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If someone had told Lauren Sinclair that she was going back in time because of a stupid mistake by her partner, she would have run to the mental hospital to report that a patient had escaped. But there she was, who knows how many years back, walking the ancient streets of Ardhalis in a district she did not recognize, and not knowing where to go or what to do.
The icy wind was creeping through her coat and the sky was getting darker and darker, soon she would have to seek shelter or else she would spend the night in the street. Well, the truth was Lauren hoped she could get back on her timeline before that happened. She wish Kieran could ...
Kieran.
That idiot had gotten her into this mess out of sheer incompetence. Who in their right mind shoved their partner into a box that clearly read "Time Machine" on a Scythe experiment base? Okay, she admitted that it sounded pretty unlikely that such a device would work, but still.
Kicking a rock angrily, she found herself yelling at nothing.
"Kieran, you idiot, when I get my hands on you you're going to pay for it!"
Suddenly a loud sound reached her ears from a nearby alley, piles of wooden boxes fell to the ground, splintering them. From the corner of her eye she could clearly see how someone was rushing to hide inside, taking advantage of the cover of the fallen boxes.
Lauren took the pistol that was resting in her pocket, and walked over quickly. She was not going to allow some degenerate from the past to follow her, so she plucked up her courage and stood at the entrance holding the pistol confidently. The alley had no exit and was littered with metal bars, broken boxes and old papers. It must be a landfill.
She peered out of the pile of trash, but the only thing she could see through the scrap was a head hiding in the dark.
"Who's there?" She asked without lowering the gun.
"Please don't take me back." Lauren was surprised to hear such a small voice. She definitely did not expect it to be a child hiding in there and immediately put her weapon away, so as not to scare him more than she surely had already done.
"Come on little one, you can go out. I'm not going to hurt you."
The boy hid deeper into the darkness like a frightened kitten, and Lauren felt a pang of concern at the thought that he might be hurt among the rusted metals.
"Easy, I promise I won't hurt you, but you have to get out of there. It's dangerous and you can get hurt by accident."
Perhaps because of the softer tone in her voice, he finally dared to peer out of the shadows and their gazes met. His bright blue eyes looked at her uncertainly, as if he feared that at any moment she was going to lunge at him.
"Just a moment ago you were screaming that, when you put your hands on me, I was going to regret it. I have no reason to believe that you won't hurt me "
Lauren's mouth dropped open in shock and then she recognized her partner, Lune's other half and her fellow battle, only many years younger. Her little hands precariously held a piece of wood falling on his head, sending a chill through her.
"Come on Kieran, please get out of there. I wasn't yelling at you, I was ... upset by a friend from work... whose name is the same as you. Sometimes he's an idiot, but you're not to blame for anything. I promise you. I'm really not going to hurt you in any way "
Little Kieran looked at her indecisively for a few moments and began to carefully exit the alley. He had barely advanced a few steps when the wooden mountain lost stability and tumbled to the ground. He watched in terror as a particularly sharp piece fell towards him, when suddenly Lauren threw herself and pulled them both out of the splinters.
Their bodies rolled across the ground with a thud, the impact momentarily obscuring Lauren's vision as she held the little boy protectively.
Kieran sat up with a groan, and before he could say anything he found himself in Lauren's arms, her eyes roaming up and down searching for any injuries.
"Are you okay, Kieran? Does it hurt somewhere?"
He didn't answer right away and then she realized that he didn't know her at all. It must have been too strange for him that a random person began to treat him with such familiarity, and she stepped back to give him space. His little blue eyes were staring at her in bewilderment, as if he were looking at a puzzle with the wrong pieces.
"I'm sorry I scared you" she murmured uncomfortably. For such a small boy, he had quite a penetrating gaze.
"Who are you?"
She was silent for a few seconds, unable to answer such a simple question. What was she supposed to answer? Am I your partner who traveled in time? I am your friend, but you are going to know me many years later? Or how about: I am your partner in crime, whom you decided not to kill so that I could help you bring down a criminal organization to which, by the way, you also belong?
Lauren did not consider herself a ego-filled person, but she was sure that if a seven-year-old Kieran told her to quit drugs after giving him any of these explanations, this one would deflaute until it desappeared.
"I'm ... a police officer." At least she didn't tell a lie.
Kieran wrinkled his nose in discontent as if the word 'police' sucked, and in that moment Lauren was pretty sure that his life's purpose was to annoy her up.
"I don't like policemen," he finally declared.
"Oh, no?"
"No. They are bad. They take us out of the parks and squares because they say we bother people, but it's not true"
"We? Who are they getting out of the squares?" She knelt on the hard floor to be at eye level.
"To the children who do not have a mother"
Oh.
Lauren's heart clenched painfully and she finally studied him carefully. His small body was covered with torn pants and a shirt that was too big for him. He must be freezing. Guilt spread through her stomach like poison ivy. She was warm and comfortable in her coat while he shivered with cold.
The light from the streetlights came on one by one, illuminating the solitary streets. Kieran watched as she removed her coat and wrapped it around him. It still had the warmth of her body, and he quickly shoved his hands up the sleeves, soaking himself in it.
"Thank you" he whispered. His breath formed little clouds of vapor in the wind.
This was definitely not the childhood Lauren had envisioned for Kieran, but it explained a lot. It would be easier for the Scythe to persuade and manipulate a child who grew up with nothing, knowing closely the hunger, cold, and contempt of society.
The need to do something for him was born inside her. He was so small ... life proved once again to be a bitch.
"Are you hungry, Kiki?" The affectionate nickname came from her lips so naturally, that for a moment she didn't understand what she had said until he lowered his gaze to hide his flushed face. He was not used to displays of affection.
"At this time all the stores are closed. We will have to wait until tomorrow to get something to eat"
Not all stores were closed. Lauren could clearly remember one open by the river, surely they could find something there.
"I know a place. Let's go."
Kieran took a moment to look at her outstretched hand before taking it. The coat trailed behind him in a funny way, hindering his steps and making him look like a duck. Oh, Lauren was going to torment him with that later, when she got back to her time ...
When she came back.
That thought suddenly sent a bucket of cold water over her head. Once she returned to her time, Kieran would be alone again. He would go hungry, he would be cold, and he would still be rejected by people. The Scythe would find him and they would try to turn him into a monster. Her presence there would not change his destiny.
On the other hand, she wasn't quite sure what things she was allowed to do without causing some change in the timeline. God, it was complicated. But surely feeding a hungry child wouldn't change anything, would it?
"You have beautiful eyes"
The sound of his voice brought her out of her thoughts. He watched with curiosity the way the light from the streetlights danced on them, the intermittent mix of light, shadow and movement making it look like a living flame.
"Thank you. Your eyes are also very pretty."
Lauren was grateful that he was just a little boy at the time, as she could say these kinds of innocent comments to him without his ego inflating like a balloon. She knew that if she ever said that to the adult Kieran, he would not leave her alone for the rest of her life.
"My mom used to say that I had my dad's eyes, but I don't remember what he was like. Do you remember your dad?"
She didn't expect the sudden lump in her throat those words would bring. Ignoring his question, Lauren pointed to the open store in front of them.
"Look, it seems like we're finally here. Wait for me here."
She released his small hand and walked to the glass doors, blinking tears away from her eyes. Her shoes echoed against the cobblestones of the street, and she tried to focus on that rather than the effect his words had on her. This version of Kieran was dangerous to her heart.
Kieran watched her go into the shop and went over to wait by the river. The wind was chilly, if it weren't for the coat he would be shivering right now. When a new icy blast blew through his hair, he buried the face in the soft fabric and a perfume filled his nostrils. It smelled like ... flowers, vanilla, and something else he couldn't identify. Smoke?
It was a bit funny that she smelled like smoke. His childish mind made him imagine that she was the sun, and had come down at night disguised as a human to give him the warmth he needed. That would also explain why her hair was red and her eyes like two pools of gold.
In the stories his mother used to read to him, there were sometimes magical beings who helped people. She could easily be one of them. Perhaps his mother from heaven had asked the sun to come down to take care of her son. Or maybe she asked a more distant star, one high up in the sky from where she observed him every day.
"They only had cookies and juice, I hope you don't mind" Lauren's voice made him jump out of his reverie. She couldn't help but laugh, he really did look like a kitten.
Kieran carefully watched the way she smiled, hoping to find something to confirm his suspicions. Her cheeks were flushed from the wind and her hair cascaded over her shoulders, contrasting with the white shirt. He could almost swear she was glowing, or he wasn't sure if it was a streetlight effect. He only knew that one word kept coming to his mind.
"Pretty," he murmured in his small voice.
"Excuse me, did you say something?" Lauren handed him the box of cookies, and he quickly grabbed one so he had something to put in his mouth. For some reason he couldn't understand, he felt extremely embarrassed.
"Umm ... I was wondering what your friend was like, the one with the same name as me."
The two walked to sit on a nearby bench, surrounded by trees. She seemed to think very well of that question as she nibbled on a pecan cracker.
"Well, he looks like you."
"But you yelled at him that he was an idiot. Am I an idiot?"
Not now, but in the future you will be, she wanted to say. But his big blue eyes reminded her that this Kieran was still innocent, had dreams and was not yet reached by the darkness of the world. This Kieran wasn't broken yet.
"No, what I mean is that he also has blue eyes and dark hair like yours. Actually he is ... a good person. He is somewhat stubborn and a cheeky flirt, but he is very intelligent and loyal. And he keeps his promises . "
The sound of the night enveloped them. There were only them, the moon and the wind. It was funny how Lauren had returned so many years ago, only to find that in the end the two of them seemed to be connected at night. And even more curious how they had come to be called Lune, as if they had known it all that time.
Kieran's eyes began to feel heavy with sleep. It was late and exhaustion was beginning to pull him.
"Sounds ... like a good friend" he yawned.
Lauren pulled him into her arms and covered him with the coat. Distant lights flashed through the leaves of the trees and danced across his small face.
"He is."
When she believed that he had finally fallen asleep, a whisper reached her ears.
"What is this smell ...?"
She looked puzzled at the boy on her lap and frowned. Was he talking half asleep?
"I don't know, I don't smell anything. Why? Does my coat smell funny?"
"You smell like ... home"
Lauren went blank, holding Kieran as she tried to process what had just happened, and her heart melted in her chest. She definitely loved this version of his partner. She wished that she could change him from time to time.
The bells of the clock tower marked the time, sending their echo throughout the sleeping city. Kieran had passed away, his lashes casting shadows over his rounded cheeks. Apparently both would have to sleep on the street.
Lauren had started to get used to the idea when Kieran's annoying grown-up voice forced her to open her eyes.
"I finally find you, Detective. I've been looking for you all over town."
"Shhhh, shut up Kieran." She whispered in disgust. Kiki lay fast asleep in her arms, she didn't want his older version to wake him up and make him lose faith in the future by seeing his horrible face.
Kieran looked at her in amusement.
"I see you've made a friend, but it's time to go back to ..."
His eyes found himself sleeping in Lauren's arms and the words died in his mouth. He could only gaze breathlessly at the scene in front of him, the memories that lay deeply buried in his subconscious hitting him hard in the chest.
"You were such a lovely boy, Kieran. Why did you have to grow up?" she joked.
His mouth felt dry as he tried to answer something coherent. She had no idea how much she had meant to him that night. The night when he began to believe that humanity could be beautiful, when he wanted to learn to put the moments he wanted to preserve on paper.
The night her eyes carved so deeply into his soul, that he couldn't kill her when they met in that alley years later.
"I ... I thought for a long time that I had dreamed of this moment. I thought you were the product of the imagination of a child who was trying to make his life a little more bearable ... But it was all real."
Kieran watched her with amazement, appreciation, and another emotion Lauren couldn't identify. Silence spread, there was no need to say anything. They both just stood there, staring at each other with such intensity that tension could be felt in the air.
Kiki shifted in Lauren's arms diverting her attention, and Kieran cleared his throat looking everywhere but at her.
"It's ... it's time to go back, detective."
"But ..." she didn't want to leave him there, asleep alone on a bench. She knew she had to come back sooner or later, but leaving him hurt on an almost physical level.
"Don't worry about him ... about me. I'm still alive, as you can see. Just ... let time run its course."
"I know, but that doesn't make it any easier. You're just a kid, you shouldn't have had to go through all this."
Kieran looked at her and smiled. She definitely had a soft heart underneath all that hard shell.
"I promise you things will improve. Eventually. I'll wait for you on the bridge to leave when you're ready."
When Kieran was lost in the distance, Lauren stroked the boy's head and kissed his forehead goodbye as she tucked him in. She knew she was never going to see him like this again, and she tried to keep this image in her mind. His disheveled hair, his long eyelashes, his parted lips.
"You're doing great, Kiki. I'm proud of you" she whispered and started running towards the bridge, fighting with herself not to look back. Her eyes stung with tears, she felt stupid for crying over something like that.
When she reached the bridge, Kieran was waiting for her in silence. The icy wind billowed his dark coat as he draped it over her shoulders, and they prepared to leave.
"Me too."
"What?"
Kieran took something from his pocket and handed it over. It was a withered daisy wrapped in a handkerchief, her mother's initials embroidered in it.
This time, tears overflowed her eyes as she looked at him. Her mother had given her that handkerchief when she was a child, but she had lost it in the flames of the train explosion. And that partially burned daisy ...
The soft smile he gave her at that moment as he wiped her tears with his thumbs was nothing like the ones she was used to. The night breeze and the sound of the waters under the bridge filled their ears, the moment was suspended in time.
"I'm proud of you too, darling" he said at last, his voice echoing soft and deep "You also are doing it great"