Edward walked to where Donald was sitting and put a hand on his shoulder, "Just calm down, they're just playing the 'my d*ck's bigger' game. As for me, I'm getting a bit tired of it."

Fire shone in Edward's eyes, his frustration at the little spat between Adrian and Jacobi growing. He was about to step in, but thought better of it. They could tear each other apart for all he cared. This wasn't his fight, and he sure as hell wasn't going to make it his at the moment.

He was crying, and he wasn't afraid to let her know it. He sank his face into her chest and sobbed.

"Why didn't you tell me he did that to you..." his speech was broken by intermittant sobs.

He felt disgusting. He couldn't believe he'd said that to Jacobi...had Dawn heard it...he hoped not. He wasn't lying when he said it, but it felt wrong now. The entire thing felt wrong. Why would he have showed him that. He wanted to hit himself...and Jacobi.

"God Damnit...", he punched the wall next to him.

He was drawn to the sound of Adrian sobbing. Regardless of how he felt, he also had the need within him to help people, to ease their pain. He walked over to Adrian, "I saw what happened. Don't let him get to you, he's just being a bully."

Edward knew it was true, but he was still upset at the way Jacobi had treated his new friends. This wouldn't stand. Not at all.

"Stop." Dawn grabbed his hand. "It doesn't matter to me anymore. Forget it, I have."

He hardly noticed Edward. Edward porbabaly knew what they had done too...great, more people.

He kept crying softly.

"No...it matters to me...how could your father just let that happen to you?". He felt he had overstepped his bounds with that question.

"I'm...sorry..."

He just wanted to go back. Go back when it was just Dawn and Adrian in her bed...re live that moment...that two or so hours, for eternity. Everything else about love hurt so much.

"Because that's what activated my magic." Dawn looked down. "That's why he let Jacobi do it."

He hadn't wanted to hear that. Now he wanted to punch her father. How could he let him do that to his child...

He didn't want to meet her father any more...the idea sickened him. His stomach turned and he held back bile. He only ended up crying more. Was he supposed to feel this hurt...this terrified? Was it naturall to act like this for someone you loved?

He knew what Dawn was talking about. Dark magic or particularly powerful magic could be tied to her particular...experience. Voodoo was full of those kinds of things. But, that was most likely why her magic was so powerful, it's what made her Dawn, and he thought about explaining that to Adrian, but it wasn't his place. Instead, he gave the two a little space and lit one of his clove cigarettes with a snap of his fingers and a flash of light. The smell of burning cloves filled the room, and he hoped the scent would calm the mood a bit. Crying made him nervous, as he wasn't especially in tune with that side of himself, let alone others.

Hex rubbed against his legs, comforting him a little. "Thanks, old girl." Fire burned in her eyes, too, reflecting his own discomfort at the situation, but he knew Adrian and Dawn were much more uncomfortable than him, and he knew not to stick his nose in where it didn't belong.

"Please don't." Dawn tried not to cry too. She hugged him tighter. "The Belmount life is hard sometimes. But that's how I got so strong."

He almost laughed, and she felt the shudder inside him. That didn't make her strong. It made her brother and father sick people...

He thought back on his childhood, and stopped crying...he realized he should be crying about his own life, a lif eDawn knew nothing about...and he wanted to forget. He figured he should tell her, but then what would happen...would she hate him? Cry...he didn't want to see her cry...it hurt him.

He would only talk if she asked....but even then he knew she wouldn;t be able to handle it. He was suprised all the scars he's accumulated over the years...had faded away...

He dropped his head, no longer crying. He just wanted her to hold him, to be with him. He didn;t mind Edward there at all.

"My life isn't bad. It's great." Dawn bit her lip. "I know nothing about yours. Could... you tell me?"

The young mage decided to wander around a bit, since his presence probably made things awkard. A little off the hallway, he found a room with a piano, and he sat down to play as Hex pearched atop it, blending in with the instrument.

The song he played was slow and mournful, echoing the feelings of those around him, as well as himself. Love? They thought they were in love? They knew nothing of it, but all the better for them.

Hex swayed her tail in time with the music as he began to think of his own ill attempts at love. Grace had been close to him for a long time, one of the few he'd allowed close to him. She was also gifted in magic, and that was how she died. He never spoke of that day, when a dark wizard's attempt at conjuring fire had gone awry, burning her alive. Edward had tried to save her, and the last words she'd breathed had been, "I love you, Edward."

He realized he too was crying now. It had been a long time since he'd cried, and the tears evaporated quickly at the heat from his raw emotion, leaving trails of salt down his face. He wiped them away and continued playing, thoughts dancing in his head like old lovers. Let them be in love, he thought. With love comes pain, and they've found that out. Let them be in love.

He choked up...that was it...the question.

"no", he replied.

She looked heartbroken.

"But I can show you..." the first memory flooded into her head.

It was Daddy beating Mommy. He didn't know why, but Daddy's breath smelt funny. Little Addy was crying...he didn;t like seeing mommy get hurt. He got scared. Daddy's pants leg caught fire. He turned on Adrian.

"You little jackass", he said. Adrian didn't know what that meant, but Daddy looked anrgy. Mommy jumped in the way and Daddy hit her more...yelling horrible names at her...names a woman should never be called.

The memory changed. It was the park...Maurice...the wereolf man...Adrians anger...the crater. some 50,000 people dead...all his fault. He felt Dawns mind almost collapse, but she held on as the next memory faded into veiw. He was tied up...the arms...the men in the white suits, and man in the green suit. They were prodding him with electrical pokers and submerging him in water until he almost drowned. Then they took him out...then they start cutting. There was no medacine...no pain reliever. He felt the hot knife on his back, on his side, in his front...the steel cutting into his tendons. It hurt so much.

The memory changed. He was bigger, covered in dried blood. Now they simply tested him for the fun of it. They enjoyed torturing him. The pain it caused him...the screams he made...it was like their high...they loved it. They beat him with their guns, even shot him sometimes.

Fast forward. They forgot to sedate him. He grew angry. Another crater...he was alone...another 100,000 reaserchers dead...gone in a flash.

Fast forward. The Master...Alexander...his first punishment for insubordinance...his hair was white now...he was only eleven. The master cut him, burned him, hit him...he cried and screamed but the Master wouldn't stop. He was to be obeyed. Obedience brought hapiness.

Fast forward. Master gave Adrian the school to control. He burned the Air wing...the church...met Dawn...the master died...he fell in love...made love...and felt his anger returning to him in defense for that love.

The meories stopped, and Adrian gasped in pain. Every spot where he had ever been hurt had flahsed in pain for a few seconds...

It was over. He waited for Dawn to reply.

Dawn stared at him for a long time. She finally started crying. "Adrian... I didn't know..." She hugged him and buried her face in his shoulder. "I feel so stupid... my life is not nearly as bad as yours was."

He knew this would happen. He grabbed her in his arms, pressing her against him. He never wanted to let go. Her hair smelt like roses, her skin like sweet perfume...the memories were gone again, and he hoped he'd never have to re-live them.

"No...my life...was my mistake...I caused all of that..."

He shook his head. He knew it wasn't true, but he had to stop Dawn from crying. Then he thought...he'd killed some 150,000 innocent people...he felt sick. They never even saw it coming. He was revolted at himself. He would never kill again...he couldn' do it. Dawn held him...as if the memories didn't bother her in that way...she was still fine with him, even after he'd murdered thousands of people...infants, the elderly, animals...nothing was left...