Xao:

I left Kyle in his stunned state, walking after Jessica. She went behind a different support beam and folded her arms, looking at the ground and leaning against the support. "Wanna tell me what that was about?" I asked.

"Open mouth, insert foot, chomp fiercely?" she replied, looking away.

"Other than that," I said with a smile.

"According to Kyle, I'm practically a selfless angel."

I chuckled. "You held off Tyrin by yourself so we could be safe and practically threw yourself in front of all of us... yea that's selfless."

"You think so?" she asked.

"That's the definition."

She looked off to the side. "Ever been lonely?"

"At times."

"My family left me. A person trained me for several years... I disappointed him, he won't let me see him again. See, I'm really, really... really, young for the kind of power I have. You probably figured that already. Other pharaohs make inventions over time that make them able to do all kinds of things but to be born able to fire full-on lightning bolts from your fingertips on a whim, that's- yeah pretty unique. Very few pharaohs wanted to be with me for very long. I've had associates, and I've talked to others through letters and net interfaces but to have real friends- folks were just too scared. After my trainer left me, I didn't have any family or friends for ten years."

"Okay, so I've never been THAT lonely."

"I saved Kyle a long time ago. It happened after I begged Kyle's father for the position of bodyguard already. It was a pretty messy rescue too, almost blew up half the mansion his family lived in. Joran wanted to press charges at first, but Kyle stood up for me. I'll never forget being stood up for by someone without even a fraction of my own power. In the end, Joran was grateful. That's why he accepted my application to be Kyle's bodyguard. But in the end, Kyle's father realized what I'm sure you have too." She clutched the bottom of her shirt and pulled hard as if she could rip it in frustration. "I'm an... okay bodyguard at best. I'm hardly subtle, not the sharpest tool in the shed and the proof is in the pudding, there are definitely more skilled pharaohs out there. I think the raw power I unleashed against his attacker is how I saved Kyle, beyond that, I didn't have much to offer. After six months of being with Kyle's family, Joran realized that. He wanted to get rid of me."

"You're being too critical of yourself Jess, you did pretty good against Tyrin. He's probably a skilled fighter." She loosened her grip a little.

She chuckled, sarcasm dripping from it. "Yeah, him running like a helpless child when his powers got shut off testifies to that. Most skilled warrior on earth I'm sure. Really that Seraphim girl probably could have taken him out without whatever Venice did."

"Just saying, those two seem extreme even for gargoyles. In any case, suspense is killing me, then why didn't Kyle's dad kick you out?"

"Easy, Kyle. We played and had fun a few times... guess we bonded somehow. When Kyle overheard his father telling me it was time to go, he busted into the room and started yelling at him. He basically said if I went, so would he. He actually said he would leave home at eighty- you know that's only four for us right? But he didn't care. He said he would leave to stay with me, and he would give up everything he had." She stared at the ground. "Even now, I was only sent with Kyle because security advised his father he didn't want anyone on earth to realize Kyle's status by him having a big escort. I'm not worth risking everything like that. Outside of Jesus, I have NEVER known love like that. He's like a friend I could search for a million years and... Kyle thinks I'm such a saint for watching over him, I can see it. He has no idea who he is to me." She finally released her shirt bottom.

I looked back at Kyle, who by this point had left being stunned and was reading a book, rotating between that and watching everyone. "Our Kyle did that... I mean I never thought he was a bad person... kinda jumps to conclusions a lot and he's a little judgmental- actually I guess that's consistent then." I smiled. "You never told him about this?"

"He was there, he's the focal part of the memory, guess it just didn't register for him how much it meant."

We heard a chuckle to the side of the support beam. Sarah walked around. "Men," she said.

"Yes... opposite genders," Jessica said, fist-pumping the air with a clueless look on her face.

"Sorry, was eavesdropping, you guys sorta, ya know, didn't see me on the right side of the beam I guess... is it okay if I sit?" she asked looking next to Jessica. Jessica shrugged so she sat next to her. "A lot is going on today, just doing my best to keep up and- Oh c'mon, old as you are you never noticed?" Sarah grinned, her gaze met Jessica's and she quickly looked at her own feet, keeping her eyes there. "I mean, seems obvious to me... maybe I'm wrong and being silly but..." Jessica waved at her to continue. She bit her lip but soon continued. "Guys don't really think about feelings Jessica, I mean, they don't seem to. Most of the time I'm around boys, it seems like they just kinda do things. They feel they need to do something, they do it, they like you, they show it, they don't really seem to think about how you feel back. Like big puppies."

"Thanks," I said.

"Means you're cute," Jessica said, punching my leg. "You think that's really what it's about? Kyle doesn't see why he's important to me because he just doesn't think about it?"

"He thinks about his own feelings for you, but probably not yours for him. As I said, I could be wrong, just what I've noticed is all."

"Naa sounds about right," I said.

Sarah raised her hand like she was going to put a hand on Jessica's shoulder, then she pulled back, looked down, and sighed. She settled for just asking, "You okay?"

"I'll be alright," Jessica said. "Just a little shaken up is all."

We both turned as we heard a heavy footfall. A shadow fell over us, a shadow that went over both of us projected by a single person. "Hey, Seraphim..." Jessica said, looking up at her. Under her breath to me, "Offhand, now I think I feel a sample of why people were so afraid of ME."

"I have a few questions for thee," the large albino woman said.

Jessica gulped saying, "I think I have more than a few for you, but I'm afraid to ask half of them." Sarah pulled her knees to herself and bit her lip, sitting quietly. I wanted to reassure Sarah, she looked pretty scared, she had looked nervous the whole time really, but there were more important things.

"I believe I have little to fear from you, I am an open book," Seraphim said. The woman sat down in front of us, Indian style, having to relax her wings up and behind her. "But, this is my home, so you should answer first. In that room, you, young girl, you displayed far more power than I am used to seeing from a pharaoh so young. How is this?"

Jessica shrugged. "I really don't know. I know I have a lot of power over electricity, and I was born that way, but I really don't know why I have this power."

"How much power?"

"Full extent of it hasn't been tested... I can do all kinds of things."

I looked at her, cocking my head to the side. Kyle and I had talked with Jessica a few times about her power, mostly to ask the limits of its attack and defense but being able to do "all kinds of things" had never come up, at least around me. What did that mean?

"Can thou fly?" Seraphim asked.

Jessica nodded. My eyes widened. "But I've never seen you do that..." I said.

"Have you seen a python swallow a cow?" she asked. I shook my head. "Yes, well see, there's a lot of things you haven't seen." There was a pause as we all made the mistake of trying to process that statement, even Sarah. I think the issue was more her deadpan delivery than what she said.

Eventually, Jess smiled at me and I was able to shake my head to get out of my trance. Sarah also gave a small snicker. "But you can fly- how did that never come up?"

"Never said it was easy- or a good idea," Jessica replied. "Figured it be a better idea to just never mention it. You CAN jump two stories and survive, doesn't make it a good idea. Last few times I tried to fly I got severe electrical burns from pushing so much raw electric energy against my own skin. I can also kinda read thoughts but last time I dang near gave myself an aneurysm. I can sense the electric impulses in your brain firing and start to interpret them, but if I try that, the chances I'll kill you or myself are pretty high. It's even possible for me to manipulate electric fields to force someone to move or stop moving."

"Why don't you do that in a fight?" I asked.

"Control multiple electric fields around a person rather than just shock them? Gee Xao, why would I prefer the direct approach when someone is trying to cut me in half with a sword?" Jessica asked. "That one I just don't do because it's just mentally taxing. It won't kill anyone, but it takes all of my concentration just to do and... yeah it's a bad move in the middle of a fight... pretty sure there's a limited use outside of fights too... I mean I could try to catch someone whose falling maybe."

"That could be a pretty useful ability actually."

"Maybe, if I don't fry the person I'm trying to save- and if I can do it fast enough. For any move Xao, the number of electric fields I have to control and to what degree dictates how much concentration I need. Too many I guess I could overwhelm myself, but more to the point, just manipulating a few to fire off a bolt is way faster. Maybe I've said something about these abilities before, maybe not- they're not really practical so I usually don't think about them."

"Thou art certain you have no idea how you got these powers?" Seraphim asked.

Jessica shrugged. "Born this way really."

"I have no reason to disbelieve you," the large white woman said. "Very well, ask your questions."

"Um...why are you so white?" Jessica asked.

"THAT is your first question?!" I asked.

"I was kinda curious about that too..." Sarah said quietly.

"C'mon, don't tell me you weren't thinking it," Jessica said back.

Seraphim rolled her eyes. "I'm albino, tis a skin condition that happens sometimes. Quite debilitating in many people, but as a gargoyle, I have superhuman healing abilities that make it so I do not have to worry about most of those issues. For me, tis just a pigment, but the stigmas still follow me."

"Why do you talk like that?" Jessica asked. "Were you raised by banshees or something?"

I held my head in my hands. "She's seven feet tall, never transforms back to human and your questions are about skin color and an accent," I noted.

"Tis a conscious thing I do," Seraphim replied. "Among those I reveal my true self to, I wish them to see me as a respectable lady, not a giant monster."

"One more question. If a woodchuck could chuck wood-" now she was just trying to annoy me. I interrupted.

"Okay, I'm asking the questions now. How strong are you?" I asked. Jessica smirked.

Seraphim smiled. "Hard to say. If I had to put a number on it, indeed, the quality of my muscles is so great... perhaps twenty times the power of a human my size."

I paused. "But... most gargoyles would be lucky to be four times as strong as a human- why are your wings out?" I asked, looking at the giant bat-like wings on her back.

"Yes, it appears I pay a price for my great power." She looked back at her wings as well. "Most gargoyles can transform their appearance and double their physical abilities- myself, my powers far exceed even that, however, I can not change my appearance, so I am limited in how often I can go outside. This is how I always look. Tis how I have looked since I was twelve years old and my gargoyle power first manifested... well, minus being seven feet tall."

"Thought most gargoyles don't manifest abilities until twenty..." I said.

"Tis safe to simply say, I am not most gargoyles," she replied.

"How do I know you're not just boasting?" I asked.

Seraphim took out one of her swords and handed it to me casually. I took it with one hand and immediately was pulled to the ground, having to heave it up to my lap. "Oh come now, tis only thirty pounds," she said.

"Thirty pounds?" I asked. "That's ridiculous! A freaking great sword only weighs like five," I heaved the sword, which was around a fourth my full body weight, into my lap. She reached over and took the sword back. She then stood up and unsheathed a second sword with her left hand, this one about three-fourths the size. She stepped back from us and then started swinging the swords in unison, spinning them like they weighed no more than pencils. She then tossed them both in the air, grabbed the backs of the blades, and threw them handle first at the ground. The earth beneath me shook with the impact, small chips of cement being dislodged.

"Combined these swords are around fifty pounds." I blinked several times looking at her. If that were true, and I had no reason to believe it wasn't, she had just swung around half my weight like it was nothing. "Actually I could wield ordinary swords, but understand, the lack of weight would do little to affect ease of use... well, that tis not entirely true." She picked up the larger of the two swords, yanked it into the air, and was pulled up after it. In the air, she then yanked it back down and she was thrown back down, just pulling the sword up before the blade hit the ground, the earth shaking tremendously with her impact, dishes, and utensils several feet away from us on counters starting to shake. "I suppose that normally their weight would destroy their usefulness, even with my strength. However, you see, I weigh over three hundred pounds. I have also developed a fighting technique that utilizes their weight-"

"Seraphim!" came a young shout. In moments the children Jessica had been telling stories to and had been singing with had surrounded the giant gargoyle. Seraphim shrugged and moved away from us. She gently picked up three at once, not appearing to even notice the combined weight as two more climbed up on her back. She chuckled at them. The young boy who had spoken was one of the ones she was carrying. "So, what's for dinner tonight?" he asked. "Can I help?"

Seraphim looked over at me and Jessica, who were rather busy gawking, not sure if it was more at Seraphim herself or the fact that none of the kids took that impact as anything more than an invitation. "Why not, I think these three have had their curiosity momentarily satiated." She took in our expressions. "Well, as much as it can be for the moment." She grinned. "Of course Jeremiah. I am going to try making lasagna. We will have to make quite a bit, so I think you all will be able to help." She looked back at me. "Would you three like to help as well?"

I started to reply. "Well I mean... why would we-" Jessica jumped up, Sarah pulling closer to the support beam. Jessica grabbed Sarah's arm and basically pulled her along.

I watched for a while as Seraphim started to organize the children into teams to get ingredients for cooking. As one can imagine, "organize" is a relative term, considering children. Most of them wanted to obey her, they really seemed to like her after all, but the younger ones started making a mess pretty quickly. She kept them from food like flour which could easily be destroyed, however, so they just dropped a few pots or dry noodles. The older children handled cooking.

She was so reassuring to them as they worked like she was a mother to all of them. I smiled watching. Inside me, there was even a small yearning to join in. Truth was, my mother had left me after aged five, and I had had to grow up on my own ever since. I had friends, but for most of my life, no parents.

Even my mother's face was a fading memory.

I kept watching, trying to fight back my tears.

I felt someone sit next to me. "So, how are you holding up?" Kyle asked. "What's wrong?"

"I just miss my mom okay?" I replied.

"Your dad too?" he asked.

"Never knew mine, guess you were luckier than me in that." There was silence for a while between us. Finally, Kyle stood up and walked away. "I- I didn't..."

"Don't follow me." He said.