Christmas Caroline (Nihil & Cheshire Pup)

[Nihil]

"Tis the seasons, my ass...." Darien muttered quietly to himself before he took another sip of his hot chocolate from his mug. The cold winter wind sent chills up his spine with every gust that came to him. He could barely feel his nose and his fingers almost felt glued to his mug. Sometimes he wondered why he went on these walks, but it didn't really matter. Despite all the reasons and excuses he gave himself, Darien always seemed to find himself taking a walk around the neighborhood every night. It did always seem to bring a smile upon his lips whenever he saw the children playing or making snowmen. To be honest, he wanted one of his own and his last girl friend dumped him as soon as he mentioned the idea of having a baby.

One would never really see Darien as the parent type though. At the age of 24, Darien was a tall gruff looking young man. His hair was unkept and messy and he rarely shaved, keeping a small, full rounded beard. His body was strong and overlayed with many tattoos and scars, a testament to his 4 years in the U.S. Army Rangers since he had turned 18. Perhaps the most notible 'memory' was a black eye patch splayed over his right eye. He walked down the sidewalk, softly humming to himself as he took another sip of his mug.

 

[Cheshire Pup]

As the man walked down the street and drank from his mug the sound of a mugging filled the air.
â??No! Stop!â? A womanâ??s voice pleaded
â??Shut up!â?
â??Please donâ??t-â?
â??I said shut up bitch!â?
â??But the-â?
â??I said shut it you filthy hoe!â? A man yelled as a woman cried out in pain.
As he passed the next alley he would see the scene. There was a woman lying on the ground, she was curled up into a ball and there were two men kicking her. Upon first glance he would notice that the womanâ??s clothing was more for summer, not for the winter being as cold as it was. The woman didnâ??t even have any shoes on while these two men were dressed for warmth. They kicked the woman extra hard whenever she tried to cry out of help. One of them attempted to stomp her stomach when she rolled over to allow the blow to hit her back instead. Why would a woman do that? Very simply. When she rolled over to take the blow to her back the man would be able to see her pregnant stomach. Her very pregnant stomach.
â??Please! Stop! Iâ??ll-â?
â??Miscarriage! Bitch! You stupid hore! If you had done what we said then we wouldnâ??t be doing this!â? the man yelled at the woman. The two men beating here were trying to do something horrible. The woman was at least eight months pregnant if not the full nine and now they were trying to make her loose the baby growing inside her.

 

[Nihil]

A low growl escaped Darien's throat. He didn't know who they were or why they were doing this but he would be damned if he allowed them to harm a woman, a pregnant woman at that. His mug went straight at the first man's head, running towards the other with intent to kill.

 

[Cheshire Pup]

The first man was hit with the mug, it shattered and spilled hot liquid all over him causing him to scream out in pain. The other saw the man heading towards them and they didnâ??t want to stick around to see what he was capable of. He ran as did the man who was now possibly burned by the scorching drink.

The woman whom they had been beating up attempted to stand. She was shivering badly, as would any woman if they were out in this weather without shoes, in a short sleeve shirt and sweatpants. She looked at the man, her long, dark hair was loose, it partly covered her emerald green eyes. Her skin was pale, it seemed that she didnâ??t get outside much. Her attempts to stand failed, she held her stomach as she looked up at the man who had come to her aid. She had a black eye and a bloody nose, it seemed like they got her good but she was not worried for herself, only the child inside of her

 

[Nihil]

Darien said nothing. What could he say? He merely looked over the young girl with pity. She was too young for this. She didn't deserve this or anything else but then again that was the way of the world.

He slowly began to unbutton his heavy overcoat, revealing him to be wearing a black muscle shirt, his arms layerd with scars, bullet wounds and army tattoos. He slowly wrapped the jacket around her and then, without even asking for her approval, he lifted her up into his arms bridal style. It took him a few moments to adjust to her weight. She was extremely heavy with the baby but he did not show it. He walked away out of the alley and began to take her home.

 

[Cheshire Pup]

She was surprised to find the man putting his overcoat around her, even more surprised when he picked her up. â??Th-thank you....â? she said, she sounded scared, she looked around before looking back at him. â??Where are you taking me?â? she asked him nervously. She had seen the scars, he was a tough guy, she hoped that he wasnâ??t planning on hurting her, she was to cold and weak to do anything more then sit in his arms and be silently happy that she wasnâ??t heavy for him.

 

[Nihil]

He paused for a moment, looking down at her in slight suprise with his singular eye. He hadn't expected her to thank him, but then again he wasn't used to getting thankyous for anything. He gave her a warm smile and he held her abit closer to his chest. "Home. We can't have you dying of hypothermia out here, now can we?" He said in morbid humor, chuckling softly as he slowly continued to walk.

 

[Cheshire Pup]

She smiled, he had a warm smile and it made her feel better to be in his arms while he was smiling down on her with that smile. She felt him hold her closer and she was happy. She heard what he said and she smiled. â??Your home.... not mine...I canâ??t go back... not to mine...â? she said, she was tired and freezing. His jacket helped warm her but her feet were cold as well. â??Is it close?â? she asked him, hoping it was. A warm bath would be wonderful now.

 

[Nihil]

He gave her a gentle nod, smiling as he hefted her up to give himself some better stability. He did not ask why she could not go back home. Now was not the time or place to ask such questions and he did not wish for her to linger on any unwanted memories. The cold wind splashed across his face, causing him to momentarily flinch but soon shrugged it off and moved onward.

 

[Cheshire Pup]

The girl didnâ??t say much after that. She let him carry her in silence, scared that her baby may be hurt. She didnâ??t say a word until she felt a kick inside of her. Then a smile broke across her lips and she looks as thought she was going to cry. â??They wanted.... they wanted... to take my baby...â? she said weakly as her arms wrapped around her stomach. â??Or kill it... depending on gender...â? the girl told him. Her eyes were closed as she spoke. She was scared but she was also happy. She was finally getting away.

 

[Nihil]

Darien said nothing, looking down at her with a slight frown at her words. The very thought of men doing such a thing simply made his blood boil but he shrugged it off and continued walking. They finally walked up to his house, taking a sigh of relief. It was a modest one story building but it was enough for him to call home. There were no christmas lights to decorate it bland exterior but what did you really expect from a former soldier?