Andrew moved quickly. "hold it right there miss." he ran into the house and grabbed a rollchair with arms and set her in it. "not quite a wheel chair but it'll work."

he took her into the house and looked around for the boy. "now whre did he go?"

"I think that he was in the front entrance way before," she said, still wincing slightly, "he took off to the right, so down that hallway..." she pointed.

Malichai walked in and went after andrew. "Colin..." Malichai called out. shyly the boy poked his head out of a room in view of Eva. "The scary monster is here again! make it leave Mali, please!"

Andrew frowned. "What scary monster?"

he whimpered and pointed to Akane. "that one!!!"

Eva stared at the boy, then looked at where he was pointing. "What is it?" she asked Andrew, "who's there?"

Andrew looked and frowned. "he's pointing at Akane but i don't get it. he's and handsome man...not a monster..."

Akane stared at the child for a moment before turning and heading up the stairs, a look of hurt in his eyes. "he can see my true form. in his eyes i am a monster and when Malichai becomes an angel again, he's see him as nothing but light. the child is a mystic."

these were creatures he preferred to stay away from. he disliked his true form since his fall and the pureist of pure more often then not were unfooled by his guiles, reminding him that on the inside he was nothing short of a monster.

Eva couldn't move, but motioned the boy toward her. "It's okay," she said, "he won't hurt you... not unless he wants me to beat him, that is. What's your name? How did you get here?" She didn't usually like children, but she was worried for this one. He was so pale...

He took a few steps forward, once again clinging to Malichai's leg as he only barely came to waist height on the man. "I'm Colin. Malichai fround me at the park and he brought me here. He says he can help me find my mommy."

Malichai was quite alarmed that the child could be seen by her.

"Um...Andrew..." Malichai spoke quietly. "S-she doesn't know does she?"

Andrew shook his head. "Know what?"

Malichai's eyes widened at this. "n-nothing. just..." he looked down at the small chiled and rubbed his hair. "You stay with Eva for a bit okay? I have to go do some reasearch and i need absolute quiet. don't you worry about that monster either...he has his own agenda right now and won't hurt you. plus you know what? if you wear this, and you see him, you just hold it up and yell at him "the power of Christ compells you!" and he'll run away."

The boy nodded as Malichai handed him a small golden cross on a chain that materialized as he took it off. he smiled brightly and went up stairs.

Andrew stood there silently for a moment, back away slowly. well that was just great...all he needed. he hoped the kid wouldn't figure too many things out. it'd likely burn him.

Eva reached out to the boy slowly, "are you lost?" she asked, "maybe we could help you find your mommy?"

He shook his head as he stepped back a bit. "no. Malichai said he knew where my momy was and he just needed to talk to her. that we'd go together."

"I see..." Eva said, looing at Andrew with worried eyes before looking at Colin again, "where is your mommy? Do you know?" She didn't understand at all.

He whimpered softly, not having anyone to hide behind. "She's in heaven. with grandma and the other children."

his words were cryptic and advanced for one in such a small shape. he had only been six when he was killed.

Eva frowned more at this. She didn't know what to say so she looked at Andrew, wanting an answer, but not knowing what to ask.

He shrugged, eyes wide. "i have no idea."

he looked at the boy. "Are...are you alive?"

Colin looked away and shook his head. "please don't send me away..."

Eva stared in shock. "You're not!?" she almost cried, "but... how can I---" she paused, suddenly realizing what the boy was saying. "You can stay here for as long as you need to," she said, "you're welcome to stay." Something about this boy was familiar to her.

He smiled brightly as he looked up. "Really?! and you won't let the ugly mn get me?"

Andrew shook his head, "i certainly won't. you'll be okay."

Eva wished she could do something to help, but couldn't help but wonder why Mal hadn't already brought the boy to his mother. "Make yourself at home until he brings you," she said, "pick one of the rooms and you can have it." She tried to seem nice, but she was terribly distressed at the fact that she could see this child though he was dead.

he nodded. "thanks. i...kinda already did that. i didn't think anyone could see me. i've been so lonely for a very long time. even other dead people didn't talk to me. and then Malichai came to the park and he saw me and he talked to me and he helped me not feel lonely."

Eva smiled. "Of course I'll talk to you," she said, "you're adorable... and Mal's such a nice guy... I'm glad he's going to help you. But for as long as you're here, I want you to feel welcome. If you need anything just ask, okay?" She looked down at herself, useless in her rolling chair. "I'm... not really able to do anything right now, but when I'm not as bad as I am now I'll do whatever I can for you, er... within reason... okay?"

He nodded and took another step back. "i'm going to go play with my toys. Malichai gave me some really cool boxes and stuff. he said they were his but he wasn't allowed to play with them anymore so he gave them to me. but don't worry, i won't need anything. except maybe someone to talk to. but not right now. i'll let you rest."

Eva wished that he didn't seem so afraid. "I just wanted to put it out there," she said, "but... don't worry about it, okay?" She looked at Andrew again, "We're going to have lunch now... so... have fun playing?" Something felt strange about not inviting the boy to eat, but... dead people couldn't eat, so it might have been seen as mean... or rude... or something. She didn't know the rules o talking to dead people. As far as she could remember, she'd never done it before.

He nodded and skipped off, disappearing into the room behind the stairs again without bothering to open the door.

Andrew looked sad as he watched but then turned back to Eva and wheeled her into the kitchen. "What would you like for lunch?"

Eva frowned slightly. "I... dunno," she said, "um... not macaroni and cheese... after last night I may just never eat it again... but.... something warm... I feel... freezing." She hugged herself slightly, almost pouting unconsciously. Something about that child had her on edge. As though she'd met him before.

He frowned himself. "don't say that. it's my favorite food. but how does potato soup sound? i'll make some toast while we wait."

upstairs Akane sat on the bed in his room with a scowel. he'd have to figure out how to keep that kid away. especially if Eva could see him. that was a mystory in and of it's self but he was far more concerned with why he was able to see Akane true form.

"It's mine too... ooooh...." she licked her lips, "potato leek soup? With toast.... mmm... and butter..." a growl sounded from her empty tummy and she flushed heavily, "apparently that's what my stomach wants," she said.

He chuckled slightly and nodded. "i'll get to work right away on this."

he went about the kitchen, finding everything he needed quickly. he started the toast first, using an entire loaf of bread while the potatos boiled. he then got to washing and cutting the leeks. "he must have had a girlfriend..."