In a few pain filled moments of movement Brandon had managed to pull himself up from the bed and dress himself. The air was so thick with tension that Brandon felt as though he could split it simply if he made the wrong move.

There was frustration and deceit hanging across him and Ezekiel....but of course this paled in comparison to the sheer....almost desperate ache to have the minutes of before return.

To have Ezekiels tongue and his hands roaming across his skin....Brandon banished these thoughts with a pained hiss as he pulled a cotton white tee shirt over his head and felt yet another vicious, hungry stab dance across the core of his body. The Flame needled him with small bouts of hurt and nausea as he continued to deny it and himself the one thing it craved.

Finally the two of them were sitting on the edge of the cot. Neither of them were speaking. Neither of them....seemed even able to take heavy breaths or move....Until finally Brandon braked a small quite laugh.

“You’re suddenly so quiet.” He nearly whispered in the thick air.

Ezekiels soft chuckle was like a cool breeze, all of the apprehension in Brandon’s head lessened just as he glanced over and saw a sweet smile touch Ezekiel’s lips.

“I guess I was waiting on you to start. I wanted to give you time to think. I didn’t want it to seem like I was interrogating you again.” The smile melted, but Ezekiel’s expression remained open. “You can start speaking whenever you’re ready.”

Brandon looked away and silence once more descended. It was ridiculous and childish, but he couldn’t manage to find the words....or even find a good place to start.

Perhaps sensing that Brandon would never be ready unless he didn’t at least start off the conversation himself, Ezekiels released a small sigh and said. “Fine I’ll start.” He said. “Can you tell me why you got sick two days ago in the mansion?”

The question was the perfect place to start. And it was so direct that Brandon couldn’t do anything but give back an equally direct answer. “I get really sick like this because of my...my....“Brandon throat tried to close on the words, but he forced them out. “Because of my power.”

“Your....power?” Ezekiel intoned. Brandon could feel his strong gaze roaming across his face and looking for answers. “What power are you talking about and more importantly why does it hurt you?”

Brandon desperately wanted to back out of the continuing conversation, but there was nothing for him to do but answer Ezekiel’s questions. So he did. With a small shuffle on the bed he turned to Ezekiel and began with a huff. “This is hard....and I don’t really know how to explain it....” Brandon said as sincerely as he could. “But certain aspects of my power sort of explains some of the....strange stuff that you may have noticed... about me”

“Like seeing you die?” Ezekiel unflinchingly jumped right in. But after he said the words he stopped and closed his eyes briefly as if he were reliving a painful memory.

His eyes blinked open a second later and Brandon saw all of the fear that had choked him when he had watched Ezekiel dying from the Ghouls poison. It was painful and also a shock to witness those emotions in the Guardians gaze. Ezekiel seemed to catch himself, swallow and then continue. “Dose this power you have explain me seeing you die that night at the celebration?”

Not really wanting to think about that night...or the child that had died Brandon looked away. But after a moment he spoke. “It does, but I didn’t die Ezekiel...”

“You should have...” Ezekiel shot back sternly, not giving him any room to maneuver around the truth.

With an incredible amount of effort Brandon parted his lips and spoke a truth that he had never expected to speak to another living soul. This secret.....and so many other Brandon had simply planned to carry to the grave. With a small voice he whispered. “I healed from the attack. I....heal.”

Ezekiel sent him a soft hiss “Impossible....” He said with little emotion, just simple facts. “It would have taken me weeks to recover from that injury Brandon and you’re a mortal...What about the poison...or the...the missing flesh? All of it was just Healed?”

Without a word Brandon turned and holding back a small grunt of pain, he grabbed his left middle finger and with a small crack he snapped his middle finger back, completely dislocating it from place and leaving it bent at a terrible and painful angle.

“Brandon! What the Hell!” Ezekiel growled in outrage, he grabbed at the injured hand and Brandon let him have it without another word. It was clear that the moment Ezekiel grabbed his hand that he wanted to undo the damage, or pull the glove off of Brandon’s hand so he could get to the broken finger....his care and obvious anger warmed the cold lump in Brandon’s throat as he sat there and waited.

Brandon focused on the intense crackle of energy that danced out of his soul and into his injured hand. Unlike normal Brandon didn’t hold back the Flame or fight its power. So in moments there was a sharp zing of pain as his finger completely snapped back into place as if reset by some invisible doctor. In the next moment pain and even inflammation fled as the Flame danced around the broken digit.

And just like that....Ezekiel was staring down at a completely undamaged appendage. One second Brandons finger was snapped back...and the next everything was pointing the right way.

“Holy Shit...it instantly fixed itself.” Ezekiel blinked and stared down at Brandon’s hand a few seconds more, then he took the hand and ran a gentle those against the place where Brandon’s broken finger had once been. With a tender note in his voice looked up and he said. “Brandon You didn’t have to do that...I would have believed you without you....hurting yourself....” Ezekiel grew quite, sighed and looked back down. “This is amazing. Your mortal....but you really can heal? Is this what you used to save me?” Ezekiel exclaimed the question suddenly...his tone carrying not only a hint of surprise....but belief.

The warmth of his hands and cares was distraction so Brandon pulled his hand away and put them in his lap. For some odd reason Brandon had expected some small expression of disbelief...or even confusion....but all he got from Ezekiel in the next few moments was pure and utter acceptance...and curiosity.

Soon realizing that Ezekiel used to the unnatural, and was unnatural himself so the Shifter wasn’t likely to express any gasps or expressions of disbelief. Maybe if Ezekiel knew that Brandon was an energy devouring monster, that wanted to kill him even in those calm seconds together on the bed, Ezekiel would have had the sense of mind to at least back away. But at hearing the prettier less truthful words Ezekiel didn’t realize that Brandon was just as vile and terrible as the Ghouls that had invaded his home and killed his men.

Ezekiel reached out and tapped Brandon beneath his chin. It was only in that moment that Brandon realized that he had been sitting there with his mouth closed tight and his gazed trained down at his gloved fists in his lap. Ezekiel’s blue eyes held him as he softly questioned him again. “Brandon tell me....Is that what you did to me? Healed me?”

Brandon struggled for a response. He knew that what he had done to Ezekiel that night seemed to have done much more then healed him.

It had made him a target for the Flame. The hungry energy lurking inside of Brandon’s core was now more aware and Intune with Ezekiel then it had ever been around any other living thing. Not good since it liked to eat living things.

But excluding the Flame Brandon had caused Ezekiel intense agony while attempting to save him.

Brandon had nearly killed him and even once the healing had happened....The strain of the Flames touch had left Ezekiel in a coma for three days....

Not wanting Ezekiel to think that his actions had been anything except for a fluke Brandon sighed and simply said.

“My intention was to save your life...but I hardly knew if it would work. ” Brandon softly explained.

Ezekiel blinded and put a hand to his chin. “My memory seems to be coming back more and more, but I still get disjointed flashes.” He explained, his blue eyes cut to the side as he seemed to think or see something in his head, then Ezekiel sighed and dropped his hand. “Start at the beginning for me; tell me everything that happened out there.....” Ezekiel sent him a serious look. “I want to know.” He implored.