As Long As I'm With You

Chapter 7: Free Rage

Varian was in the middle of changing his shirt when his door swung open. He yelped and pulled the ends together, not having time to button them. "What the hell-"

"Shhhhh!"

Varian froze and gaped when he saw Cassandra was leaning against the now closed door. After a moment, Varian noticed someone walk by his room from the shadows under his door. Once they knew it was safe, Cassandra let out a sigh.

Shirt buttons forgotten he was still looking at her in shock. "How did you-" he began in a whispered.

"I used a fork," she answered.

Varian set his hands on his hips. "Gotta say, I'm impressed, but this is you we're talking about."

She looked at him and blushed and turned her head away. His stomach was lined with bruises and burn marks. "Er um.. can you uh..."

Varian realized his shirt wasn't closed, and he blushed, turning around. "S-sorry!" He buttoned his shirt and put his big coat on. "So... do you have a plan?"

"Vaguely. Where is the Moonstone?"

"Probably in Andrew's room. It's weird how it only reacts to," he added.

Cassandra nodded. "So we can't just walk into his room I suppose..."

"Well, I mean, if I could manage to get him out and you can sneak in and find it before there is someone to guard the room," Varian said.

"I'm not sure I like that plan," Cassandra replied.

"Why?"

"I don't want you near Andrew," she finished.

Varian chuckled. "I can handle him. I've been dealing with that bitch since I was thrown in prison."

"Yeah, no. I've seen you. You act tough and big, but he walks in and drop your cocky act. He's more than a threat. You've got psychological trauma with him. You need to be clear of him-"

"Shhhhh!" Varian jumped forward and covered her mouth with his hands. "Someone's coming, you gotta hide!" He frantically looked around the room. Turning the lock on the door, he shoved her to the closest.

The knock sounded. "Hey, buddy, we need to talk."

"Ok, j-just a sec!" He called, shoving Cassandra into the closet and closing the doors. He quickly got to the door and opened it enough to stick his head through. "Yeah?"

Andrew pushed the door open. Varian stepped back. "Is something wrong?

"Did you do anything wrong?"

"Uh... no?"  Varian rubbed his arm nervously, doing his best not to look at the closet.

Andrew laughed.  "I'm just messing with you, buddy."

"Oh," Varian chuckled nervously.  This was really not the time for Andrew to just drop by.

Andrew sat on Varian's bed being very clear to be seductive.  "Well, we do have an hour before dinner..."

Shit.  Varian cursed eternally, but decided to play oblivious.  He turned his back to Andrew and began to occupy himself with his chemicals.  "Right.  I guess I better stabilize this before then..."

"Explosive?"

"At the moment? Yeah," Varian lied.

Cassandra watched everything through the crack between the doors.  She clenched her teeth and jaw to keep from saying anything.  She hated Andrew more than anyone or anything.

"Why do you do that?"  Andrew inquired suddenly.

"Do what?"  Varian asked innocently, truly not sure what he meant.

"That little glance to the side you do when you lie."

"Huh?"  Varian raised a brow, looking utterly lost.

"You know."

"No, I really don't," Varian retorted.

Andrew walked across the room.  He grabbed Varian's wrist holding the vial.  He gently took the vial out of the boy's hand.  "Next time maybe actually be holding chemicals and not the water," Andrew said.

Varian began to tremble.  Andrew looked at him.  "Aw, come on, buddy.  I thought you were over being nervous.  We've done it before."

The boy's hands shook.  "I... I don't want to... I don't like it..."

"You'll get used to it," Andrew soothed.  Running his hand across Varian's cheek seductively.  It only seemed to scare him more instead of calm him.

Andrew leaned closer to plant a kiss on the boy's neck and pure panic struck Varian's face, completely helpless.  He didn't even see Cassandra swing open the closest doors and swing one of Varian's books, hitting the back of Andrew's head.  The man immediately fell to the ground, unconscious.

Cassandra heaved her breaths, blinded by her rage.  How dare he!  Varian said no!  What was she supposed to expect though?  He didn't quit when she kicked him away.  The man was a devil.

Varian's breath quickened and looked ready to cry.  It was only a matter of seconds before the tears broke and he covered his face in his hands.  "I didn't want to do it, I didn't ever want to do it, I don't want to do it!"

"Varian!"  Cassandra grabbed his shoulders.  "You won't ever have to do it again.  Not against your will, not as long as I can help it.  It's going to be ok.  You're safe."  She let him bury his face in her shoulder to sob.  Putting her arms protectively around him, the world would shake if it dared try to so much as look at Varian the wrong way, because she would murder it.

They secured Andrew and quickly ran to the man's room.  After fifteen minutes, they found the Moonstone.  Cassandra let the power enter her body, returning her hair and eyes to become a luminous blue once again.  Once it was in her possession, taking out the other Saporians was a cinch.  They placed them in the cells, and now they were free from them.  Andrew's reign of horror and suffering was finally put to an end.