Glass Hearts

9

"Jeremy?" Leann says as she comes in and sees the disconsolate demon sitting there.

Jeremy feels her hand on his shoulder and he shoots a terrified look over to Lance. Leann is amused by his reaction. "It's alright Jeremy, he knows he doesn't have to worry about you. But tell me what's going on?"

"I don't know. I'm so confused Leann. I'm a fucked up, screwed up demon." Jeremy has tears in his eyes and wants to both pull Leann closer and push her away afraid that Lance will see him as a problem.

Lance decides to intercede at this point. "Come with me Jeremy." He offers the younger demon his hand. Jeremy wants to take it but then he remembers that Lance is also a demon and will betray him as well.

"It's okay, Jeremy, Lance won't hurt you." Leann says encouraging the demon. She can tell something is bothering him but he won't open up to her due to Lance's overprotective nature.

"It's okay Jeremy, I won't hurt you. Leann will kill me if I do and it won't be a fast clean kill either. Don't let her fool you, Leann is more than vicious enough to be a demon if she so chose to be. I think the King of hell would give her the throne and be relieved that she didn't demand his life as well." Lance says hoping to lighten things up. Instead Jeremy just hunches down even more.

Lance just shuts up and leaves his hand out for Jeremy to take, "Are you going to kill me?" The hope in his voice makes Lance angry.

"No, something even better, Jeremy," Lance says burying his anger deep. A demon should never be so willing to die.

"What's better than death?" Leann holds back the gasp at this question. She had known that Rosa's betrayal had hurt Jeremy but she hadn't known that things were this bad.

"Friendship, come and we will talk together and help you to figure things out. I won't betray you and if I do I will make sure to kill you first." Strangely enough it was this that gets Jeremy to accept the other demon's hand. "Jim swears that I've been corrupted with a conscience and he tries to stay as far away from me as he can."

They walk down the hospital corridor and out into the night. The night holds no terrors for them and they go find a sheltered spot away from any possible prying eyes.

"That's not true, at least it wasn't until after the baby was born. I always envied you and him. Always so close, like the human families generally are. My family was plotting my death." Jeremy says once they stop.

"Oh, Jeremy I'm sorry," Lance says and just holds the other demon to him. This is something Leann had taught him and he knows how comforting it can be.

"She betrayed me Lance," tears form in his eyes. "I wanted an equal partnership. I never would have forced her into submission once my powers got stronger than hers. I wanted a friend that's all, like you and Leann and Jim and Verruca. Even if she had told me how much stronger she was before hand I still might have accepted it, but she hid it." Jeremy couldn't hold back the tears anymore and he lets them fall.

"She hid it from us all. The King would never have allowed a bonding between the two of you with such discrepancies in strength. Your time here is almost done you could have gone home instead." Lance says softly, something else is wrong here and he doesn't understand what that something is yet.

"If I go home I'll die. My parents regretted not killing me when I was born, they allowed my siblings to figure out ways to kill me. If the King hadn't banished me than I would be dead by now." Well that answers Lance's question of why the king would banish Jeremy for nothing really. He was trying to save his life.

"Jeremy, tell me, if you are feeling so hurt and betrayed by Rosa why did you bring her here to save her?" Lance holds the other demon's head up so he could see it.

"I don't know, ever since I first saw her at the gifting post I wanted to help her. When I saw how hurt she was I was so angry. I got her the help she needed and then I took care of it."

Lance is a bit alarmed by this, "What do you mean you took care of it?"

"I followed the scent of the ones that hurt her back to their home. It was the frat boys. I hurt them like they had her and then I killed them." Jeremy replies simply.

Lance is even more alarmed by this casual statement. "How many did you kill Jeremy and did you clean it up?"

"They broke the rules Lance they needed to be punished," Jeremy says thinking that he maybe did wrong after all.

"Yes," Lance calms himself down, "they needed to be taught a lesson. They need to follow the rules and they didn't. How many didn't follow the rules Jeremy? How many hurt your witch?"

"About a dozen," Jeremy says with a little more confidence. The witches are to be protected and so his actions were justified.

"Did you clean it up?" Lance says and when Jeremy doesn't immediately respond, "Did you clean up the mess Jeremy?"

Jeremy's eyes become wide, "No, did I do wrong?"

Lance sighs and once more pulls the other demon to him, "It's okay, Jeremy, Jim and I will take care of it. It's just a good thing that the police are so slow in doing things here. The boys are prime suspects in Rosa's abduction and beating. The police will want to talk to them."

"I am a fuck up aren't I Lance? Why are you being nice to me?"

"We all fuck up sometimes Jeremy. It seems to me that no one has ever been there to help you when you needed it. That changes now Jeremy, Leann, myself and Jim and Verruca we'll all be your friends even if things don't work out with Rosa. Okay?" Lance asks the young demon who now seems to be sobbing.

"Why? I'm not worthwhile, I'm just a stupid demon." 

"Everyone is worthwhile, especially you. Now tell me something that's been bothering me Jeremy," Lance says once the demon is able to get himself under control once more.

"What?"

"I've been watching you a long time over more than a century, why hasn't your strength improved?" Lance is very confused on this.

"Oh, that. It hurt so bad the first time that I refused to accept the increased powers. I don't like the pain it brings." Jeremy says and keeps his head down not wanting to see Lance's look of disapproval.

"Dammit! your parents didn't teach you shit. Look at me Jeremy, I'm not angry with you, I'm furious with your parents. The first power surge at the century mark is painful, there is no denying that. But after that first surge the increase comes in small unnoticeable amounts. You just find yourself stronger little by little. By holding off the power it's acting like a dam and building up. When that dam bursts the amount of pain you felt in the first surge is going to be nothing. How long has it been building up?" Lance feels almost panicked.

"Almost two centuries," now Jeremy is starting to panic.

Lance pats his shoulder consolingly, "It's okay, the dam seems to be holding for now at least with no signs of breaking. Should we go check on your mistress now?"

"Lance, what am I going to do?" Jeremy asks lost.

"Well since there isn't an emotional bond, Leann says that she can break it if that's what you want to do. But if you do that you won't have a good reason to stay here on Earth. So, really it's up to you. Just remember you are not alone okay?" Lance says giving the sad demon one more hug before they return to the hospital.