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Second Childhood
He fed her, healed her, tucked her into bed. He stayed up - standing guard, although what he was guarding against, that long night in his own home, he couldn't say. And finally, he thought.
I'm going to find you.
She had, just like she'd told him she would. And yet... at the same time, she hadn't. Leo thought back - to Thistle, to a young girl with Cya's memories. With Cya's need to help him, to take care of him.
But Cya had been a grown woman, when she... when she died. She'd been a young adult when she decided to take care of him, when she'd made that her mission in life. A young adult whose childhood had been stolen by an asshole father, whose heart had been frozen by an asshole Keeper.
Thistle was not any of those things. Thistle was a ten-year-old girl who still had a childhood left to live. She was Cya, but... at the same time, she wasn't.
Thistle deserved a childhood. Cya, if she was going to live twice, deserved at least one childhood. And he'd be damned if he was the one to steal this one.
Leo stared at the stairs, up towards where Thistle was sleeping in the guest room. The girl could see he'd been miserable and in pain, and Cya's memories were going to push at her to take care of him. To grow up too fast, to take care of someone who needed to be taken care of.
Unless he didn't need to be taken care of.
He took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and started Working.
By morning, the pain and misery of the last ten years was gone.
I'm going to find you.
She had, just like she'd told him she would. And yet... at the same time, she hadn't. Leo thought back - to Thistle, to a young girl with Cya's memories. With Cya's need to help him, to take care of him.
But Cya had been a grown woman, when she... when she died. She'd been a young adult when she decided to take care of him, when she'd made that her mission in life. A young adult whose childhood had been stolen by an asshole father, whose heart had been frozen by an asshole Keeper.
Thistle was not any of those things. Thistle was a ten-year-old girl who still had a childhood left to live. She was Cya, but... at the same time, she wasn't.
Thistle deserved a childhood. Cya, if she was going to live twice, deserved at least one childhood. And he'd be damned if he was the one to steal this one.
Leo stared at the stairs, up towards where Thistle was sleeping in the guest room. The girl could see he'd been miserable and in pain, and Cya's memories were going to push at her to take care of him. To grow up too fast, to take care of someone who needed to be taken care of.
Unless he didn't need to be taken care of.
He took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and started Working.
By morning, the pain and misery of the last ten years was gone.
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Good job Leo, that is probably a good decision.
I mean, if editing one's own mind is ever a good decision. Who's to say, really!
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But I don't think editing one's mind is ever a good idea, and this is Leo. It could be extra disastrous.
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