Little Girl Lost

I folded my arms across my chest, the Hazmat suit making a slight metal-on-metal sound. “While you are here, Lorne, I probably should talk with you about Abi. She's still missing.”

Lorne nodded “Yes. Last I saw her she had herself suspended in a cage by hooks. I attempted to tutor her on the details of the mod equivalence relation,” he explained.

“Ya know, Lorne, Spirit Gal here and Bright Gal went huntin fer yer pup,” Grr began. “Tha Maker contracted ta take em to her. The dumped Spirit Gal in Dream.”

“The Maker?” Lorne asked.

“Severus,” I replied. “The Incubus. He and I had a disagreement, you might say.”

“Oh, yeah, sorry,” Grr apologized.

Lorne smirked, His lips curling from closed to exposing His teeth. “Ah. The whore, yes.”

Grr went on. “He says he was just a step to tha side on tha path, but when they didn’t come back, and I took a jaunt myself, I found Spirit Gal all alone and asleep in Dream.” Grr gave a canine frown. “Even I know ya dont go ta sleep in Dream…that’s fucked up.”

I nodded. “When I wouldn't…when I didn't...well…at any rate, he let go of my hand. That's the last thing I remember, until I felt Grr's teeth in my shoulder. He didn't break skin, thank goodness.”

Grr shook his head up and down, “Well, no hands….” He’d been in his native form, a pure coyote.

“But we didn't find her,” I continued. “Although Severus says his contract isn't complete, that he'll go back until we do, I'm…a little uncertain of his methods. And Abi may need some persuasion. She doesn't understand about…the need for an equal exchange. She thinks there’s something wrong with her.”

Lorne nodded slightly, then shook His head. “Indeed. I can just imagine poor, poor Severus enduring the guilt of having caused you to lose your mind into a perpetual limbo state.” Lorne wrapped His arms round Himself, and began rocking back and forth, affecting a high-pitched, mocking tone "Boo. Boo hoo. I'm such a horrible, dirty, broken widdle pawn.” He motioned as though He was shying away from someone's touch "No. No. Don't try and comfort me.”

“Oh, ya HAVE met tha Maker,” Grr said.

“So I have, yes,” Lorne nodded. “Not the first Incubus to employ the tired technique of open self-loathing.”

“But thing is, Lorne, yer Pup is still locked up. Maybe its doin her good, maybe she’s in torment fer no reason,” Grr replied.

Lorne nodded again, his face becoming a bit more somber. “There is a problem in that this exile is ultimately self-imposed.” He gave a thoughtful sigh. “I spoke with her. She believes she cannot love. There is a lesson one must learn before they can love any other.”

“And what is that?” I asked quietly.

Lorne looked at me evenly. “Before you may truly love another you must learn to love yourself....”