day?" Billy asked curiously. "I coulda swore I saw at least one. If there is one, we could set it up on one of the big, open, empty floors we just cleaned."

Amos smiled and bumped shoulders with Arsteel. "I'll teach you anything I know, if you want...."

Tom lit up and smiled brightly. "Yeah, if we can do that...I can teach anyone who doesn't know how to play."

Geralt nodded slowly. "I will at least learn how to play," he commented.

Arsteel smiled and wrapped an arm around Amos, kissing his lover gently. "Now?"

"We can do that now, if you want..." Amos nodded. "Or we could play basketball and then learn some of the tech stuff...."

Adam grinned. "We have enough people, if everyone plays, we could have two teams of four and one ref."

"I've never heard of this game before." Arsteel glanced at the others. "But I'm willing to give it a try."

Artie was grinning. "You'll enjoy it!" he promised.

They quickly went to the storage area to look for the box containing the hoop. To the delight of Tom and Artie, there were two hoops and a regulation ball. Adam found an air pump to make certain the ball was inflated to the correct pressure, while Amos figured out the best way to install the hoops, given they didn't have poles.

It was while they were doing this that Lee made his way to the building, opening the door and walking in. Not seeing anyone on the first floor, he made his way to the stairwell and began to head up, listening for voices. "Hello?!" he yelled out. "Anyone here?"

Hearing the unfamiliar voice, Arsteel put his hand on his sword and began to move stealthily towards the stairwell, motioning for the others to remain quiet. If this was an enemy, he didn't want to give them an idea of how many people there were currently.

If it hadn't been for the obvious signs the building was being lived in, Lee would have questioned his assumption that people had moved into the building. He was questioning why the building had been condemned; it looked structurally sound from the inside. "Maybe they all left..." he muttered to himself, though he didn't really believe that. He'd been watching and only the women had left earlier.

Taking his cue from Arsteel, Amos stiffened up, going into 'prepared to attack' mode.

Adam shook his head and moved to the stairwell. "What do you want?" he yelled down, keeping his voice as non-threatening as possible.

"Saw you all moving back and forth, coming, and going in this old, condemned building and had to admit it got me curious..." Lee called out, finally coming into view of the others. He didn't hide the fact he was suspicious of them. The suspicion became laced with worry when he didn't recognize any of them. "Needed to see if I knew you... who sent you."

Arsteel moved so that he was standing in front of the others. Despite knowing that many of them could protect themselves, it was second nature for him to protect the others. Protect his family.

Geralt eyed the newcomer. "You think we were sent to watch you?"

"Are you saying you weren't?" Lee asked skeptically. "Given my line of work, I find it hard to believe in coincidences. Having you all move into the condemned building right next door to where I work from, directly after a job that nearly ended my career, is a bit too much of a coincidence."

"Just a building with a bad sense of humor..." Amos muttered, drawing a glance from Lee that very clearly meant 'what the fuck?'

"We're not here because of you," Arsteel said. "But I wouldn't recommend staying here for long. Not unless you want to be trapped."

"Trapped? Is that a threat?" Lee took a more defensive stance.

"It's a warning," Geralt said. "This place, this building, shifts between different worlds."

"All of us are from different places," Kung Lao said. "You wouldn't have seen us move into this building because we've never actually left. The building changes on the outside to fit wherever it ends up."

"How have they not made a fucking announcement...?" Lee muttered, slowly backing up.

Amos frowned. "Announce what?"

"That the residents escaped Arkham..." Lee snarked, continuing to back up.

Arsteel still had his hand on his sword, though since the man was backing up and not making any move to attack, he didn't draw it. "I don't understand your words, but what we say is true."

Elfangor had morphed into human form to play the game. Now, he drew up alongside Arsteel and addressed Lee. "I can show you some proof."

"That... that's alright. I'll just make my way out..." It was obvious he didn't believe their story and was trying to make a quick getaway.

Amos shifted closer to Arsteel, whispering, "He thinks we are insane and escaped wherever we were being kept."

Just at that moment, Faith yelled up the stairwell, "We're back! And we brought take-out!"

Geralt positioned himself, just in case the women returning triggered a reaction in the newcomer. "Leaving would be better," he agreed.

Arsteel nodded his thanks to Amos at the explanation.

Lee glanced downward. He wasn't exactly worried; he wouldn't have come over and 'confronted' everyone alone if he had been. Still, being met with a sword wielding man and the whole group being delusional made him reluctant to have any of them at his back. He was far enough separated from the men, he figured he could make a break for it without looking afraid, though. No sense giving them that type of power. "Yeah. I'll just go now then," he said. Turning to head down the stairs, he had to grab the railing as the building suddenly began to vibrate.

Arsteel frowned, glancing around, before saying quietly, "It's too late now." He wasn't sure how the newcomer would react to suddenly ending up in a different world and shifted his position slightly, ready to run after the man if he panicked and bolted.

Lee waited until the tremors subsided before rushing down the stairs. There wasn't any damage, as far as he could tell, so chances were this earthquake hadn't been enough to make the news. Still... the building had been condemned for a reason. "Might want to step outside until you can be sure the quake didn't cause more structural damage..." he warned as he went.

Arsteel looked around at the other members of his family. "I'll go with him. I don't know how he'll react to finding himself in a different world." He quickly headed after Lee.

Faith, seeing a stranger rushing for the door, could only imagine another scenario like what had happened with Sharon. "Hey! Wait!" she called out in futility.

Lee ignored her, throwing open the door to leave. He was immediately knocked off his feet and carried back into the building by a rushing wall of water. When the building finally made the door disappear (cutting off the flow of water), it left Lee laying on the floor coughing. He wasn't the only one.

"Wh... what the hell?!" Colby Granger gasped out, in between coughing.

Arsteel quickly moved over to Lee, trusting that Adam would take care of the person who'd literally just been washed in. He wasn't sure what kind of injuries the newcomer might have.

Lee's eyes were wide, and his face was pale. Only his years of experience and training kept panic in check. "That...." He was speechless. What had happened shouldn't have been possible. He regretted not having brought more than a knife and a small handgun with him. He felt off kilter and therefore unsafe.

Colby did look panicked. "Charlie? Amita?!" He looked around frantically. "How... where...?" He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I must be dreaming. I knocked myself out or went under and didn't come back up and this is a result of a lack of oxygen to my brain...."

"Afraid not, son..." Adam said soothingly, trying to calm Colby down. "Your friends will likely think you drowned, but... you are very much alive. The building decided it wanted you to join us."

Arsteel quickly looked over Lee, making sure he hadn't sustained any injuries in the flood of water. "We tried to warn you," he said, not in a gloating way, but rather sympathetically. "Unfortunately, you are now stuck here with us. My name is Arsteel." He began to introduce the rest of them.

Lee just gave Arsteel a look that conveyed every bit of annoyed shock he felt. Who in their right mind would have believed such a warning- until they experienced the truth of it? "The building never returns?" he finally asked, having noted the comments about 'being stuck'. No one would be stuck, after all, if the building returned to places.

"I was finally making things right again. They were finally giving me a chance to make up for what I did..." Colby whispered, staring at a blank wall where a door used to be. "They're going to think I betrayed them again...." His mind immediately jumped to the worst scenario, to his way of thinking.

"You mentioned two other people being there with you..." Adam gently reminded.

"It hasn't returned to any of our worlds yet," Arsteel said, speaking loud enough so that Colby could hear his explanation as well. "We don't know if it will do. From what we've learned of our own personal situations, some of us have been saved from almost certain death by the building's sudden appearance. Or even brought back from death," he added.

Blue stepped a bit closer to Artie, looking a bit on edge and wary about the sudden shift and appearance of two newcomers.

Elfangor, in his natural form, moved up beside the Prowler. It was obvious when he opened an empathic connection, as she relaxed and obvious tension seeped out of her.

Colby coughed into his arm, finally noticing that there were more people in the room than just the ones who'd come to his aid. When he saw Elfangor, he rubbed at his eyes. "Hallucinating..." he mumbled, before coughing again.

<You aren't hallucinating.> Elfangor's voice was calming and gentle. <We are all from different worlds.>

"Well. Some of us are from the same world," Tom mumbled, letting his head rest gently against Elfangor's shoulder.

Colby might have argued, but he'd seen 'strange' before and the fact he'd washed into a building full of people, when he'd originally been fighting for his life in a flooded spillway, indicated something was off. He just had to determine if it was what they said it was, or if he was dying, and this was his brain's way of coping.

<We should let the newcomers find rooms and get settled in,> Elfangor said. <There is food if you are hungry. Drinks as well.> He addressed those comments to Lee and Colby. <There are empty rooms that you can claim. Or if you feel like you need to be around people, I'm sure someone will be willing to let you stay with them.>

"I'll start getting this cleaned up," Geralt said.

"I'll help." Artie quickly dashed off to get a mop and bucket.

Lee let out a slow sigh. "Yeah... I'll just... anyone have some dry clothes I can borrow?" He'd have to clean his gun too. Dry it. It would give him something to focus on. He supposed it was a good thing he was no longer with Lacy. Though it did suck that Barney and the others would have no idea where he'd disappeared to. He hoped they didn't get themselves killed looking for him.

Colby coughed some more, looking a bit lost and hopeless. Even if the team looked for him, he was pretty sure they'd be looking for a body. They'd soon give up. If he ever did manage to get back home again, his life would be in shambles.

Arsteel nodded. "We have spare clothing. Spare weapons, too, for if we go into a more hostile world. I can take you both to our storage area."

Tom, noticing the look on Colby's face, moved towards him. "Do you want to room with me and Elfangor till you get a bit more settled? I know he looks kind of scary, but he's a really good person."

Lee nodded at Arsteel. "Sounds good. I need to clean my weapon since it got dunked." He moved to follow Arsteel.

Colby blinked at Tom and coughed again. "Maybe a room next to yours. I tend to not sleep much. Wouldn't want to keep you awake," he said hesitantly.

Arsteel led Lee to the supply room, so that the other man could pick out what he needed.

<I don't sleep that much either,> Elfangor said. <And Tom sleeps through almost anything.> There was a clear note of affection in his voice.

Colby smiled crookedly. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind if I need anything..." he said, not committing to sharing.

"I'll show you where our room is, so you know where to come, if need be," Tom offered.

Colby nodded. "Yeah. Okay. I'll take one nearby."

Tom led the way towards the stairs, walking alongside Elfangor. "Once you've chosen a room, you can grab what you need from the storage room. Later, I'm sure you'll get a tour of the building."

<What's your name?> Elfangor asked Colby.

"Colby Granger..." Colby answered, in a soft, midwestern drawl. "No offense, but... it still feels like I'm hallucinating. Maybe residual effects from when I was drugged a few months ago...." He didn't sound fully convinced either way. He was still obviously confused. And coughing.

"I'm not a doctor, but you might want to try drinking some water to calm that cough down," Tom said. "We don't have any antibiotics...maybe, depending on the next world we end up in, we might be able to pick up some."

<Confusion and a reluctance to believe this is real is a normal reaction,> Elfangor said. <This is our room.> He stood just outside the door, inviting Colby to look inside.

Colby stopped long enough to memorize the location of the room, before looking for the nearest open room. "This hall is a lot longer than I expected, given the size of downstairs..." he commented, still sounding a bit out if it, coughing again.

Adam had come up by that point, carrying a machine. "You pick your room yet?" At Colby's nod toward a room next to Tom and Elfangor's, he walked in and set the machine up. "I'll be staying in here with you tonight. One of the others will stay with you tomorrow night. We'll see about the night after that. Knowing you were in the process of drowning, combined with that cough, I want to be certain dry drowning isn't going to become a problem. If you start feeling bad, even if it's only a slight headache, I want to know. Meanwhile, I managed to get oxygen from one of our numerous stops in an empty world. You'll be going on it at the slightest sign of difficulty."

Colby blinked. "...Okay..." he said hesitantly.

Adam moved out of the way as Amos arrived, carrying a mattress. "Where do you want it?" He moved it to the location Colby silently pointed.

"We're close enough that if you need anything, we'll be right there," Tom said. "I'm sure things must be really unsettling right now. Do you want me to grab anything for you? Or do you want to come with me to the storage room to pick out some stuff?"

"I..." Colby looked shell-shocked, unable to make such a simple decision.

Lee came and leaned into the room. "I'm taking the full tour now. May as well come along. That way, you'll know what's available and will know what needs to be got next time there's a chance."

"Yeah... makes sense..." Colby finally nodded and moved to go take the tour with Lee.

"And if you need anything that isn't available, I can make a list," Tom offered.

"Thanks..." Colby said sadly. Tom's eagerness to help with everything reminded him of Charlie. At least he'd got the young mathematician and Amita out of the torrent before he'd got sucked into the building. He had some hope that he might be missed a little, but their disappearance would have gutted Don, his father and the rest of their team and friends.

Amos watched Lee and Colby disappear on the 'tour'. "Lee seems to be adapting quickly. Can't tell if Colby is not adapting, or if he's fighting effects of near drowning."

<It's bound to be hard for anyone to adapt quickly to being here,> Elfangor commented.

"True." Amos sighed. "I'm gonna go start dinner, since we're building bound again."

"You want any help?" Tom offered.

Amos shrugged. "If you want. Still gotta figure out what to make." He turned and headed downstairs.

Tom followed. "You know, I think we've got enough ingredients that I could recreate one of my mom's casserole dishes." He paused, briefly, remembering his family...his parents and his brother...but pushed that aside. They weren't dead, just in a different world to the one he was right now. Maybe he could see them again.

"Sounds good. Naomi taught me a few tricks to make vegetables palatable... ain't necessary, since we got the vegetables that we grow ourselves and they aren't too old. But it helps with canned stuff." Amos began to pull out ingredients for a side dish, showing Tom where everything was so he could make a casserole.

Faith peeked in. "Want me to make cookies for dessert?"

Tom nodded and smiled. "Yeah. Homemade cookies would be great for dessert." He began preparing the ingredients he needed to make the casserole.

An hour later, everyone had gathered around the dining table to eat. Colby was staring where the door had been. "And you're sure the building immediately moved after it picked me up?"

Sharon shrugged. "Sure? Since we were so focused on your arrival and didn't feel the shaking that accompanies moving, no. But the fact your friends haven't discovered a building in the spillway... or whatever it disguised itself as... and we haven't heard a search party outside indicates it moved. Plus, the door is still gone, which means it is dangerous outside. The place you described being, the water would have disappeared by now."

Lee frowned. "And there's no way to look outside and see where we are? Even with the door gone?"

"Usually there's windows unless the building is afraid one of us will try and leave through one of them. Or something else might get in." Faith wrinkled her nose. "Wherever we are... the slayer in me is... freaking out," she admitted, with an uncomfortable wince.

Adam gave her a sharp look. "You think we landed on a hellmouth?"

"No. I'd want to get out and fight... slay... if that were the case. Whatever is out there isn't a Hellmouth." She shuddered and whispered, "Wherever we are, I don't want to leave the building to face it."

Blue was picking at her own food, clearly restless and on edge. She didn't really eat much before she pushed her plate aside and got up and left the table without a word.

Frowning, Artie quickly stood to follow her.

Billy watched them leave and sighed. "Great. Your slayer senses are going nuts, and Blue is agitated. We're probably in another apocalyptic area. I'll check on Blue and Artie after dinner if they don't return before then." He wasn't worried. The building had locked them all inside, after all.

Colby looked at Billy. "Apocalyptic?" 

"We've gone to worlds where there are no people at all," Arsteel said. "Worlds where it looks like a war has ripped through, leaving no one alive at all." He shrugged. "None of us know why the Building chooses each world it goes to. But its arrival has saved some of us from certain death."

"So... it thought I was going to die and saved me?" Colby asked skeptically.

"For all we know, the building is sentient. That could very well be it..." Sharon snorted.

Adam shot her an amused if exasperated look. "The more likely answer is that whoever is behind controlling the building thought you were about to die and 'rescued' you."

"As if having someone spy on us in multiple dimensions is any less discomfiting than the idea of a sentient building..." This time, it was Faith that snorted.

"Well, not knowing what was coming my way, or if I was in danger or not when it took me," Lee said, "neither really appeal, but it's better than being dead."

"We know that the Building can reverse certain things," Kung Lao said. "It was even able to bring someone back from...well, I can't strictly say dead." He looked at Arsteel. "Lifeless, you said?"

Arsteel nodded. "Very similar to zombies, as I have learned since arriving here. But not quite the same either."

"Assuming it is the building that caused the changes and not an all-seeing entity that wanted to help..." Faith nodded. "Which is not really helping me feel better about the idea of living in a sentient building like a parasite or being stalked by a benevolent benefactor...."

"Least it isn't a malevolent controller..." Adam drawled.

Dorinda frowned. "It looks like all of the building has opened up, unless there's more that it's keeping hidden, and we still have no understanding of who or what is in control," she said hesitantly. She didn't put voice to the possibility that it might one day stop keeping them safe...but that thought was clear on her mind.

"The building's actually grown inside," Faith responded. "When I got here, there was just seven floors and only two were open. Two more opened shortly after I got here, cuz we made our spa floor and a 'media' floor. Now we got a greenhouse on the roof, an indoor park in the basement and at least six new floors that we didn't have. Whatever is going on, we're being kept taken care of. Just hope if they get tired of playing with us, they send us home. Or someplace safe."

"My only family in my world was my best friend, Liu Kang," Kung Lao said. "I want to return to my own world, but only so that I can fight alongside him in the tournament. So, he doesn't think I've abandoned him. Otherwise, I would willingly stay in this family we've formed here," he said honestly. "If I had parents, I don't remember them. I had no siblings, aunts, or uncles. But I have them here." He looked around at them all.

Joyce smiled and reached out to gently grasp his hand. "I feel the same way. That we're a family here."

"So those whose entire family is here can go with whoever did have close connections... if we ever return to where we started..." Sharon said. She still wasn't sure how she fit in. Anyone that she had been close to on her world were either dead or would have assumed her killed by an old enemy and mourned her by now. Would she want to cause upheaval in their life just to say 'surprise! I'm alive!' when it wouldn't really change anything for anyone in a positive or negative way? As much as she missed her world where she was in charge and making the choices, deep down, she'd not been happy for a long time. Here? With the others? With Geralt and his bossy, controlling, dominating presence that brought out a side of her she hadn't even realized existed? She was happy.

Faith nodded. "If we start returning to places we've been before, we can start deciding if we want to leave the building or stay. Right now, it hasn't been an option."

The cat, settled on Joyce's lap, gave a loud meow, as if she was agreeing.

Sharon looked at the cat in amusement at how interested in the conversation it seemed.

"Speaking of family...she doesn't have a name yet." Joyce gently stroked the cat's head. "Does anyone have any ideas?"

"I dunno. I'm not good at picking names. Didn't have pets growing up..." Faith said uncertainly, staring at the cat with a frown.

"Don't look at me!" Sharon held her hands up in mock surrender. "My last cat was named Mr. Squeaky Poots."

Colby smiled sheepishly. "I named my cat Goober. To be fair, I was only seven, but...."

"Well, maybe we can give it a bit of thought for today," Joyce suggested. "If we have multiple names, we can see which one she likes the sound of better."

"And on that note, I'm going to check on Blue and Artie. Last time the building put us on lock down, she tried to claw her way out the windows..." Billy sighed.

"I'll start cleanup," Amos said, standing and beginning to clear the table.

<Do you need help?> Elfangor asked Billy. <If she's distressed, I might be able to help her calm down.>

"Won't know until I find her," Billy said. "You can come if you want," he called back, as he was already to the stairwell.

Elfangor quickly followed Billy towards the stairwell.

***

Blue had headed up to the roof of the building. Artie had followed her and was watching her pace back and forth. "Look. I know you want to go for a run," he said. "What about this? Next world we go to that's safe, I'll take you out to a secluded area...we can take Dad or one of the others with us...and you can change and run. Okay?"

Blue hunched in on herself, arms wrapped around her own waist, like she wasn't really listening to him.

Artie sighed. "I know it's difficult for you, being cooped up...but I'm pretty sure none of us like that...." His voice cut off as a helicopter came into view, choppers whirring loud enough that it was impossible to hear any other noise.

Blue turned and watched as the helicopter came in for a landing on the building next to theirs. Then, without hesitation, she ran to the edge and took a flying leap, landing on the next building.

"Oh shit." Artie took off after her, though his landing was considerably less graceful and ended with skinned knees and hands.

Billy exited the stairwell just in time to notice two things. First, that the rooftop greenhouse door hadn't disappeared and Blue and Artie were standing outside the greenhouse on the landing pad area. And second, Blue and then Artie taking flying leaps across the narrow space between the two buildings. Now they were effectively next door. He could still see them, so he wasn't too worried, yet. They still didn't know why the ground floor doors and windows were still completely gone, though. Sighing, he began to walk towards the greenhouse door, intending to tell them to come back. He also drew his knife in case the copter was full of unfriendly occupants that he'd need to fight.

Elfangor caught up with Billy almost immediately, his tail blade raising in preparation for battle. He quickly headed towards the greenhouse door with Billy, prepared to join the human in heading over to the next building.

***

The only reason Gerry hadn't given up to what felt like the inevitable was because he knew the world needed him. He had nothing left to give but himself. He'd lost everything, everyone, despite his efforts. His family was dead.

He'd got the news only an hour away from reaching the refuge where they'd been stationed. Someone- he supposed it didn't matter who, since they were killed along with his wife and children and everyone else at the refuge- had thought it a good idea to 'observe and test' potential cures on one of the Zeke. This person had completely ignored the fact that the refuge was one of the 'normal' camps, where those who weren't injected with a lethal illness were living. Which meant they were entirely vulnerable to Zeke when he inevitably broke free.

Everyone knew that Zekes only went after healthy individuals who could help them procreate. That's why, when Zeke had broken free, they'd scrambled to inject the camp with whatever deadly virus they had (that wouldn't immediately kill them). There hadn't been more than 30 doses, though, in a facility with nearly 500 people. The survivor's guilt in the voice of the young man who'd answered his call on the radio and told him what happened was thick, especially when he had to tell him his family were now part of Zeke.

Gerry had been flying back to the camp with supplies, but he'd been told the 30 survivors were leaving so not to continue. Instead, he was to change direction to one of the other camps just outside New York. Had he not been so deep in shocked grief about his sudden loss, he would have realized there wasn't enough fuel to make it.

Looking at the fuel gage, Gerry sighed and radioed his position in. "If I don't make it to the camp, you'll have to bring out another chopper pilot to get this bird and the supplies," he informed the radio man, as he carefully landed on a rooftop of one of the taller buildings. Just as he shut off the engine, he noticed the girl leaping over from the next building over, a boy following her. They weren't Zeke.

"Dammit..." he muttered, as he exited the helicopter and quickly but carefully moved toward them. "Are there any other survivors with you?" he asked furtively once he was close enough to not yell the question. His eyes were darting around vigilantly.

At that moment, Billy leapt across. "You two need to get back in the Building now," he said sternly. "If it were safe out here, the door and windows downstairs would be there."

Artie carefully pushed himself to his feet and winced. "Ow. I forgot just how much skinned knees hurt." He looked towards Billy. "Yeah...just gotta grab Blue." He then focused on Gerry. "What do you mean, survivors? Apocalypse, or zombies, or...?"

Elfangor had quickly landed with Billy and moved over to Blue, who was ignoring them all and had her head cocked to one side, as if she was listening to something. She was sniffing the air delicately and wandering almost aimlessly towards the door leading from the roof they were now on.

The look Gerry gave Artie was disbelieving. There was no one on the planet that didn't know about Zekes and even fewer that left the safety of the camps. "Not a time to kid, kid. Hey! Don't open that door!" He'd noticed Blue moving toward the rooftop entrance.

"Blue. We gotta get back inside. Now!" Billy ordered, picking up on Gerry's worry and realizing whatever was out here was bad. "You too, Artie. Back inside."

Blue had been doing better...much more so since Elfangor had appeared. But she wasn't fully healed. And in her fugue state, she didn't even hear any of the words. Didn't even register that they were talking to her. Her attention was drawn towards the door...towards whatever was behind it...and she pulled the door open, running into the stairwell.

In comparison, Artie wasn't as messed up as Blue, even though getting killed and living in the Ghostlands had done a number on him. He knew things were bad. But his attention snapped immediately to Blue and... yeah there were few things a Prowler couldn't take on and triumph, but he knew she'd been hurt, damaged...all but had her mind ripped from her. And they'd made him leave her.

He'd promised himself he wouldn't abandon her again.

Artie took off running after Blue.

Gerry's eyes widened as the girl, who was obviously not right in the head, even if he couldn't say what exactly was wrong with her, opened the only barrier between the Zekes and their ragtag group. "The fuck...." he growled angrily, frustrated that his family, who had done everything possible to survive, had still died and these two children blithely ignored all warnings and ran straight toward death. It wasn't fair. Still... he couldn't leave them to die, no matter how addled or foolish they were. He was gratified to see the man who had followed them and directed them to go back (only to be ignored) was also irritated but preparing to help.

Billy wasn't surprised he'd been ignored, even if he'd had a faint hope Artie would at least listen so that they only had to retrieve Blue. He should have really known better. When it came to taking care of himself or following Blue, Artie always chose Blue. One of those times, the girl was going to get the boy killed. He quickly drew his gun and his machete, not entirely certain what they'd be facing. He could hear the growls, though.

At that moment, Adam appeared with his sword. "Did you look down at the street? Swarms of zombies. They're using each other as a ladder, trying to reach the roof. We need to get back in the building so that door can disappear!" Adam said quickly.

"Artie and Blue went down that stairwell..." Billy said in frustration, already heading that way to retrieve the 'kids'.

"They won't have got far. The Zekes were already heading up and they move fast," Gerry said

Blue had shifted to Prowler form as soon as she saw the zombies and within moments, a blue blur was tearing through the zombies, sending them flying. She was in front of Artie, but she couldn't get all of them.

After only seconds, Artie was staring at his bitten arm in disbelief. The zombie who'd come after him was torn apart by Blue...and then Artie had turned. The only thing that drove him was hunger.

The sight of Artie as a zombie was enough to stop Blue dead in her tracks, enough to break her fugue state.

Artie growled, launching himself at Blue and trying to bite through her fur and flesh. His teeth weren't strong enough to pierce through skin and she side-swiped him with a talon, sending him tumbling backwards even though she was careful not to cause any harm.

Elfangor hadn't been idle. He'd swiftly morphed into the same dragon-like creature he'd used to carry Sharon back to the building. His own hide was too tough to be pierced by zombie teeth and he launched into the stairwell, tearing apart brick and plaster. When he saw Artie, pinned down by Blue as he tried to bite her, Elfangor quickly grabbed the youngster with his talons, pulling him up and close to Elfangor's own body, so that the zombie couldn't bite him or anyone else. <Change back and grab onto me,> he ordered Blue.

She did so swiftly, heedless of the fact that her clothes had been torn by the change, leaving her, for all intents and purposes, naked.

Gerry had been one step ahead of Billy, heading for the stairwell, when Elfangor had changed and charged ahead. He'd stopped in shock, just long enough to block Billy, and then started forward again, only to meet the now Dragon coming back to meet him, holding the two children close. "He... he's gone now," he said sadly. "Most kind thing would be to end it for him..." He held up his gun. "If it's too hard for you to do, I'll take care of it. The rest of you need to get back to where you were and try to block them from getting in. It won't be long before they're up here."

<The building can reverse death. Maybe it can reverse this.> Elfangor looked towards Billy and Adam. <I will stay with him and keep him from hurting anyone on the roof. But someone will need to be with Blue if the worst happens.>

"For the building to do anything, we need to get back into the building. Preferably before more of these things arrive," Adam said firmly, turning to head back the way they'd come.

"I strongly suggest you come with us. But know if you do, chances are you'll be taken from this place and not return," Billy told Gerry.

Gerry was baffled at the words. The one thing he understood was that they wanted him to jump across to their building. "I have no desire to return here..." he responded, figuring they meant this city, not understanding yet that they meant universe.

Billy nodded. "Follow us, then," he said, before taking a running leap back to the landing pad in front of the greenhouse area. He was very glad to see that the door hadn't disappeared. They weren't stuck. Yet.

Elfangor flew to the landing pad and landed, carefully setting Blue down, but keeping a tight hold of the snapping Artie. He made sure that the zombie couldn't get to anyone; that the bites only hit the impenetrable skin of his morph.

Blue backed away slowly, eyes wide and guilt-filled, focused on Artie.

Adam motioned everyone to go ahead of him while he stood guard at their back. As soon as they were through the door and in the greenhouse, however, he hurried in behind them.  As soon as Adam was back inside and no one was left outside the Building's walls, even if they were greenhouse walls, the door disappeared completely. They could see when the Zekes finally reached the rooftops and began attempting to get in, but the clear walls held firm. It was the most unnerved Adam had been since Kronos had returned into his life. The building began to vibrate.

Gerry's eyes were wide at seeing the door just disappear and the zombies being kept out, but most of his attention was on Artie. They seemed certain the boy would be okay, but if he wasn't, Gerry was prepared to end the new Zeke.

Elfangor didn't release Artie, but as the building began to vibrate, the teenager began to shake. His growls and moans quietened down, and he stopped trying to bite. His whole body was trembling.

Everyone still in the rooftop greenhouse watched Artie anxiously, waiting to see if the building healed him.

It took a while, several long minutes, but Artie finally raised his face. He was pale, but his eyes were clear. He wasn't grunting or growling. In fact, he spoke with a note of disbelief in his voice. "Did I just get bitten by a real-life zombie?"

Blue let out a quiet half-sob and launched herself at Artie, hugging him fiercely and tightly. "I'm sorry," she whimpered.

Billy closed his eyes tightly, running a hand over his face before taking a deep breath. "Let's all get downstairs so Adam can make certain we are all okay. We need to let the others know what happened and explain things to..." He looked at Gerry uncertainly.

"Gerry Lane." Gerry quickly introduced himself. He was still tense, not quite willing to believe they were safe yet, but slowly relaxing.

Blue slowly, almost reluctantly, let go of Artie...who immediately took off his hoodie and put it over her, so she was at least covered.

Elfangor shifted back into his normal form.

Billy nodded wearily, quickly introducing the others before turning to walk down to their medical floor. He avoided looking at Blue and Artie. He was still highly agitated from the fear he'd felt at realizing they would lose the younger man if the building didn't heal him.

Adam gave Billy a sympathetic smile and began to usher all those who had been bitten to examining tables. "Okay, I'll start with Artie, since he was the one obviously hurt "

Artie moved without hesitation or argument. It was clear he was shaken by what had happened. He sat down on the bed, looking towards Blue, clearly still worried about her, even though she wasn't obviously hurt.

Adam gave Artie a thorough examination, making certain there was no evidence of still lingering bite wounds, no evidence of any infection and questioned him about every little item he couldn't examine. Once he was satisfied that he'd done all he could and Artie was okay, he ordered, "If you start feeling even a little bit off, you will tell one of us and come back here immediately."

He then went to check on Elfangor and Blue, doing the same.

Artie quickly nodded. "Yeah. I'm not really scared of dying, but...that wasn't death. All I felt was hunger." He shuddered and moved over to stand by Blue, watching her worriedly.

Blue was quiet during the examination, moving when she needed to. She was lost in thought rather than slipping back into a fugue state, as was proved when she said, "When we next stop at a world it's possible to, we should pick up some heavy-duty chains. Those handcuffs aren't gonna hold me. Tranq guns too, but you need something strong enough to take down something massive."

"Blue...." Artie started.

She looked at him and then spoke to the other adults. "If you shoot me with a regular gun, it'll hurt enough to likely draw me out of a fugue state."

"No one is shooting you," Artie protested.

"If I'm in my Prowler form and don't recognize any of you, you might not have a choice." She continued to ignore Artie. "A bullet from a regular gun won't kill me. I'll heal fast. But it might just be enough to stop me in my tracks."

Billy's jaw tightened at the words, but he very obviously didn't say anything. His body was tense, almost vibrating from suppressed emotion.

Adam frowned. "No one is shooting anyone with real bullets unless it is obvious not doing so means they'll kill one of the family. And even then, it is the last resort. Tranquilizers will most likely be enough, if it is necessary; and I'm pretty sure between Elfangor, Faith and Amos, we have people strong enough to hold you. And between Arsteel, Geralt, Billy and I... we have people skilled enough to stop you long enough to be held. Having said that... could you please explain to me what the hell you two were thinking leaving this building when it had made it obvious it wasn't safe to do so?! Without even thinking of telling anyone else?!"

"Yeah! I'd bloody well like to know that too!" Billy interjected, his voice sounding hot and clipped.

"I think you already know that I'm not always mentally present," Blue said quietly, though her voice was open and honest. "I researched it before I was captured because I met someone who...well, she'd experienced a complete personality change. She didn't remember being mated. She didn't remember being a mother. She didn't even recognize the scent of her two children when she saw them again. They were strangers to her."

Elfangor moved over, as if sensing her distress, and clasped her shoulder with one hand.

Blue took a deep breath. "It's called...a fugue state. It's the mind's way of protecting itself from traumatic events, I guess? Sometimes I'll come back with no memory of what's happened. Other times...it's like I'm seeing everything through a really bad connection on the TV. I might get glimpses or bits of sound, but I miss a lot of what's going on cause I'm not all there."

"You were particularly restless at the meal," Artie said. "I don't think you planned to leave, though. You just headed up to the greenhouse and I followed you."

Blue nodded slowly. "I think the sensation of being trapped, of being locked in, is a trigger. I don't really remember what happened after I heard a helicopter."

"You jumped onto the opposite roof where it landed," Artie said. He shifted slightly from one foot to the other as he added, "I didn't want to lose sight of you, even long enough to get someone else, so I followed."

"You know... I can understand Blue. She's been fighting to return to herself, and this fugue state is part of that, so I'm not really surprised she mentally checked out and just acted...." Billy ground out. "You, on the other hand." He looked toward Artie. "You don't have that excuse! You couldn't even be bothered to take a minute to yell back that she was taking off before you just followed! Completely ignoring all the rules, we have for safety. If we hadn't been coming to check on you, we wouldn't have had any clue you were in trouble!

"And let's not forget your total disregard for the warnings Gerry gave! Because you rushed in after Blue, you got bit.  Blue probably would have been torn apart, because there were more of those things coming and once you turned, she wasn't about to leave. You would have been stuck like that forever, if Gerry didn't blow your brains out trying to get away himself. And for what? What did you think you were going to do? A teenager with no weapons, minimal fight training and no abilities to protect you from zombie hoards?!" Billy spat, before pausing. Taking a slow, deep breath, he straightened. He could hear himself and while he knew it was his very real terror at having nearly lost the two kids he had begun looking on as 'his' that caused him to sound the way he did, he also knew anyone listening could assume he was just furious and not realize the 'rage' was at nearly losing his family... would think he was angry at Artie. He didn't want Artie to think he was angry at him. "I've... I need to think. I'll talk with you later once I can talk calmly." Swallowing, he nodded at Adam, Elfangor and Gerry, before leaving the medical floor and heading to his and Joyce's room.

"As far as I can tell, everyone is clear..." Adam finished the exams in a quiet, somber manner. He looked at Artie and Blue. "You both should probably stay in your room, at least for the rest of tonight. Rest. Make sure I didn't miss something."

He turned toward Gerry. "If you come with me, you can pick out a room. We'll get you a bed and some bedding... a change of clothes... some food. I'm sure everyone will want to hear your story, but it can wait a day for you to adjust."

Gerry nodded, following Adam out the door. "Thanks... I appreciate it," could be heard, as they walked away.

Artie winced visibly, rubbing at the back of his neck, watching the other adults leave with a guilty expression before turning to Blue. "Yeah...I guess...he's right," he said, in a small voice.

Elfangor placed an arm around each of their shoulders and steered them out of the medical floor, heading to the bedroom floor and guiding the two of them to their own room. <Rest,> he said, gently but firmly. <If anything does happen, even if it is only nightmares, you can speak to anyone.>

"Thank you." Blue wrapped her arms around Elfangor in a tight hug, then reached for Artie's hand to gently guide him into their room.

Faith stood in the door of her and Kung Lao's room, watching as Billy quickly but silently stalked into his room and closed the door with a firm click. She bit her lip and watched as Adam helped yet another new guy find a room and Amos appear out of seemingly nowhere, carrying a mattress. She had so many questions, but didn't know who to ask, or even if she should.

"Maybe we can ask about what happened in the morning," Kung Lao said quietly, sitting on the edge of their bed and removing his boots.

"Yeah..." Faith sighed and backed into the room, closing the door. "My head is spinning. Two jumps in the same day... possibly three, if the building decides we've been here long enough... and picking up three new people. Usually, we have a little time to adjust."

"Considering that, from the sounds of it, something happened that wasn't supposed to, we might end up going to a different world," Kung Lao commented. "I know Blue was on edge while we were at dinner." He finished getting undressed and stretched out on the bed.

"Yeah. I've not seen Billy so... tense before. Whatever happened wasn't good. I don't know if I'm glad I wasn't there or feel guilty I wasn't there to help..." Faith admitted, before shucking her own clothes and crawling into bed next to Kung Lao, snuggling.

"That makes me even more certain that it involved Blue and possibly Artie," Kung Lao commented, wrapping his arms around her. "I think Billy probably views them as 'his' the same way Arsteel views us as his."

Faith wrinkled her nose. "Then they must have really messed up. Even when we messed up that time, Arsteel didn't seem mad... and it was actually Adam that made us write essays on what we did wrong."

"Yeah," Kung Lao said quietly. "I guess we'll find out in the morning. Hopefully, he won't stay mad, and they can get past whatever this is."

"Yeah. Part of me hopes the building takes us somewhere isolated, where all there is, is hunting or foraging. Give the new guys a chance to acclimate and hopefully keep everyone else out of trouble," Faith admitted.

"Yeah, that'd be the ideal," Kung Lao agreed.

"As long as they aren't building bound, it would be easier on Sharon and Blue too..." Faith continued to snuggle.

Kung Lao nodded. "Yeah. We need to be able to settle down and be able to explore. We're all used to it by now. But the new guys aren't used to all of this. And I get the feeling some of them are a lot more on edge."

"Given how they were brought into the building, on edge would be a mild reaction." Faith snorted. "Luckily all three seem the type to roll with the punches."

"That seems to be true of most of us here." Kung Lao yawned and cuddled closer.

"True. But Colby was physically washed into the building..." She grimaced. "Didn't actually choose to come in. At least the rest of us chose to walk through the door. And the new guy? I dunno what brought him here but given the look in his eyes and how upset Billy was, it must have been horrid."

"I sort of think it would be helpful if we could get a therapist here as well," Kung Lao commented. "Not that I want someone else to get stuck here, but I think it might help Blue. Dorinda. Maybe even the new guy."

Faith sighed. "You aren't wrong. But it feels selfish wanting that when it means another person whose life will be upended."

"Yeah." Kung Lao shook his head. "It's not like we have any control over where the building goes. And maybe if it goes to a world where there are therapists, we might be able to get at least some help for those who need it."

"Yeah." Faith cuddled close and yawned. "Guess it's pointless to worry about it."

"We'll just take it as it comes," Kung Lao commented, allowing his own eyes to close.

***

Amos stood under the shower's spray, lost in thought. He hadn't gone upstairs and hadn't seen what occurred, but his nerves were still taut. This last stop was bad.

Arsteel had felt a sense of...almost familiarity. A similar feeling to when he'd been around other Lifeless back in his home world. He thought he had a fairly good idea of what had been in this world. Judging by the others' reactions to the idea of dead walking around, he suspected they weren't anything like the Lifeless he was familiar with.

Amos leaned into the steaming water, ducking his head under the spray, and breathing in and out slowly. Whatever was out there had almost got the kids. At least, he assumed that was what happened. Billy was upset and Blue and Artie had holed themselves up in their room. He felt anxious. Antsy.

Arsteel wasn't idle while his lover was in the shower. It was clear that Amos was feeling anxious and on edge. They'd picked up some more supplies during previous stops and Arsteel collected what he thought he might need.

Finally, Amos turned the water off and wrapped a towel around his waist, heading to his and Arsteel's room. The shower wasn't helping, and his toes and fingers were taking on a prune-like texture.

Arsteel moved back to allow Amos to enter the room, speaking softly to the other man. "I know all this has left you on edge. I have an idea to help you if you trust me to do so."

Amos looked at Arsteel and smiled crookedly. "I trust you... if you can help, I need to take it. Otherwise, I may do something... not recommended."

"Come here." Arsteel moved over to the bed and held out a hand to his lover. "You don't need anything covering you."

Amos let the towel drop and moved to Arsteel, taking his lover's hand.

Arsteel drew Amos in for a deep, lingering kiss. Then, he helped Amos to settle face down on the bed. He picked up some of the oils he'd collected and began to slowly rub it into his lover's shoulders, neck and back...rubbing the tension out of the tight muscles.

Amos let out a tiny groan as Arsteel worked on the knots in his shoulders and back. It was helping him relax.

Arsteel continued the massage, every so often pausing to press a gentle kiss to Amos' skin. There was nothing sexual or demanding in it. He just wanted his lover to feel good.

"Thank you..." Amos whispered. He'd relaxed enough that he was close to sleep. "I didn't think I'd be able to sleep tonight, but... you helped me...."

"I'm glad." Arsteel kissed his shoulder. "I want to help you."

"How'd you know? What the problem was?" Amos asked curiously.

"It's not the first time I've seen this kind of thing," Arsteel replied. "But this time, I could actually do something about it. I could help you."

Amos smiled at that. "Not used to being noticed like that. Naomi and James sometimes noticed stuff, but even they didn't pay that close attention."

"You belong to me, like I belong to you," Arsteel said. "I will always pay close attention to you."

Amos rolled over onto his back, reaching his hands up to Arsteel's shoulders and giving a chaste kiss. "I love you," he said softly.

"I love you." Arsteel kissed him in return, just as chastely. "When you're ready to try and sleep, you can do so in my arms."

"You going to get into bed?" Amos asked, with an amused grin.

"Once I'm certain no other part of your body needs attention." Arsteel rubbed gently over his shoulders and chest.

Amos raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I'm feeling very loose and limber now...."

"Ready to sleep?" Arsteel asked. Giving attention to his lover had 'roused him, but he wanted to take care of Amos' needs. Would put his lover first, each and every time.

Amos glanced down toward where Arsteel's arousal was hidden, then toward where his own arousal was completely exposed. "I guess, if you think we should sleep..." he teased.

Arsteel kissed him again, this time a bit less chastely. "Depends on how tired you feel," he murmured against Amos' lips.

"Right now? Not tired at all." Amos grinned.

"Well then. I think there's something else we can do," Arsteel commented.

"Show me..." Amos grinned wolfishly.

In answer, Arsteel began to gently squeeze, stroke and kiss over Amos' body. He moved one hand down to glide over his lover's member, rubbing his thumb over it.

Amos shivered at his mate's touch and moaned softly. His own hands rose to grip Arsteel's shoulders.

Arsteel trailed kisses over Amos' shoulders, down his chest. When he reached his mate's nipples, he engulfed one in his mouth. At the same time, he gently squeezed Amos' member.

Amos groaned louder, arching toward Arsteel. "Feels good..." He whimpered.

Arsteel squeezed his hip and then released the nipple, before taking the opposite one into his mouth.

Amos groaned again, arching further, pushing his chest up toward Arsteel's mouth in offering. He whimpered softly.

Once he'd reduced that nipple to the same state as the first, Arsteel slowly released it, whispering in a low, intense voice, "Mine."

Amos shivered, his arousal growing with the possessive tone. "Yours..." he responded, in a needy whisper.

Arsteel trailed kisses down Amos' stomach, until he reached his lover's member. Then, he engulfed that in his mouth.

Amos's breath caught at the action, and he gripped the bed tightly, barely managing to stop himself from thrusting up. The gurgling whimper was barely heard. He was trying so hard to hold still, even breathing was an effort.

Arsteel gently glided his fingers along Amos' hips, pulling back just enough to say, "Don't worry about moving. I can hold you steady." Then, he took Amos' member into his mouth once more.

Amos whined low in his throat, twitching slightly before letting himself relax and react, trusting Arsteel could control him. He squirmed and thrust gently under his lover.

Holding onto Amos' hips tightly, keeping his lover in place, Arsteel continued to suck and gently nip at the sensitive skin of Amos' member.

Amos' whines and moans became louder, and his squirming became more frantic as his arousal grew. He could feel himself tightening in preparation for release.

Arsteel gripped his hips firmly; not tight enough to hurt, but enough to indicate it was time for his lover to release. That he wanted Amos to let go.

At the unspoken command, Amos let go. His body shook as he climaxed, releasing with a gasped moan. When it was over, he lay limp and dazed under Arsteel. 

Arsteel took in every bit of Amos' release before he slowly let go of his lover's member and then crawled up to wrap his arms around his lover.

Amos was too dazed and sated to do anything but cuddle close. "You haven't... yet..." he finally said once his breathing had normalized.

Kissing him gently, Arsteel murmured, "I just wanted to take care of you. Sleep now. I've got you."

"Are you sure?" He kissed back gently, before squirming around so that Arsteel was snugly holding him from behind. He wriggled his backside against Arsteel. "You can if you want... I like it when you do..." he whispered, pulling his mate's arms up just a little more so he could nuzzle Arsteel's hand.

Arsteel nuzzled the back of his neck and then kissed it. "Are you sure?" he asked softly. "I just wanted to take care of you. To make you feel better."

Amos nuzzled a bit more before whispering, "Being yours makes me feel good... feel taken care of. Feel wanted."

"Good. I'm glad. Because you are wanted. Loved. Needed." Arsteel kissed along Amos' spine as he reached out for the lube and coated his finger in it.

"Love you so much..." Amos whispered. "Never thought I could have that."

"We belong with each other. We belong together. And we'll stay together, no matter what happens," Arsteel promised.

"I'll follow you forever, wherever. My place is with you now..." Amos agreed.

Arsteel gently pushed his finger inside Amos, moving slowly and gently.

Amos breathed out slowly as he was breached, allowing himself to adjust before whispering, "I can take more... " He wanted to take everything Arsteel gave him... wanted to stretch as far open as possible, so Arsteel would fill him completely and remake him how he wanted.

Kissing Amos' neck gently, Arsteel coated a second finger in the lube and pushed it inside his lover. He began to move both fingers in slow circles inside his lover, opening Amos wider.

Amos groaned softly, needy and wanting. "Feels good," he breathed out. He wasn't aroused yet, but his member was twitching in interest. "Feels really good... feels right," he added, wanting Arsteel to continue. He didn't need to come again to enjoy being taken and didn't want Arsteel to 'hold back and wait' for him.

Arsteel continued to gently stretch Amos, just using the two fingers, until he finally deemed his lover was ready. Then, he coated his own member in the lube and pushed inside Amos, gently grasping the other man's hips to hold him steady.

Amos groaned softly, giving Arsteel a contented smile as he accepted the older man into him. "Yours," he breathed out, relaxing and pulling his legs open and up so his mate could go deeper... as deep as possible.

"Mine," Arsteel whispered, his voice low and intense, as he began to make deep, firm thrusts inside his lover.

Amos continued to make contented noises as Arsteel thrust, his behavior completely submissive, though he didn't just lay there and 'take it'. He shifted when necessary to meet Arsteel's thrusts; moved so that he'd tighten around his lover, or so that Arsteel could hit the spot inside him that would make him beg.

Arsteel paid attention to Amos' reactions, wanting to give his lover pleasure as well as take his own. He began to thrust deeper, harder, faster, seeking out that one specific spot to ensure they could both release.

"Ah... there... " Amos groaned as soon as Arsteel stroked over the bundle of nerves. It only took a few seconds of rubbing before he was fully hard and leaking pre-cum. "Please, Arsteel... my love... master...." He began begging helplessly, wanting more of the treatment, needing his mate to control him and take him over the edge.

Leaning forward, Arsteel began to press gentle kisses to Amos' skin, covering every available inch. His member grew and swelled inside his lover, and he whispered hoarsely, "Let go. I want us to release together."

Amos's breath caught in his throat and then whooshed out in a breathy gasp as his release overpowered him. He began to spasm and shudder under his mate, whimpering and moaning weakly as his release tore through him.

Arsteel's own release came over him at the same time and his fingers tightened on Amos as he let go, releasing inside his mate.

Once it was over and he'd calmed enough to breathe and talk clearly, Amos whispered, "Thank you... for wanting me... don't... don't think I could handle everything going on if it weren't for you...." He hadn't meant to make the moment heavy... serious... but he felt overcome by a wave of emotion and knew it was true. If Arsteel hadn't stepped in and wanted him, he might have just left the building to be 'stuck' in another world. Or given up entirely. He'd had to start over so many times and losing his chosen family would have been the last loss he'd take, if Arsteel hadn't been there to redirect him.

In answer, Arsteel turned Amos' face towards him and kissed him, tenderly and lingeringly. "I will always want you," he whispered against his lover's lips. "For as long as I live, for as long as I exist, you'll have a home with me."

"Won't leave your side..." Amos whispered, giving a crooked grin before kissing Arsteel back quickly but eagerly. He shifted slightly so he could lock his legs around the older man's waist; a more comfortable position and easier to stay in, especially as his mate was still buried deep in him.

Arsteel kissed him tenderly and then wrapped his arms around Amos, holding him in a close, tight embrace.

Amos snuggled close, nuzzling Arsteel's jaw once the kiss ended. "Love you...' he said softly.

"I love you too," Arsteel murmured, tightening his hold a fraction.

Amos let out a tiny sigh of contentment. "Sleep now?" He sounded drowsy. "I can get a rag to clean up first...."

"Let me. You sleep." Arsteel moved just enough to get a cloth to clean them up, then stretched out alongside his lover once more, wrapping his arms tight around Amos.

As soon as Arsteel was settled next to him, holding him tight, Amos cuddled close and put his head on his mate's chest. Within seconds, he was peacefully sleeping.

***

The next morning came quickly. Colby had slept well, if a bit fitfully, his near drowning leaving him very tired. He might have been worried about possible complications from the event, but from what he gathered, the building seemed to prevent death of the occupants, even if it didn't prevent illness or injury. He decided he wouldn't worry unless he got sick. Considering how tense and somber the room was when he walked into the dining area to inquire about breakfast, he figured it was good he wasn't worried. No need to add more unease to the discomfort everyone seemed to be feeling. He looked around at everyone sat at the dining table. "Am I too late for breakfast?" he asked hesitantly.

"No one's eaten yet," Lee remarked.

Gerry cleared his throat. "Maybe now is a good time to introduce ourselves? Have someone give a rundown of house rules since I don't know them? Figure out what we want to eat and who is going to make it?"

Tom stood up, glancing around at everyone. "Breakfast is an easy fix. I'll get started on that," he remarked. "Anyone have any special requests? We've got fruit, pancakes, cereal...." He paused in thought and then said, "You know, if we get a chance to pick up some chickens in one of the worlds we stop in, they'd be fairly easy to take care of and we'd have a steady supply of eggs."

Faith perked up at that. "They could live in our new greenhouse area! They'd have access to fresh air, sunshine. And, if we did it right, dirt and grass that would give them a nice place for dirt baths!"

Sharon smirked, but it was obvious she was just as interested. "I grew up on a farm..." she admitted quietly.  "I know what type of things we need to get."

Adam nodded. "Let's do it then. Next time we are in an area that permits, we go and get baby chicks. Until then, we have materials we can build the coop and get things ready for them."

Arsteel looked a bit thoughtful as he said, "We might be able to get a couple of goats, perhaps. We likely don't have the space for cows, but goat's milk could be just as good."

"As long as we fenced them away from anything we don't want them to eat... goats eat everything otherwise..." Sharon smiled.

Dorinda smiled and glanced towards the cat, curled up on Joyce's lap. "We might have to keep her away from the chickens."

The cat opened her eyes and yawned, then gave an almost questioning meow before getting to all fours and stretching.

Amos looked at the cat and grinned, reaching over and scritching behind its ears. "She's smart. Think once she knows they are off limits, we won't have to worry."

By this time, Faith, Sharon, and Tom had managed to put together platters of chipped beef gravy, savory biscuits, and fruit. They put it on the table in front of everyone.

"So... building rules? Anything we should know to keep from causing discord or problems?" Lee asked. "Do we need to limit showers so as not to use up all the water? Is there a laundry schedule? Does everyone have an assigned job, or is it whoever discovers it needs doing, does it?"

Colby nodded. "And is there an elected captain or leader or someone who makes final decisions for the group? If we meet up with other people and need someone to maneuver or negotiate?"

"You still feeling okay?" Gerry abruptly asked Artie. He'd been closely watching the two youngest members of the building. He was having a hard time trusting that Artie hadn't become a Zeke. He looked toward Billy, noting the older man looked strained, but otherwise wasn't as furious as he had been the night before.

"We've had some worlds we've gone to that have been dangerous," Arsteel said. "Generally speaking, we don't leave the building alone. We either go in pairs or in groups. If the building is closed off, it's generally for a good reason. We also try to keep active, whether through playing sports or sparring. And when it comes to cleaning, we generally work together." He paused before adding, "As for leaders or captains...myself, Adam and Billy can be considered the ones in charge."

Artie glanced up. He'd been quite quiet, which was unusual for him. Subdued, he nodded to Gerry's question. "Yeah. Just...we didn't get much sleep last night." He glanced at Blue.

Picking at the tablecloth, Blue spoke without looking up. "Now I've got something else to add to my nightmares."

"You're not the only one," Billy muttered under his breath.

Gerry darted a quick look toward the other man, noting the dark rings under his eyes and the still very worried looks he kept giving the two youngest, though he was obviously trying not to be obvious.

Colby slanted his head at Arsteel's answer. "Were you three the first? Is that why you're in charge? 

Billy snorted. "Arsteel's in charge because in his world, he was a leader, so it was natural to just follow him. Adam is in charge because he's the oldest of us all and has so much experience, we'd be fools to ignore his council. Plus, he's our doctor. Not sure why I was listed as one of the leaders, though..." He glanced at Arsteel curiously. "Geralt is just as much a leader as I am...."

Lee blinked and looked at Adam more closely. "You don't look the oldest... how old are you?"

Adam laughed. "Over three thousand. Didn't really keep track in the beginning, so could be off by a few thousand. But pretty sure it's been over three thousand since I started keeping track."

The three newest members fell silent at that.

Billy forced himself to eat, chewing and swallowing mechanically.

Geralt snorted softly. "I'm more than happy to step back and let the three of you take the lead. In my world, I didn't really spend time with a lot of people. There was only one person I could truly call friend." He paused, briefly, thinking about Jaskier. Hoping the bard hadn't ended up getting himself killed, without Geralt there to protect him.

<There are a lot of worlds vastly different to each other,> Elfangor commented. <My kind had not been seen by any of those here until they came to my world.>

"So, if I'm understanding right, Arsteel is defacto leader by everyone's choice. Adam is leader, but mostly when it comes to health-related items. Billy and Geralt don't view themselves as leader at all, but the rest of you view them as such when Arsteel or Adam isn't there to decide?" Lee asked in amusement. It was clear to him that while Billy and Geralt didn't view themselves as leader material, they had those who followed and obeyed them anyway.

Faith smirked, looking at Kung Lao, Sharon, and Amos before nodding. "Sounds about right. I know Sharon tends to follow Geralt and Artie 'n Blue tend to listen to Billy usually."

Amos huffed. "I'll listen to the others if Arsteel says I should. Otherwise, I do my own thing."

"Yeeeeah.... Okay. So, if I'm not sure what to do or someone has to take charge, I should look to Arsteel, then..." Colby said uncertainly. He had no problem following chain of command. He just needed to know what the chain of command was.

Arsteel nodded. "And if not me, then Adam," he said. "But all of us are generally in agreement with each other when it comes to what's expected. One other thing is that everyone who leaves the building is expected to take a radio with them. Staying in contact is important."

"So... what happens if someone forgets the cardinal rule and just leaves the building without informing anyone or taking a radio?" Colby asked curiously. He'd heard murmurings that the two kids had done that the night before and something bad had occurred, though no one had given any details on what exactly had gone wrong.

"That depends on if someone has taken responsibility for you, or not. And if so... who..." Faith said cryptically. While Adam had disciplined her and Kung Lao, neither of them had ever been spanked, so she didn't feel it was her place to mention that occurring. Amos or Sharon could share that information. Or Arsteel or Geralt since they doled out said discipline to their lovers.

"It depends on what works for that specific individual," Geralt said, a little dryly. "Some are a little more hands-on than others."

"Ooookay then..." Colby said hesitantly. He obviously didn't understand what was being alluded to but figured if it was something he needed to worry about, someone would tell him.

Lee's eyes were narrowed thoughtfully and then they suddenly widened in understanding.

Gerry knew immediately, as evidenced by his next question to Billy. "The kids fall under your supervision? That mean you get to handle their actions from yesterday?”

"We never actually made it official," Billy muttered, still obviously unhappy, even if he was calm. "Guess it depends on the kids and if they actually want my supervision. They can lean on Joyce or Dorinda. They can lean any of the others. Doesn't need to be me." He stared at his hands. Maybe it shouldn't be him. He'd lost control over his temper the night before. He always let his emotions get the best of him. He wasn't the best role model.

Blue glanced up from her plate, focusing on Billy. "I know I wasn't really with it when I first came here, but I know you reached out to me. Helped me...feel better about being here. Even if I was still lost inside my head. I trust you," she said simply.

"Yeah...." Artie voiced his own quiet agreement.

"Yeah... I appreciate that. Still..." Billy smiled unhappily. What had happened on that rooftop had terrified him. Until that moment, he hadn't realized exactly how deep the two had got under his skin. How much it would hurt to lose them. And he always ended up hurting the ones he loved. They'd be better off relying on the others.

"You don't want to be responsible for us?" Blue asked him.

"Doesn't matter what I want. It's what's best for you. My first instinct last night... after Artie changed back and everyone was safe? Was to blister both your asses for just running down that stairwell when we were yelling for you to stop." Billy shook his head. "You said yourself, you don't hear in your fugue state. That wouldn't have been fair or right."

"But you didn't," Blue said softly.

Arsteel nodded slowly. "You can't stop yourself from feeling a certain way, but you can control how you react," he said to Billy. "You did the right thing in stepping away from the situation and giving yourself time to calm down."

Billy looked at the two of them. "Maybe. Are you saying you want me in charge if you?" He looked between the two of them. "Because if so? We're going to be having a discussion. And setting some ground rules to prevent that fugue getting you killed."

Artie glanced at Blue before looking at Billy and nodding. "Yeah." He cleared his throat. "I mean, you know, you're kinda like a dad to us, I guess. My parents are back in my world and... well, I died back there. Not sure I'd still be alive even if we did go back."

A sympathetic look crossed over Billy's face, and he cleared his throat. "You'll always have a place with me. Even if we returned to your world and you stayed alive."

"Thanks," Artie said, quietly but with feeling.

Billy nodded. He stared at his now empty plate before seeming to come to a decision. "I'm going up to the greenhouse area. See if we've moved or are in the same place, since the door and windows down here are still gone. If you are serious about this..." he motioned between himself, Artie, and Blue, "come up to talk to me once you are done eating." With that, he carried his empty plate back into the kitchen to put in the dishwasher.

It wasn't long before the others had all finished eating. Blue was the one who took the lead, heading up to the top of the building, to the greenhouse area...though Artie was close behind her.

Billy was standing by the greenhouse 'glass'. The door was gone. They could see clearly, though and it was obvious he was looking out into an expanse of nothingness, with an occasional 'blob' of something that would get just close enough to pick up and drag off a clinging zombie from off the building. "We did move. And apparently, the building felt it necessary to go somewhere where the Zekes couldn't infect an entirely new universe." His voice was strained, and his body was tense. "If Elfangor hadn't been there to grab you and bring you safely back inside, that could have been you." Pain slipped through the strain.

Blue looked out, taking note of one of the zombies that was pulled away from the building, and then looked towards Artie, though she didn't say anything.

Artie swallowed hard. "I'm not really that scared to die," he admitted. "I did once already and...it hurt, but that was from being torn apart and... eaten. But that...turning into a zombie...it was like losing myself."

Billy swallowed hard and shook his head. "Normally, I'd be happy you aren't afraid of dying. But I'd rather you be terrified of dying if it meant you'd stop and think before doing things that would get you killed... take you away from me. I don't want to lose you, kid. Either of you." He gave Blue a pointed look.

"I can quite safely say that I don't have a death wish," Blue said. "But this fugue state...I didn't even really come back to myself until you turned into a zombie and tried to bite me." She glanced at Artie and then focused on Billy. "I know I'm getting better. My mind's a whole lot clearer than it was when we first got here. But I can still slip back."

"The shock of Artie turning brought you back from the fugue. We need a method to shock you back that isn't dangerous to anyone..." Billy acknowledged Blue's words. "And I need to impress on you, the importance of not rushing headlong into danger when you have people who love you, ready to support and back you up." He turned toward Artie. "The two of you aren't alone anymore. We all will do our best to help and protect Blue, so you don't need to exclude the rest of us when you think she needs help."

Artie glanced at Blue, before focusing on Billy. "Even when she was talking to me, I couldn't touch her. She couldn't touch me. I hear what you're saying, but...could you imagine not being able to even touch Joyce? To watch her suffer and be helpless to do anything about it?"

"You ask that like I haven't experienced it before, kid..." Billy said, voice resigned, pained and very sad. "I was married once, before Joyce. And no, I couldn't stand by. But all my actions did was make things worse for everyone around me and for her. And God knows, if it happened with Joyce, I wouldn't be much better. But that's why I told Adam, and Arsteel, and Geralt, and Joyce..." Billy smiled crookedly. "They know what happened before and what I did and why I did it... and if I ever had to face a situation like that again, they'll be there to help me. Stop me if needed. Just like I plan to be for you. Like I am for you. And I have no doubt if I ignored all common sense and ignored them to go off and do things on my own, I'd get what you're going to get."

Artie let his breath out slowly. "I guess it's comforting to know that no one considers themselves above the rules," he said, a slightly wry note slipping into his voice.

"Rules wouldn't be worth much if they didn't apply to everyone." Billy nodded in faint amused agreement.

"Yeah. But some people in positions of authority don't hold themselves to the same standards." Artie shrugged. "Good to have verbal confirmation of what I already knew."

"Those people don't deserve to be in power," Billy asserted. "But I know what you mean."

He glanced at Blue. "Before I address Artie's actions from yesterday, I want to settle things with you. I need to know that whatever I do to bring you out of a dangerous fugue won't cause worse problems later. So, if you have suggestions on what might work... or have some things that I should avoid doing.... now is the time to voice it."

"Talk to me," Blue said. "Ask me questions that require more than a yes or no answer. That might help bring me back from the edge if I haven't slipped entirely." She hesitated. "I can't be certain, but...I think being trapped, feeling like I can't leave, even if I choose not to, might be a trigger."

"I was afraid that was a trigger..." Billy sighed. "Sometimes we have no control over if we can leave or not. If you go into a fugue any time the building goes to a dangerous spot... to the point you immediately take off first chance you have...." He sighed and shook his head. "Punishing you when you are acting out in a fugue state isn't an option. But I promise you that if you ever just take off and you are still capable of hearing and listening? You'll be going right over my knee. In the meantime, I'll try and think of some options that might shock you out of fugue that don't involve restraining you. If talking doesn't work."

"You think maybe running might help?" Artie asked. "I mean, we've got a whole basement now. It's pretty large. You'd fit easily in there, even in your Prowler form. You could have Elfangor or someone with you, in case anything did go wrong, and you needed help."

Blue nodded slowly. "Yes. That might work. Also, if I could get out and run when it is safe to do so, maybe it'll be enough to help calm me when it's not possible to go out."

"That might help everyone... staying active as much as possible. So... we set up a schedule where you can let your prowler out without worrying. I'm sure Elfangor would help if asked. And on the chance it doesn't help, and fugue starts to set in... we'll try other methods." Billy looked at Artie. "Which leaves us with your actions."

Artie winced and nodded, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Yeah," he said quietly. "Uh, so...what do I need to do?"

Billy looked at Blue again. "Will you be okay by yourself for a few minutes? I can have Joyce or Elfangor come up and join you while Artie and I talk in your room."

Blue nodded. "I'm good staying here. I like it up on the roof."

"Okay... someone will be up to join you shortly." Billy smiled before gently grasping Artie's arm above the elbow and leading the boy back downstairs to his room. On the way, he passed Elfangor and asked him to keep Blue company.

As soon as they were in Artie's room, the door firmly closed behind them, Billy turned to the young man. "Do you have anything to say before I turn you over my knee? Any confusion or question about why you are in trouble?"

"No," Artie replied quietly. "It's fairly clear why I'm in trouble. What I did wrong."

Billy nodded. "Then best not put it off any longer, son." Gently, he led Artie to the bed and sat, tugging the younger man over his lap, and pulling him in tight against his stomach, holding him firmly in place. Once Artie was secured, he quickly tugged jeans and underwear down.

Artie took a deep breath, shifting a little, unused to this position. Not sure what to do with his hands, he finally used them to grip hold of the comforter, his body tensing a little.

"Next time, if Blue isn't listening... you take the time needed to let the rest of us know what is happening. And if you are told to stop... you listen." Billy didn't spend long lecturing; they'd already gone over it in length. As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand and let it fall with a firm, stinging swat to Artie's left cheek. He immediately followed it with an equally firm and stinging swat to the right. Soon, he was rapidly swatting bottom and upper thighs, not following a pattern, just letting his hand fall instinctively. Most of the swats fell on unpunished skin, turning Artie's backside a uniform pink, but sometimes, he smacked the same spot two, three, sometimes four times before moving on, just to make certain Artie was focused on him and not becoming distracted.

Artie couldn't help but yelp at the first smack and then continued to react to the swats. He didn't hold back or try to hide his reactions. He gripped the comforter even tighter, his eyes beginning to water quickly as he shifted, unable to help but respond to the sting that was rapidly turning into a burn.

"All we got is each other, kid... and I won't lose you, or Blue, or any of the others because of some misbegotten sense of 'not having time' to get help before acting, or thinking you have to do things by yourself. I won't!" Billy's voice caught and he swallowed back his own tears, brought on by the fear of loss. He shifted the swats to focus on Artie's sit spots, increasing the force and speed fractionally so that the area would quickly become just as red, hot, and sore as the rest of his bottom.

At that, Artie's tears quickly turned into sobs. He slumped, limp, over Billy's lap, no longer even shifting. Somewhere through his tears, he fought to get out a broken apology.

At hearing the sobs and feeling the submission, Billy's hand slowed, finally resting on Artie's lower back. He began to gently rub the younger man's back, even as he offered forgiveness. "It's okay... you're alright. It's over. Clean slate... I know you'll think before running into danger next time," he soothed. "I've got you..." The sense of relief in his tone was clear.

It took a little while, but Artie's tears finally died down to quiet sniffles. He slowly released the comforter, breathing in deeply. "I'll try...and remember next time. That I'm not alone anymore," he whispered hoarsely.

"Good. Because you're not. Neither of you, Blue or you, are alone anymore. I'll do everything to protect you and I know I'm not alone in that," Billy said, kissing the top of Artie's head.

"Yeah." Artie took in a deep, almost shuddering breath. "I believe you."

"You gonna be okay?" Billy asked softly, voice gruff. He gently fixed Artie's clothing then shifted him to hold him on his lap.

Artie nodded slowly. "Yeah. Just a bit...shellshocked," he admitted.

Billy squeezed in a tight hug. "Do you want me to give you time to think? I can take you back up to join Blue..." he said hesitantly, willing to give Artie space, but obviously not really wanting to leave the young man out of his sight.

"Actually, I kind of want to join the whole family. Maybe watch a movie or something all together," Artie admitted.

"That sounds good, son. Why don't we go up and get Blue and Elfangor, then gather the others? We can pick out a movie." Billy hugged again before helping Artie to stand. He stood himself and wrapped an arm around the younger man, to lead him out.

"I'd like that," Artie agreed, leaning on Billy, and letting himself be led. As strange as it might seem to someone on the outside, being taken in hand somehow made him feel like more of a part of the family. Despite the lingering soreness, he was far from unhappy. And being with the rest of his family sounded perfect.

Billy kissed the side of Artie's head again. "Let's get the others then, kid." He sounded happy. For the first time since seeing his kids in danger, he was relaxed. He led his son to meet the rest of their family.