"Okay, lovely. I'm listening." This feels like a head-in-lap conversation. Get in her lap, Sadde's head.

Nod, nod. Pet pet.

"I wasn't even eleven at the time of my eclipse. Mom was taking me to virtuality. We never made it."

"Oh pet," breathes Isabella.

"The nightmares were mostly about that, and about the two years. I counted. So, if I'm weird about virtuality and stuff, that's—that's why. I never did go."

"You were just - out somewhere on your own?"

"Yeah. Like the old times," he snorts humorlessly.

"But no one would have even known you were there and - oh, my lovely." She wraps her arms around him.

He snuggles up, breathing quietly.

She holds him and waits.

Eventually he continues. "So after two years, when I was sure I wouldn't—that it wouldn't happen again, and then doubly sure, and then even more sure, I found the road again. I walked until I found a gas station." He's turned completely monotone, emotionless. "They called nine-one-one. A cop came, asked my name, found my—found Tobias."

Squeeze.

"He had remarried. I have two half-siblings. And even shapeshifting wasn't enough, I was going to be a girl and a sub or his name wasn't Tobias." He smirks acidly. "Guess his name isn't Tobias." The smirk disappears. "I learned how to heal my own wounds pretty fast. Couldn't have them showing, see."

"My lovely," she murmurs, still cuddling him.

"He did give up, eventually. I think by the time I was fifteen he just beat the crap out of me due to habit. And then I managed to convince him to let me come. I think if I never came back he wouldn't even notice."

"So don't go back." Squeeze.

"I wasn't really planning to."

"Good. Stay here and turn eighteen and you'll be okay." Nuzzle.

"Yup. Just two more years hoping he really did forget I exist." He sighs.

Pet pet. She may be rocking him a little bit.

He's not going to complain about the rocking. He closes his eyes and lets the very fact that she exists soothe him. It is effective at that.

"You're all mine and he can't have you," she murmurs.

That draws a smile. "All yours," he agrees.

"I'm assuming you don't want Alex to know?"