by E. M. Leya
"But I can't. I've tried." Faith sniffed again.
"Tried being comfortable or happy?"
"Comfortable."
Again, Xander wished Matt was here to help with the conversation. He was always so scared that he would say something wrong to Faith, yet, she always seemed to find him when she needed to talk, not her dad. "What makes you uncomfortable?"
"I don't like it here, but it's Dad's house, and if I tell him that looking out the window, looking at the place where that guy grabbed me freaks me out, I'm afraid he'll be mad at me." Faith wiped her eyes.
Xander watched her from where he was sitting on the floor, his back against her bedroom wall. She looked so tiny in her bed, curled up with her blanket around her, the small stuffed zebra in her arms. "Your dad would understand. Is that why you're having a hard time sleeping at night?"
"Some of it, but not all."
"Would you sleep better somewhere else?"
"I think so." Faith looked nervously at him. "But I don't want Dad to have to leave his house."
Xander noticed that not once had she called it her house or their house, it was always Matt's. Hoping that Matt understood, and wouldn't be upset with him, leaned forward just a bit. "Would you like me to talk to your dad? I have a big house with extra rooms. If you want, I'll see if your dad is okay if we go stay at my place instead of here."
"The bad guys don't know where you live?"
"Nope, I promise you'd be safe there if you want to go. The choice is yours."
"What if Dad doesn't want to leave?"
"You know what? I'm pretty sure that your dad would be happy anywhere as long as the two of you are together. His home is anywhere you are." He wanted to move closer and pull her into his arms, give her a sense of security, but because of his own past, he was pretty sure that the last thing she needed right now was anyone holding her. She needed to come to them on her own terms. "How about I go talk to your dad and see if we can head over to my place and see if you like it? If you don't, we can come back here or even get a hotel room for a while, but I know that your dad isn't going to want you to stay somewhere you're not comfortable."
"Did you stay in the same place it happened?"
Xander swallowed hard, memories of his past assaulting him. "For a while, but I hated it too. Things were different for me. I lived with the man who hurt me. I didn't have anywhere to go or anyone to help protect me." He made sure to never mention that it was his own father. He didn't want her to ever think that a father could hurt someone the way the asshole who kidnapped her had. Fathers were supposed to be safe, and for now, he'd keep that part of his story to himself.
"I think I'd be safer at your house." She pulled the stuffed animal tighter to her chest. "You're sure he won't be mad?"
"Nope, he'll do whatever you need to be comfortable. Do you want to go with me to ask him?"
She shook her head.
"You'll be okay while I go talk to him?"
She glanced around the room for a second, then nodded. "You'll come if I scream."
"I will. Just like I did when you woke up a little bit ago." He pushed up, staying close to the wall so he didn't scare her. "I'll be right back, okay?"
"Hurry." She curled tighter into the blanket.
"I will." He smiled at her before leaving the room.
Once in the hall, he blew out a long breath. It was hard seeing Faith go through a lot of the same things he did as a child. The nightmares still woke him from time to time. He admired how strong Faith was. She'd been through hell, and it would be some time before that hell ended completely.
Going into Matt's room, he sat down on the edge of the bed, watching him sleep for a minute. He'd been so tired that he hated to wake him, but if leaving here was what Faith needed, it was worth a few more hours of missed sleep. Once they were safe in his house, he could let them both sleep as long as they wanted to.
"Matt, Matt, wake up." He gently rested his hand on Matt's shoulder.
"Hmm?" Matt rolled, slowly opening his eyes.
"Hey, can you wake up a bit more for me? We need to talk."
"Now?"
"It's about Faith."
That got Matt's attention. He rubbed his eyes as he sat up, then reached for the lamp beside the bed, switching it on. "Is she okay?"
"She had another nightmare. I've been in talking to her for the last hour."
"Shit, I'm sorry. I'll go—"
"Hey, relax. She's okay, but she asked me to talk to you about something she's scared to bring up." Xander gently ran his fingers down Matt's arm, hoping to help him relax.
"What can't she talk to me about?" Matt looked almost hurt.
"She's afraid of hurting your feelings, but she says she hates staying here. She says the bad guys know where she lives, and every time she looks out the window, she sees the place that man took her."
"Fuck, I didn't even think of that."
"I didn't either." Xander let his fingers fall to Matt's hand, linking them together. "I offered to let you guys come stay at my house if she wanted to or get a hotel room. I left it up to her."
"What does she want?"
"To have you guys come stay with me for a while."
Matt nodded as he chewed on his lip for a second as if he was thinking everything over. "Are you okay with that?"
"I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't. I've got plenty of room. It's up to you, but you're both welcome to come stay as long as you need." Xander gave his hand a squeeze. "Faith thinks you'll be mad leaving the house."
"No, not at all, if that's what she needs. It's just a house. Walls. Nothing more." Matt released his hand and pushed back the blankets. "I'll talk to her."
Xander stood, giving Matt room to get out of bed. "If she wants to go now, we can, or we can wait until morning. It's up to you two. Tell her she can pack a few things and we'll go anytime she wants. The rest of the stuff, I can come back and get later for her."
Matt reached out and grabbed hold of Xander's arm. "Thank you. I never heard her scream tonight."
"She didn't scream, but I heard her crying. She's okay. We have some good conversations. You needed your rest."
"Thank you." Matt leaned in and kissed Xander softly. "I never meant for you to get mixed up in all this."
"Hey…" Xander cupped Matt's cheeks, forcing him to look directly at him. "I'm where I want to be, okay? Don't ever think you're making me do anything. I'm worried about both of you. I'll do anything I can to make this easier for you two, for us."
The two of them had never really discussed what was going on between them, but Xander figured it was clear to both of them there was more than just casual sex going on. It was hardly the time to have this discussion, but it was one he hoped the two of them would have soon.
Matt closed his eyes, leaning in, wrapping his arms around Xander as he rested his head against his chest. "Thank you."
Xander kissed his temple. "You're welcome. Now go see your daughter. Find out when she wants to leave."
Matt nodded as he pulled back, giving Xander a long, tired look before he turned and headed out of the room.
As Xander watched him go, he wondered when his heart became so involved in everything that was going on, and why for the first time in his life, he was excited to see what the future held.
He sat on the bed, wondering if he should start helping pack a few things when Faith and Matt walked back into the bedroom. "Hi." He smiled, patting a spot on the bed.
Surprising him, Faith jumped up and sat right beside him.
"I was telling Faith that we can go to your place, but she has to understand there might be new rules there that she has to follow, and she needs to remember to leave your stuff alone." Matt sat down on the other side of the bed.
"Not a lot of different rules. You'll still have to help with the dishes and cleaning, just like you do here." He smiled when she moaned. "The only new rule I might have is I have been building a fire pit in the backyard over the summer, and if you're going to l
ive there with me for a while, you and your dad are going to have to help me finish it, so we can have a barbecue. Oh, and when my friend Dyson comes over, you have to beat him in Mario Kart, because I've tried and can never win."
Matt laughed. "Leave it to you and Dyson to fight over Mario Kart."
"I don't like losing, especially to him. If Faith beats him, I won't feel too bad," Xander teased.
"I can do that." She glanced at her dad. "You're really not mad?"
"Not at all. I wish you'd told me sooner. I didn't even think about that bothering you, but it makes sense it would. We can find a new house somewhere and sell this one. We'll get a house that we both like." Matt reached over and ran his hand through her hair. "I want you to be able to talk to me about things like this. If I'd known this bothered you weeks ago, we could have saved you from being scared all this time." He gripped her knee. "I love you, and you come first. I'm not going to choose a house over you, Pumpkin."
Xander winked at her. "Told you he'd be just fine with it."
"Thank you for letting us stay with you."
"You're welcome. I think we'll have fun." Xander had no clue if Faith would like his house, but if it helped her feel safe, he'd sign the whole place over to her.
Matt looked over Faith and smiled at Xander. "Thank you," he mouthed.
Xander nodded back, hoping that Matt was really okay with them moving in with him. He'd just taken them from dating to living together in a matter of twenty minutes, and because it was what Faith wanted, Matt hadn't really had a choice. Maybe he should have talked to Matt before offering his place, but his first reaction had been to help Faith feel safe. It was something they were going to have to talk about.
One of many things they needed to discuss, because like it or not, things were getting serious, and if they didn't talk it over soon, they were both going to be lost in the roller coaster of emotions they seemed to be riding lately. No matter what the future held, he didn't want to see Matt or Faith hurt, and that meant things needed to slow down, or they were going to crash and crash hard, and as hard as it would be for Matt and Faith, Xander worried even more what would happen to him.
"So, when are we leaving?" Xander asked.
Faith glanced at her dad. "In the morning. I'll be okay tonight." She sounded braver than she looked.
"Okay, then in the morning, we'll figure out what you want to take. We don't want to clutter Xan's house with a bunch of junk," Matt said. "Once we get settled there, we can start looking for a new house that we both like. But I need you to be honest with me from here on out. If something bothers you, talk to me. I can't help you if I don't know."
Faith nodded. "I promise." She turned to Xander. "Do you have a dog?"
Xander shook his head.
"Do you want one?" She looked up at him, hopeful.
Matt laughed as he reached over and lifted her off the bed. "That's enough for tonight. Back to bed. If we're moving tomorrow, you're going to need your sleep."
Faith laughed. "Night, Xan."
Xander waved. "Sweet dreams."
As he watched Matt and Faith leave the room, he realized he was fucked. No matter how hard he tried not to let his heart get involved, it already was, and that meant it was going to hurt like hell when Matt finally moved on.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Matt glanced over at Bryon as he parked the car. "You sure it's okay we came?"
"I think she'll be happy to meet Faith." Bryon glanced into the back seat and smiled at Faith. "There is something about seeing the good you do standing right in front of you."
Matt wondered if that was how the team felt seeing Faith. It was rare that they ever found out what happened after a sting. With Faith, they saw first-hand how it was for the child to be reunited with her family and try to start living again.
"Who is she again?" Faith asked as she stared out the window at the small house.
"Her name is Gretchen Price," Matt told her. He'd hesitated, trying to figure out how much to tell Faith, but she deserved to know that the woman had a hand in helping get her home. He'd talked to Bryon about it before they came. Smiling at Faith, he hoped she would understand. "You have to promise me you won't tell anyone what I'm about to say. It could get a lot of people in trouble, but it's because of Gretchen the police were able to find you."
"Really? What did she do?" Faith's eyes went wide.
"Have you ever heard of a psychic?" Bryon asked.
"Don't they see into the future and talk to dead people and stuff like that?" Faith wrinkled her brow.
"Some, but what Gretchen does is see people in trouble, like you were. She then gives the police information on what she sees. Like she might say, big lake by a cabin, with horses close by. It's not an exact location, but sometimes it's enough to help people know where to look," Matt explained.
"But, a lot of people don't believe in that stuff, so we have to make sure we don't tell anyone what Gretchen does because it could make people be mean to her." Bryon opened the car door.
"Okay." Faith pushed her door open and waited for Matt to come around and take her hand. She was still nervous in new places, and around people she didn't know, but she was slowly getting used to Bryon and the rest of the team the more they hung out at the team house.
They walked up to the front door together, Matt hoping that coming here was the right thing. They'd made an appointment for a psychic reading, wanting a cover for what they were really going for.
As Bryon knocked, Matt held his breath.
The door swung open and Gretchen smiled. "I knew you were coming." She patted Matt on the cheek without even a hello, then turned to Faith. "You must be Faith." Gretchen grinned at her. "You don't know how much it warms my heart to see you."
Faith blushed. "Thank you for helping them find me."
"Oh, honey, it was my pleasure." Gretchen nodded to the door. "Come inside and have some lemonade. I know we have much to discuss."
Matt got the feeling the last comment was directed at Bryon. It was almost eerie wondering how much this woman really knew about everything going on.
"We'll sit in the backyard, if that's okay." She led them through the house and into the backyard. "I just love summer. Everything is so fresh and pretty."
"Wow, look at all the flowers." Faith looked at the yard in awe.
"Go smell them. I'll have your lemonade here when you're done. It's always good to smell the roses." Gretchen laughed as she set a pitcher on the table with four glasses before sitting down. "She looks good. I'm glad you found her." She turned to Matt as he watched Faith walk around the small yard.
"It was because of you. If you hadn't given us that information, she might not have ever come home. I don't know how to thank you." Matt had tears in his eyes as he looked at Gretchen. "You saved her life."
"Now, I don't know about that, but I'm glad I could have a hand in getting her home. I'm guessing you didn't give my information to the police. They never seem to follow up on anything I give them."
Matt shook his head. "I was lucky enough to have friends."
"Which brings us to you." She patted Bryon's hand, staring into his eyes. "You do some interesting work."
"I'll take that as a compliment." Bryon smiled. "I was hoping you might work with us."
It was odd not to hear Bryon explain the job or what the team did. It was as if Gretchen already knew everything.
"You are a believer?" She asked Bryon.
He gestured to Faith. "How can I not be? It was your information that allowed us to find her and the other girls."
"You are resourceful. I didn't give you much to go on."
"It was enough for my team," Bryon said proudly.
"So, what would you need from me?" Gretchen asked as if she didn't already know.
Matt bit back a smile.
"Just the same information that you've been giving the police. Unlike them, we will follow up on it as soon as it's in our hands. My team will go in, take care of what we do, then le
ave the rest for the police. No one would ever know you were involved, in fact, I'd like to keep you as distant from the team as I can. It's safer for you that way."
Gretchen nodded. "I've seen images of things, but don't know all the dastardly details, which is probably best. If any of my information can bring a child home, then I am more than happy to assist."
"I was hoping you'd say that. We'll pay you as well. You would be an official member of our team."
"I don't need the money." She waved him off.
"Need it or not, it's yours. Do what you want with it," Bryon insisted. "What I was thinking, is when you have something for us, you could just give Matt a call and ask him and Faith to come visit. It will look like nothing more than Faith coming to see her grandmother or something of that sort. You can pass the files to Matt, and we will take it from there."
Gretchen smiled as she looked out in the yard where Faith was watching a ladybug climb up her arm. "I'd like a granddaughter."
"She'd be happy to have you as another grandma." Matt smiled.
"Now, I get information on a lot of things. Not all of it is in the news, do you want that as well?"
"Anything that has to do with children being hurt, kidnapped, or even abused," Bryon said.
"Sadly, I should keep you pretty busy." She sighed as she stood. "I'll be right back."
Matt looked at Bryon. "I like her."
"So do I, but it's kind of scary thinking how much she must know about each of us."
Matt blushed. "She knew about Xander and me before we'd let anyone know."
"That's how she won your trust?" Bryon laughed.
Matt nodded. "No one knew, but she did. It proved a lot to me."
"I guess it would." Bryon glanced up as Gretchen walked back out.
"Here you go." She set a large stack of files down. "This is everything I have given the police in the last ten years. I'm guessing none of it has been researched. Some may be too old to do anything with, but once a pedophile, always a pedophile. They don't change. So, even if we can't help some of the kids from the older cases, the information may lead you to new ones." She stared at the files. "I don't know why I see so much of this. My sister, she had the gift too. She only saw happy things. She could predict the sex of a baby before the mother even conceived. Me, I can see all that too, but I also get this." She waved her hand at the file.