"No," she cried shoving it away. Verona didn't look up at Ezekiel to know what he looked like, his face was probably pained in some way.
"You just don't care do you," she asked, her face hidden through blond hair. "You don't care if you just waste your life away and die do you!? It doesn't matter to you what happens later, you only want now! You don't think about things Ezekiel! If you die from drinking too much, what is going to happen, huh!? Am I just supposed to sit here and be perfectly happy with it? Is that what you think?"

Standing up now, Verona was staring up at him, her face still stained with tears.

"Do you think I will just go on and forget about you like you were never even here..?"

Ezekiel was nearly in tears at this point. He had been drinking to get away from exactly what he wanted and now he had what he wanted. He had been happy for at least a brief glimpse of time, truly happy, and hadn't changed.

"Look at me, Verona," he said. "Just please look at me."

He didn't actually want her to look at him after he said that and he turned slightly so the bruise wouldn't be as prominent when she looked at him.

"I drank because I was afraid that if I got too happy or too excited I'd change. I didn't care if I just wasted away because nothing really mattered before. Now I've found you... I can be as happy as I want without being punished by my father, or killing someone, or getting more scars. I'm not perfect."

The tears were streaming down his face at this point because he was so afraid that he was going to lose her. If she left he didn't know what he would do.

"Don't cry please.." she said wiping at her face.
"I just.. I am scared that one day I am going to wake up, and you're going to be gone! And then I'll have nothing Ezekiel! I don't want to go back into town and face your brother, or my parents, or anyone! I don't want you to disappear from my life."

Pulling his body to hers, she cried against him now, her arms wrapped tightly around him.

"I'm just scared I am going to lose you somehow Ezekiel.."

It was true, she was scared. Even if the drink didn't kill him, Eric would, and she didn't doubt that if he had a chance, he would.. It seemed like something he would do to someone, just to get them out of his way.

Ezekiel wrapped his arms around her. He didn't feel awkward having his shirt off in front of her but he was frightened at the same time. She'd see his flaws when he was like this.

He finally stopped crying after a minute and tried to regain himself. He pulled away from her slightly to brush some hair away from Verona's face.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I won't leave. Just please don't 'immitate' me when I'm drunk. It hurts."

The addmitance was blatant and one of his fingers lightly traced a scar that had formed on his arm.

Wiping Ezekiel's face more, Verona's face seemed resentful now, "I'm sorry..."

Leaning up, she popped him a quick kiss, before taking his hand.

"Come on," she said quietly. "Let's go back, there is no use in staying out here anymore."

Pulling him with her, Verona began to walk back towards Helen's home, and along the way, picked up Ezekiel's jack.
"I'm sorry," she said again, not really looking at his upper body.

Ezekiel notice how he wasn't looking at his upper body and he felt a slight pang of guilt run through him. He felt awkward and took his hand back just so he could follow her.

Watching her as they went back into Helens house he sat down in the chair. Helen was there still though and welcomed them back to the house.

"Now darling," Helen said to Verona. "If he does anything offensive give him a good whap over the head. Then he'll listen most definitely."

Helen just laughed at this when Ezekiel glared at her.

((watching The Lake House, good movie although I have a feeling it doesn't end well.))

Laughing a little bit, Verona looked back at Ezekiel, "I think he'll be fine now.."
Helen only smiled with one eyebrow peaked as she looked cautiously between the two.

"Umm Helen, what time is it," Verona asked. Her eyes hurt from crying, and she was beginning to get a bit of a headache from the crying as well.

Hopefully the sun would go down soon so she would have an excuse to sleep. At this point, she really didn't care much for Ezekiel sleeping with her, but the arrangements had be made.

(Haha, oh my God. XD)

Ezekiel glanced at her and then to Helen. She was waiting for something to happen, worried she'd just run away from him now.

"I made a cot for you in a room," Helen said. "So you can sleep in there and have some privacy."

Ezekiel didn't say anything but just sat there or a moment. Finally he got up and walked out of the house and looked across at the sky.

It was darkening out slightly but it was mostly from the clouds that were gathering overhead. There would be a storm later that day, it was obvious with the darkened undertone to the clouds.

Ezekiel paused though when he saw what looked to be a lion near the horizon and became perplexed.

((movie ended better than I thought))

Smiling, Verona nodded, and then watched Ezekiel leave.
'I guess I made him mad,' she thought as her smiled disappeared.
Stepping towards Helen, she smiled again, "Could you please show me where it is..?"

Obviously she had no idea where anything was considering she had just gotten here, and apparently Ezekiel didn't care to be near her.

Helen only nodded, and began to lead Verona towards a small wooden staircase.
She could tell that this place was very old..

As they emerged at the top of the stairs, Verona saw a fairly clean looking room, with a bed that looked surprisingly large to be in the house.

"I knew you were coming," Helen said tough not admitting to her power of foresight. "I thought you might like something a little more comfortable. You might want to be a little lighter on Ezekiel. He could have some bad things coming soon."

Ezekiel ws watching the lion as he moved across the horizon. It roared slightly and he tried to look at it closer. He sat down where he was and then laid down.

He was stuying the sky from what was in there. He was only slightly interested in what was happening. He hated the situation now. He would just be going to sleep there. The only thing that would convince him was knowing that Verona accepted the way that he looked.

"Thank you," Verona said with quite a big smile upon her face. She began to walk around the room, looking at every little thing, and then stopped at a window.

Peering out, she saw the sky in it's purple-ish glory, the sun going down beautifully. No where did she see Ezekiel though, and she was actually hoping for that..

Exiting the room, she practically ran down the stairs, and out the door in search for him. After a second, she did spot him, and felt dumb for overreacting, but even now she felt a bit better.
Walking over to him, she bit her lip, "Hey, are you mad at me..?"

That was certainly the way it had seemed at least.

And it was now that Verona really looked at his torso.
He had so many scars... You could tell they had been made from his father, and a few were a mystery..
She only cringed, no words said.

Ezekiel had almost started to doze of when he heard Verona speaking. He saw the cringe and he startled slightly. He crossed his arms over his torso so the worst scars couldn't be seen.

Looking up at her wide eyed he was glad the lion could no longer be seen. He had a feeling he knew who it was and he'd have to talk to him later, find out what chaged him.

"I'm not mad at you," Ezekiel said after a while. "I just thought... It's just... I'm sorry I'm not good enough for you."

He couldn't really think of the words to apologize for how he looked. He felt repulsive usually and he stared at his feet like an abandoned child.

Looking down on Ezekiel, she sighed, "Okay now get up."

Grabbing Ezekiel's arm, Verona began to drag him back into the house. Helen stared at the two as Verona continued to pull him around, and eventually up stairs.


"We need to talk Ezekiel," she said solemnly as she released him.
"Stop apologizing to me, and stop acting like you're a plague to humanity or something, okay? Stop acting that I don't enjoy being near you, and that I am going to run away and leave you. Ezekiel, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I love you the way you are. All your scars, all your drinking, everything. I just don't want to wake up and find you dead one day.. I would rather live with worrying about that though, than never see you again..."

As she came to a stop, she seemed out of breath, and smiled slightly. "There," she said. "All done."

Ezekiel listened and got up. When he began to get dragged towards the house he followed almost willingly. He didn't really understand what they were talking about.

When they were behind the closed door he listened to her. He looked for a moment at the surroundings.

"I'm just scared," Ezekiel admitted.

He touched her face gently, admiring everything about it. Brushing the hair away he could feel a chill go down his spine. He moved so that his back to her. He walked to the bed and sat down. He looked vulnerable like this, with the scars shwoing.

His mind felt like it was racing and he could barely tell what he was thinking about. There were some disconnections in his mind for why he was the best thing that happened to her.

"Ezekiel.."

Verona took a seat beside him, and turned his face to look at her. "I am not going anywhere, okay?" Wrapping her arms around his chest, Verona closed her eyes as she held him. "That is one thing that I guarantee you I will never do... I won't, okay?"
Looking into his eyes now, she kissed his cheek.

"I love you," she said. "Period. And there is nothing that you or Eric can do to stop it, mm-kay?"

Pulling him back into her arms, she smiled, "There isn't any reason to be scared, I promise.."

(short.)

Ezekiel just nodded after she spoke. He had smiled slightly when she'd kissed him on the cheek but other than that there was no response.

"I'll sleep outside tonight," he said after a moment. "You seemed angry at me."

He looked at her with a slight smile. He would do nearly anything for her, just to make her happy. He'd always seen himself alone as the head of the company when he was older. Now that was all gone.

Someone could be heard coming in downstairs. A gasp could be heard from Helen and then Sebastian shouting about something. It quieted after a moment and then everything was still.

After the sudden commotion downstairs, Verona blinked, and then began again.
"No, you are sleeping up here with me, the bed is plenty big enough."

Motioning to the bed she smiled,"See?"

Getting up from the bed, she began towards the stair, wondering what could have possibly happened.

"Come one," she told Ezekiel, motioning for him to come.

Ezekiel froze slightly when he heard a slight growl, it was low and barely audible. He took Verona by the arm and pulled her towards him.

"I'm afraid I can't let you go down there," he said shutting the door.

There was another sound downstairs and silence again. Helen was taking care of Sebastian now, making sure he was properly clothed before the guests came down to ask what was happening.

"Hey," Verona screamed at him. "That's not fair."

Swinging open the door, she stared at the end of the steps, it seemed that Ezekiel had already gone down.
It wasn't like that would stop her anyway.

No fair! How come Ezekiel gets to go down there and scope things out?
So what if he was a boy, that would have nothing to do with it.

Walking down the stairs, Verona peered around the corner.
As the coast seemed clear, she began to slowly walk around the corner, see, nothing was happening.

Walking a bit further, she continued to hear the growling noises, and then froze suddenly in place.

Helen saw Ezekiel and seemed to relax a bit. She had the package that Sebastian had picked up earlier in her hands, a bit perplexed as to how it was used.

"Sebastian," Ezekiel said. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? Is it your pride getting in the way?"

Helen had been busy starting up the stairs at this point to get cloth to wrap Sebastian's scar in. He seemed especially prone to changing right now for some reason.

"I didn't want to reveal," Sebastian responded rather coldly.

((sorry if its short))

Verona practically smashed into Helen as she came around the corner, "I'm sorry," she squealed.
Dashing into the kitchen, she froze at the sight of Sebastian and Ezekiel.

Ezekiel, was staring at her, as well as Sebastian was.

"Sorry if I interrupted," she said sheepishly.

It was indeed her right to know what was happening though, considering Ezekiel was involved.

"What's going on?"

Sebastian looked overwhelmed for a moment since he hadn't even told Ezekiel yet. He didn't stand though as he waited for something to come to him.

"Ezekiel," he said after a moment. "I've been meaning to talk to you since we came back but I... I went through a change. I'm your lost cousin, Veronica's younger brother."

Ezekiel looked perplexed for a moment and then his jaw dropped slightly. It was around this time when Helen came down with the rags and other materials.

"My cousin?" Ezekiel asked out loud. "But... It's... just that...."

"I'm your cousin," Sebastian said. "And the youngest kid in my family. I change into a lion because I used to be extremely vain but this here Helen changed that. She's been like a mum to me really."

Now Verona felt so rude..
All she could really do was blink as well, for she was just as surprised as Ezekiel was.

However, she wouldn't say anything, not a word, because really it wasn't her place to talk.

Instead, she merely watched the two with her eyes the size of the moon, as Helen seemed to save the day with fresh looking bandages.

When he talked about her being like a mom to him, Verona couldn't help but to smile.
How she wished she actually had a mother who cared..

Her mother didn't even know right from left most nights, and her father was really no better..

Ezekiel actually took the bandage after a moment and began to wrap them around Sebastian's wounds. There were no words passed between them while they did this but there seemed to be an unspeakable connection.

Once the worst wound was covered Ezekiel began to apply the medicine that was from the box. He was noticing how Verona had become quiet but it had taken him a while to calm down.

"All right bud," Ezekiel said. "Done with the bandages."

"Thanks," Sebastian said.

Ezekiel went over to Verona at that point and hugged her. He had almost forgotten he wasn't wearing a shirt and when he realized it turned slightly red in the face from embarrassment.

((Hot Fuzz ROCKS!))

Verona smiled as Ezekiel wound his arms around her.
"Glad that you know I'm here," she said with a little giggle.

She wrapped her arms around him, peering towards Sebastian, who seemed fairly calm and docile..
What had they been talking about changing..?
Was he one of the cursed children?

He must have been, that was the only reasonable explanation.

"So," Verona said breaking the brief silence.
"I am sleepy, so I think I might go to sleep. However, I might need some new clothes.. If anyone had anything to spare? Like a shirt or something? Because this isn't very comfortable to sleep in.."