#bergen_county

"You're picking up the staff real good. And I heard about how you protected your mom."

He snorts; it's not pretty. "I -didn't- protect her. Nab had to get help, it was Dirk, -he- ate the monster. I just... screamed a lot." He rubs at his face.

"Do you think she would have been okay if you hadn't found her? Would Dirk have shown up?"

"Nab had to wake me up. None of it was me. I'm not a hero. I just see shit."

She chews on a hangnail, frowning.

He shakes his head, tired. "Sam?" He wipes his arm across his eyes. "Can you make it go away?"

"I can't. I don't know how."

"But it... I..."

"I worry, like.. like it's denying part of who you are, you know?"

"And I worry that... like.. I don't want to lose you."

"Yeah, but if that part's no good, and only hurts people an' stuff....."

"It doesn't!"

"I seen it -today- Sam! Just now, at Lana's. Nab, like, possessed her, and was gonna take her sister or her mom or something an' now they all think I'm nuts an......" He breaks off, looking away.

"They don't think you're nuts. You aren't nuts. Nab sounds like trouble, so we take care of that."

"She's been.... like... a friend. Like. Told me stuff and stuff. And I .... trusted her and today she just.... like.... off the rails, you know? "

She frowns. "Not cool, no."

He scrubs an arm across his eyes again. "Ok, so.... Can't get rid of it, huh?"

"I don't want to.... ya know, hurt you and like that. With.... like, deciding -not- to believe. You know? Sorry."

"I won't..." She sighs. "I won't be able to be all of myself with you, if you forget."

"And I don't think we can get rid of the blood. And... and I think there's people who would... would hurt you, because of it. Even if you don't know or remember. Or your sister."

Adam looks miserable.

"So what am I supposed to do?" In a small voice very unlike his usual.

"I..." She reaches out, touching his arm.

He looks over, green eyes -hurting- and reddened.

"Well, you've got me. And Zane, right? I don't know why Sylvi's been that way... but..."

"You're not nothin' Sam but.... if the Chief says no, it's no, right? And I can't convince her, right? So....."

"Chief said you can come to the Lodge more, though."

"So there's that. And maybe I could take you to Teaneck?"

"What's in Teaneck?"

"Another hold - more sidhe!"

"Yeah. Ok. If you think it's a good idea."

"Well, maybe..."

"I mean, the Lodge has been weird about you."

"I'm like... there aren't that many kinain, shouldn't we be happy?"

"And its nice.. nice having spmeone I don't have to pretend around."

"Like.. May and them? Having to lie?"

"The Gwydion thing happens when I do it, even!"

"What thing is that?"

"Oh..."

"Well, okay, you know how kiths have things?"

"Curses?"

She nods. "And boons. So - satyrs are fast, and sluagh have, like, wicked sharp senses, and trolls are strong?"

"But... satyrs also have big moods, and sluagh whisper... well, houses are like that, too."

"What, all of them? Is that why Nab's there?'"

"So... as a Gwydion, we can sense the truth. Well - more like, can tell if someone is lying."

"What.... you can tell if someone's lying?"

She nods.

"Yeah, it's like a little... twinge? Here?"

"Like... -all- the time?"

"Only when they lie... sometimes I miss it, and it doesn't work on EIluned."