A new life (Claire, Mason)

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

Life in the camps had begun to eat away at Griffin. After they took a sample of his bone marrow against his will his health began to deteriorate. He didn't care about much anymore. He lived for that hour outside with Claire, just being able to be close to her, and for those spare moments throughout the day where he got to spend time with his silent sidekick. Mason had become a sort of safety blanket for Griffin. When things started to bring him down he would think of stored he could tell the youngster to help them both escape from the dreary camp and be cast off into make believe lands where magic was real and happy endings were in abundance. His happiest moments were spent recalling the stores, imagining them in his mind not unlike a child would. In many ways Mason truly saved Griffin. He gave him a reason to want to keep going. Not being able to hold Claire killed him, and being so completely helpless and caged like an animals simply beat him down mentally. He was growing thin and looked haggard and gaunt. The feathers on his wings were falling out more and more with each passing day. There were several deep bald patches where he could see his wing, which only served to depress him more and continue the horrid cycle. Another few months there and Griffin wasn't sure if he would survive.

Fortunately he wouldn't need to find out. It had been chaos when the Gargoyles appeared and broke them out of the camp. Griffin had found Mason immediately as they were running to get out, and in burst of adrenaline he had scooped the small boy up and threw him over his shoulder. Griffin didn't know where Mason's parents were, but he wasn't about to leave the boy with no place to go. Once out of the gates he looked around, hoping to find a familiar mop of blond hair with deep red roots. The gunfire began and Griffin moved to a tree, knowing he needed to find Claire and now! He put Mason down behind one of the trees in the woods and knelt down. "Stay here." He said firmly, his eyes pleading. "I promise I will be right back! And then we'll go together." He waited for the boy to show he understood before he squeezed Mason's shoulder and took off back into the crowd searching for Claire.

It had taken several long minutes for Griffin to locate the girl. She was with her sister and they were trying to get into one of the cars available. He managed to stop them, wanting them to go together and was about to bring his arms around Claire when it began to rain bullets all around them. Griffin pulled the girls down with him and they moved away to a safer place, watching several people fall. Griffin managed to get back to Mason, everyone unscathed, and together the group went to find a ride to safety.

The car ride was quiet and the group, for the most part, seemed in shock. Griffin couldn't believe they were out of there. There were three other people in the SUV with them, people he didn't know but it didn't matter. They were all going to be safe now. Griffin sat with Mason tucked on his lap to keep more seats available and one by one they were all being dropped off at their homes. "Come back to my place with me." Griffin pleaded with Claire and turned to Cheyenne, offering her the same. Chey refused, wanting to go home and put on her own things, but Claire agreed and for this Griffin was eternally grateful. He held Claire's hand through the ride, his other hand holding Mason on his lap. He didn't want to openly affectionate in front of the others, but he needed that contact with her. He'd missed her desperately, even if he'd gotten to see her everyday.

The SUV stopped in front of Wallingford Condominium's and Griffin, Claire and Mason climbed out. Griffin didn't know how they would get upstairs without anyone noticing their wings but then remembered the rear entrance. After a tearful goodbye between Claire and Cheyenne, and the promise to see each other tomorrow, Griffin led the small group to the back entrance that was used less often. On the way he grabbed a piece of cardboard from a trash can and then led everyone through the building.

Luck was on their side. No one was out of their condo's and they had an easy time getting to Griffin's place. He used the cardboard to wedge the door open which took several minutes, but he was finally successful. He had a spare in the house luckily, but that did him little good there in the hall. Once he had ushered them all inside he double locked the door and turned to the small group. His eyes were sad as he looked Claire over. Almost forgetting Mason was there he went to his girlfriend, wrapping his arms tight around her and hugging her close. "I've dreamt of doing this since the second they took me from you." He choked feeling the hot tears well in his eyes. His hand slipped through her blond hair, combing through it and pulling it lightly so her head moved back enough for his lips to meet hers for the first time in weeks. "I've missed this.." He offered in a soft, sad voice practically feeling the life enter back into him.

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

The camps had been a nightmare turned reality for Claire. Trapped inside an electric fence like an animal.. it was awful. It was even worse that she couldn't keep herself from freaking out and panicking over every little thing. The only time she really relaxed was when she was sent to the doctor's office and was allowed to run around a track. She'd been able to truly stretch her legs and feel free for a few blissful minutes, something that she kept at the front of her mind often, hoping that she'd be given another chance to do it again. Except she wasn't given that chance again.

But being cooped up and cramped in with other therian women still wasn't as bad as being close enough to Griffin but not being able to touch him. Cheyenne kept Claire's mind busy most of the time, but Claire both dreaded and enthused the short period of time she was allowed to be by the fence and see Griffin on the other side. She hated seeing how miserable he looked... how gaunt and weary like he hadn't been eating or sleeping. What she would've given just to order him some hearty Chinese food just so that he'd have some sustenance. It was painful to watch him and every time she'd forget that the stupid fence was between them she'd be reminded by a jolt of electricity that made her arm hair stand on end.

But their luck soon changed.

Claire had no idea what was going on. Guards were being knocked out, women and children were screaming as unfamiliar men and women came barging in. Then the stampede of people pouring out of the camps, knocking a few of the younger ones around and almost stepping on them. Claire and Cheyenne managed to grab one little girl with short blonde hair and get her out of the way before Big Bertha plowed over her like a MACK truck, handing her off to her mother and then heading out the front with the crowd.

It was Cheyenne who was in charge of instructions and Claire followed without hesitation. She looked around though, watching as strangers with wings sprouting from their backs rushed past and trying to find the familiar set that belonged to Griffin. A part of her felt real sad watching the Avisailles rushing about, trying to scurry their way while some of the Therians that could shift into animals that would blend in with the animals of the woods took their animal forms and disappeared. The Avisailles couldn't fly since their wings were clipped. Was it wrong she felt worse for them than she did herself and Chey? Before she could think anymore on the subject, getting ready to climb into one of the cars that came to pick them up, Griffin appeared at their sides and she felt the sudden relief flood through her.

Then the shooting started up.

Griffin urged her and Chey to follow him and as much as she wanted to dive into the car and hide under the seats like a coward she sucked in a sharp breath and followed. It didn't take long for them to put distance between them and their prison, finding another car and piling inside. Once the vehicle brought them close to the city Claire let out a deep breath, one hand gripping Griffin's while the other was holding onto her sister's arm, as if she was too scared to let go of either of them like they'd be stolen away from her at any moment. But nobody tried to snatch her sister or her boyfriend from her and she spent the rest of the ride settling down.

When they arrived at Griffin's building it took a few minutes for Claire to let her sister leave with the SUV, wanting to just drag her up to Griffin's condo with her but she could tell that Cheyenne just wanted to go home, shower with some privacy and try her best to feel normal again.

Once inside Griffin's place (after it took what seemed like forever for him to unlock his door sending her into a silent anxiety attack, thinking someone would see them in their jump suits and the wings on the backs of the boys) Claire felt awkward and out of place. She'd spent numerous nights there and could walk the condo with her eyes shut but it felt so alien after all that time spent away in the camps. But that awkward feeling didn't last long because Griffin was pulling her into his arms and she wrapped hers around him, burying her forehead against the nape of his neck and exhaling sharply, like she'd been holding her breath all this time. Even though they'd been holding hands on the ride there, it felt like the first time she'd touched him in a very long time.

"I've dreamt of doing this since the second they took me from you." She didn't want to loosen her grip on him but Griffin was tugging at her hair so she leaned back to look at him only to be met by his lips. She stifled a whimper, feeling like she could just break down in tears, but she wasn't going to do it. She'd done enough crying for the rest of her life! Now wasn't the time to cry.. "I've missed this.." She met his lips again before pressing her forehead against his and shutting her eyes, letting out a quiet sigh. "I can't believe we're out. Are you okay? You're not hurt anywhere, are you?" Claire asked and leaned back so she could get a better look at him when she caught a bit of movement out of the corner of her eye and glanced over to the young boy again.

"Are you okay?" She couldn't just ignore this young boy, no matter how much she wanted to selfishly keep Griffin to herself, she wasn't the only one who apparently needed him.

[MASON CADOVA]

Fear wasn’t the word to describe how Mason felt when they were escaping the camps. Sheer terror was more like it. When the Gargoyles had busted into the barracks and announced they could escape, Mason immediately began to look for the only person who cared about him: Griffin. Over the last few weeks, Griffin had become all that was still safe and good in the world. Griffin told him stories and smiled at him and made him feel like they really could make it out. They finally had that chance, Mason scooped up into Griffin’s arms as Mason’s eyes searched frantically in the early morning light to see where the shooting was coming from. The guns were what terrified him. All he could think about was lying in a pool of blood like his mom and dad. He didn’t want to die, not yet, and every shot made his heart race. His tiny hands clung to Griffin’s shoulder, wanting nothing more than to scream, but they only stuck in his throat.

When Griffin set him down and told him to stay by the tree, Mason tried to keep him there, clinging to his jumpsuit to keep him from going. “I promise I will be right back! And then we’ll go together.” Why was Griffin going back? He was going to die like his mom and dad! Mason didn’t want to be left alone again. What would freedom matter if he was all alone? But then he remembered the lady on the other side of the fence. She got shocked a lot because she would try to touch Griffin and Griffin always looked so sad and yet happier than usual when they talked through the fence. Mason let go of Griffin, terrified he’d never see him again, but knowing he was going to look for the lady. Claire…that was the lady’s name. Hoping Claire would be fast, Mason crouched down by the tree, hugging his knees to him and trying not to be so scared of the sound of bullets. It wasn’t really working, though…

After what seemed like an eternity, Griffin came through the woods and Mason felt a surge of adrenaline. He wouldn’t be alone! He ran to meet Griffin, hugging him tight around the neck when the older Avisaille picked him up. As they ran, he could see the camp getting smaller and smaller. The car ride was quiet, but Mason was still afraid they would hear bullets again soon. They would come for them, wouldn’t they? Only this time they wouldn’t just drug them and take them back to the camp—this time they might kill them. It made a shiver creep down Mason’s spine to think of it. He didn’t want to be dead like his parents yet…

They showed up at Griffin’s building and Claire said goodbye to her sister. He wished he had real family left to go home to. Inside it was warm, warmer than anywhere but the showers had been at the camps. He followed Griffin and Claire to Griffin’s home, tense and frowning as they waited for Griffin to open his door. When they finally did get inside, it finally sank in that he had gone from one strange place to another. Mason’s eyes roamed the space as Griffin and Claire hugged. He only looked at them when they kissed and he remembered his dad used to kiss his mom like that. They’d never kiss again…He was watching two strangers kiss in a strange place when he should have been watching his parents kiss at home. Griffin had Claire back…Mason could be forgotten. It was really hitting him how very alone he was and it made his stomach and his chest feel big and empty. He looked to the floor feeling burning in his eyes.

“Are you okay?” The voice directed at him made Mason look up in surprise to find Claire’s eyes on him. Was he okay? No…no he wasn’t okay. Without warning, all of his tears flooded to his eyes and he sobbed as he finally accepted his parents were dead and he was never going home. He cried harder than he could ever remember crying, trembling from head to toe with the leftover fear he felt at being shot at. Crouching down, he curled into a little ball as he sobbed, the most he’d used his voice since his parents died. His little body felt so empty and cold and he wished more than anything in the world his mom could be there to hold him and soothe him. Why did his parents have to die?

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

Griffin sighed with Claire, finally at some amount of peace now that he could touch her and there was no fear of her getting shocked for it. Every time a jolt of electricity had run through her, he felt as though it were running through him. "I can't believe we're out. Are you okay? You're not hurt anywhere, are you?" She was looking into his eyes and he gazed back unsure if he would ever let her out of his sight again. His wounds from the infirmary had, for the most part, healed but the wounds in his soul were gaping. The camp had beaten him down and he wasn't sure he would ever regain the luster he once had. "I'll be fine." He told her, not wanting to lie, but not wanting to tell her the truth either.

"Are you okay?" Griffin looked down at Mason for the first time since he got back home and saw that pained look in the child's eyes. What would become of Mason now? He must have family somewhere, Griffin decided. He probably wouldn't be staying with him for terribly long. An aunt or uncle somewhere? grandparents? He had assumed long ago that he had no parents considering he had been alone the entire time at the camp, but surely he wasn't alone in this world. But if he was.. Griffin had always said he wanted to be a father.

Mason's response was not what Griffin had expected it to be. His sad, blue eyes filled with tears and Griffin felt his heart sink low into his stomach. What had him so upset? He wondered if it was because Mason wanted to go home. This wasn't Mason's home, it was Griffin and as comfortable as Griffin felt there, it was an alien place to Mason. But to warrant such a reaction? The boy slipped to the floor practically wailing as his sobs racked his tiny body. Griffin wanted to cry, too. He cared for both Claire and Mason, but right now he didn't want to deal with a sobbing child. He wanted to eat, wash up, sleep for days on end and then make a plan but that wasn't his reality. He needed to be selfless; his own needs would need to wait. The man leaned in to his girlfriend and pecked her lips once more before pulling away to handle the situation in front of him.

Kneeling down, Griffin hooked an arm under Mason's knees and then behind his back and under her arms, scooping him up and pulling him into his lap, cradling the boy's body against his own. "Shhhhh.." He hushed softly, rocking Mason as though he were much younger than he was. "Everything's going to be alright." He promised softly, unsure if it would be. "I'm going to take care of everything, okay?" His voice was soft and soothing as it often was. Despite him wanting to be doing other things, he was very much there in that moment, not thinking of anything other than comforting Mason patiently. He held Mason for a long time, knowing the boy wouldn't talk to him, but knowing he needed to be reassured which was exactly what Griffin did. When he seemed to settle a little he got to his feet, the boy still tucked in his arms, and brought him to the couch. "I promise we'll get everything sorted in time." He reassured, unsure if it would be enough for Mason to hear it. "I am a man of my word, Mason." He added gently. "So don't you fear. You have me now, and nothing will change that." He sat the boy down and then sat next to him. "I'm going to make us some tea. I think it will help all of us settle a bit, hm?" He suggested, patting the boys leg. He reached over to the edge of the couch and pulled a blanket over and draped it over Mason's shoulders. "I'm pretty sure I have some cookies, too. Hopefully they haven't gotten stale. I'm going to go put the tea on and be back in a moment, okay?" He swept a hand over the boys head, mussing his hair gently before getting up and moving towards the kitchen, grabbing Claire's hand on the way.

Griffin dragged Claire with him to the kitchen and once there wrapped her in his arms once more, not sure he would ever get his fill of her. He moved away a little and cradled her face offering a weak smile. "I think might have a roommate for a little while." He told her softly, a small smile on his face. He'd told Claire a little about Mason, but truth was he himself only knew a little about Mason. "Are you okay?" He asked, his voice pained as he searched her eyes. "Want to go to Africa still?" He asked, almost teasing as a sad smile slipped over his lips, giving him almost a mischievous look. He leaned in kissing her again before pulling away to put the tea on and search the cabinet for cookies. Sure enough there were some Pepridge Farm chocolate chunk cookies from one of his and Claire's movie-and-binge-eating marathons.

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

As if there wasn't enough tension in the room already, the little boy's eyes welled up with tears and then he had a total break down. It was a Claire-level break down and she stood there wide-eyed watching as he collapsed down into the fetal position and sobbed his little eyes out. Claire was too shocked to say or do anything, frozen there watching the poor boy. What did you do when someone was crying like that?! Was she suppose to tell him that everything was okay? Pat him on the head? She didn't know! Luckily Griffin swooped in and took it on himself to care for the boy, scooping him up into his arms and cradling him like a child.

"Everything's going to be alright." Claire certainly hoped so.. she didn't want to think about the consequences of their breakout, what that might mean for them later on.. she just wanted to worry about the present for now. "I'm going to take care of everything, okay?" She was still standing there, her mouth open like she wanted to say something but staying silent. Griffin picked the boy up and placed him on the couch. Poor kid.. Griffin told her a little bit about him. That his name was Mason and that he was alone in the camps. He was just lucky enough to have someone like Griffin there to look over him.

"I'm pretty sure I have some cookies, too. Hopefully they haven't gotten stale. I'm going to go put the tea on and be back in a moment, okay?" Cookies.. when was the last time Claire had a cookie?! Or food that wasn't mushy goo? Suddenly she felt like raiding Griffin's kitchen for some of those cookies and when he grabbed her hand and pulled her along she gratefully followed. To the cookies they go!

Only when they got into the kitchen and out of sight of Mason Griffin pulled her into another embrace. She threw her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly, letting his hands find her face, lifting it so that she could look at him. "I think I might have a rommate for a little while." She laughed quietly and glanced over her shoulder towards the living room where she knew Mason was. "Are you okay?" She looked back at him and rolled her shoulders in a lazy shrug. "Want to go to Africa still?" Africa? They were planning a trip to Africa, weren't they? She leaned into him so she could peck him on the lips before he moved to one of the cabinets in search of the cookies.

"Well considering we might be unemployed, Africa is definitely still an option on the table." She said softly and moved to the fridge and opened it up. She was met by a rancid odor that hit her in the face like a ton of bricks. They hadn't been there in so long that all the perishables had.. well.. perished. It was the milk and she pulled the half gallon carton out and moved to the sink, popping off the cap and dumping it down the drain. "Oh that's just.. that's gross."

Trashing the empty milk jug she went back into the fridge again and started to clear it out. There were a few small yogurts that smelled like they were about to expire, something she could sniff out with her heightened senses, and decided that should be trashed as well. There wasn't an awful lot in there so she was able to clear it out quickly before grabbing a glass out of one of the cabinets and filling it with water from the faucet. "So what are we going to do about Mason? Does he have family somewhere?" She tried to keep her voice down, not wanting him to hear them talking about him. She always hated it when people talked about her when she wasn't in the room. "I hope he likes water with his cookies.. milk was bad.."

[MASON CADOVA]

Mason could hear Griffin coming closer. When his arms came around him and pulled Mason to him, cradling his tiny body, the little boy immediately felt soothed as he continued to cry. Griffin’s soft hushing and rocking reminded him so much of how his mother used to comfort him. His small hands clung to Griffin’s jumpsuit, his fear and sadness easing slowly. “Everything’s going to be alright.” No it wouldn’t, but the way Griffin said that made it sound as if that were possible. But how could it be when his parents were dead? “I’m going to take care of everything, okay?” How? How could he take care of everything? Griffin didn’t even know that Mason had no parents, no family anywhere. It made him cry more and for a long time Griffin just held him. After a while, he wondered if it would be so bad staying with Griffin. True, it wasn’t home and Mason would never see his parents again, but they were free and Griffin had brought him here to safety. As long as he was with Griffin, maybe it would be okay…

Griffin got up and took Mason with him, the boy’s little hands still clutching the jumpsuit over his chest. He didn’t know where they were going, nor did he care as long as Griffin kept near him. “I promise we’ll get everything sorted in time. I am a man of my word, Mason. So don’t you fear. You have me now, and nothing will change that.” Immediately, all Mason’s worries that Griffin would abandon him too vanished. He wasn’t really alone. For whatever reason, Griffin was going to stay with him and take care of him, even though there was absolutely no reason why he would have to, and that meant more than Mason could express even if he did have words. The older man set Mason down on the couch gently and even though his arms weren’t around him, Mason still felt comforted by Griffin’s sad green gaze. “I’m going to make us some tea. I think it will help all of us settle a bit, hm?” Mason nodded, still sniffling every now and then though the tears had stopped. Griffin draped a blanket over his shoulders and Mason pulled it tight around him, glancing over at Claire for a moment. She was a pretty lady even if she often looked confused. “I’m pretty sure I have some cookies, too.” Mason looked right back to Griffin at the mention of cookies. “Hopefully they haven’t gotten stale. I’m going to go put the tea on and be back in a moment, okay?” The boy smiled gently, nodding again before Griffin got up and mussed his hair. It made Mason smile more, watching Griffin go. He grabbed Claire, still looking confused, but Mason didn’t follow.

The boy looked out the window at the darkness, his legs dangling off the side of the couch. Were they really free? Mason didn’t know how to fly yet, but his wings had been feeling weak with this darkness anyway. They twitched a little beneath the blanket as if they knew what freedom meant even if they couldn’t fully enjoy it. With all of the stories floating around the camp, Mason had been afraid they would call him into the infirmary and hurt his wings somehow. They’d done that to Griffin and he’d been miserable for days. Mason didn’t like it when Griffin was miserable. He slid off the couch, the blanket still wrapped around him like a cloak or a cape, and he padded silently to the window. He looked down to the street below and saw a few people roaming the streets and a couple cars too. What day was it? Were the police looking for them? Did the police even know they were free? Mason hoped that if the police were involved, they weren’t helping to put them away again, but he knew that was unlikely. He was suddenly nervous to be at the window and he scurried back to the couch, hopping up on it and cocooning himself in the blanket as he rested his head on the soft pillow. The couch was much softer than anything he’d slept on in a month and a half. It was enough to make him sleepy, though he didn’t want to go to sleep yet. No, he wanted tea and cookies first. But while Griffin and Claire were in the kitchen, he stayed curled up like a burrito or a worm on the couch, just watching the swirling darkness in the sky.

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

"Well considering we might be unemployed, Africa is definitely still an option on the table." He was only partially serious. The thought of going away still sounded wonderful, but he wouldn't be able to do anything until he got this whole Mason thing sorted. If the boy had family, he would need to track them down and give him back. If he didn't? Griffin wasn't sure what he would do. Of course the boy could be his ward but that was such a huge deal. Of course he would do it graciously, and he would care for Mason but to become a father overnight was something he never would have imagined. He wondered if it would affect his relationship with Claire, and his eyes followed her as she went to dump the milk down the drain. Could she handle that sort of responsibility with him? Would she leave him and make him choose? It wasn't a conversation for now. For all he knew the boy's family was in a different state and they would get him tomorrow.

While Claire cleared the fridge, Griffin rinsed the kettle out and put the tea on, pulling out mugs and sugar and bags of tea for each mug. "So what are we going to do about Mason?" Griffin felt his heart flutter a little at her words. We. She had already accepted partial responsibility for his welfare, at least for now. "Does he have family somewhere?" Griffin began putting the cookies on a plate, shaking his head. "I don't know." He said softly, his tone portraying how sad the situation was to him. "He won't speak and I would imagine if he had family somewhere he would try and tell me somehow, but we did just get here. Actually, that reminds me.." He pulled a drawer open and took out a small notepad and pencil. "Maybe he could write me some messages since he can't seem to get his words out."

Griffin handed Claire a cookie and offered her a warm smile. "If he doesn't have any family, I might need to make some arrangements for him." He told her gently, not wanting to scare her with talk of adopting him yet. It was too soon to really think about it all yet, and he didn't feel comfortable discussing the prospect of the boys future with him awake and so near. Griffin grabbed the cookie plate and moved back towards the living room, setting it down on the table in front of Mason who was wrapped tightly in the blanket he had handed him. He could use some real, warm food but that would have to wait for now. Griffin would have to see what was in the freezer and go from there since he didn't have his wallet which meant he couldn't order food. Then again he wondered if he'd had any cash in the bedroom.

Griffin took a seat next to Mason, offering the pad and pencil. "Mason, I need to know some things about you." He started softly, not wanting to probe him for too much information. "Can you tell me what happened to your parents? Is there anyone I can call for you? A grandparent or aunt or uncle maybe? If you don't have their number it's fine if you can give me a name. Anything..." Griffin looked up at Claire and gave her a sad smile, wanting to spend more time with her, preferably snuggled in his bed, but that would need to wait for now it seemed.

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

There were so many things on Claire's mind that it made it difficult to sort through them all while in the kitchen, dumping everything bad out of the fridge to do her part. She didn't even want to think about all the junk in her fridge that had spoiled. There was probably a whole new culture of living mold in her fridge, since before they'd been taken she'd been staying at Griffin's so often. Hell, the milk she had probably went bad before they were even taken to their weird prison in the woods.

"I don't know. He won't speak and I would imagine if he had family somewhere he would try and tell me somehow, but we did just get here. Actually, that reminds me.." He wouldn't speak? Was he a mute or was he in shock and too horribly damaged from the events that he just couldn't get the words out? Poor kid.. she thought to herself and watched as Griffin pulled out a pad and pencil to give to the boy.

When Griffin held out the cookie Claire didn't think twice about grabbing it and stuffing the whole thing in her mouth like some starved Ethiopian child. Now that the adrenaline of their breakout was dissipating she found herself tired and hungry, so she munched on the partially stale cookie in silence. "If he doesn't have any family, I might need to make some arrangements for him." Arrangements? She looked over to the boy curiously and then nodded her head. Poor guy just needed a familiar face probably to get him to settle down. Her and Griffin definitely weren't familiar faces but it didn't mean they weren't friendly and maybe they'd be able to get something outta the little Avisaille.

Following Griffin back into the living room Claire took a seat on the edge of the coffee table and folded her hands in her lap, watching the two boys and hoping that Grififn's idea would work with Mason. "Mason, I need to know some things about you. Can you tell me what happened to your parents? Is there anyone I can call for you? A grandparent or aunt or uncle maybe? If you don't have their number it's fine if you can give me a name. Anything..."

There was so much information that they needed from this boy... so much they didn't know. Like where was he from? Obviously he was from Scriptor Bay, being an Avisaille, but where were his parents? Why weren't there any relatives in the camps to look after him? Although they needed to know this in order to get him back to his family, Claire thought that maybe he'd tense up from Griffin's questions.

Leaning forward so she could prop her elbows on her knees she offered Mason the warmest smile she could muster. "Hey.. you know.. it's.. it's okay if you don't know. Or if you need time to figure it out?" Claire nodded at Mason. "You can eat some cookies.. maybe take a shower? I'm sure we can scramble up some clean clothes." She glanced at Griffin briefly before turning her attention back to Mason. "Write whatever you can for us and then we'll get out of these yucky jumpsuits and put on some real clothes. What do you say?"

[MASON CADOVA]

Mason could hear Griffin and Claire coming back into the room and he looked up from his pillow as they did. He saw the cookies and pushed himself off the cushions so he could eat one when Griffin set it down. As the plate was placed on the coffee table, he reached over, still bundled in the blanket, and grabbed a cookie. Sure, they were stale, but it wasn’t camp food. It was real chocolate and he’d missed it. Of course Mason could live without chocolate, but it was a comfort food and it was one thing that really indicated he was out of the woods and out of the camps. It took him a moment to realize the grown-ups were looking at him and he looked hesitantly to Griffin. The man pushed a notepad and pencil toward him and he set his cookie down on the table before taking the items from his friend. “Mason, I need to know some things about you. Can you tell me what happened to your parents? Is there anyone I can call for you? A grandparent or aunt or uncle maybe? If you don’t have their number it’s fine if you can give me a name. Anything…” The little boy was frozen, his eyes sad as he stared up at Griffin. So he did want to get rid of him…why else would he ask about his family? Not that he had anybody anyway. His eyes fell to the notepad before Claire’s voice made him look at her.

“Hey…you know…it’s…it’s okay if you don’t know. Or if you need time to figure it out. You can eat some cookies…maybe take a shower? I’m sure we can scramble up some clean clothes. Write whatever you can for us and then we’ll get out of these yucky jumpsuits and put on some real clothes. What do you say?” Mason gave a little smile. He decided he liked Claire. She was really nice. Still…he was scared to tell them he didn’t have anybody. Would they kick him out right away because of that? With one more wary glance at Griffin, Mason picked up the pencil and hesitated to write the answer. Finally, in small, neat handwriting, he wrote simply: Parents are dead. No family. Looking at the words, they struck him too. It was so strange to see them. He didn’t have a family. Sure, he might have Griffin and Claire, but how long could he have them? And they weren’t family…

He gave the pencil and notepad back to Griffin, looking sad. The last thing he wanted was to leave. He wanted to stay with Griffin. He didn’t want to be alone. Griffin was the only person that seemed to care about him, the only person who had taken an interest in him in the camps. Mason loved his stories and the things Griffin taught him and he even liked Claire too. He was so scared Griffin would leave him because he didn’t have anybody else, though. Why should he continue to take care of a kid all alone? Mason felt it bubbling in his throat as he had before since his parents died, but this time he had a voice. “Please don’t make me leave.” His voice was raspy from disuse and soft, yet it was enough to catch Griffin’s attention. It was the first he’d ever spoken to Griffin. How had Griffin brought his words back? Where had they been all this time? It made his eyes tear up to know they were back, but those blue eyes stayed trained on Griffin, waiting for him to speak once more.

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

"Hey.. you know.. it's.. it's okay if you don't know. Or if you need time to figure it out?" Griffin looked to Claire, infinitely more grateful with her presence. She had a knack for being on the awkward side, but today she seemed much more composed which was even more startling given the circumstance. When she suggested they could get some clean clothes for the boy, Griffin's mind immediately raced to think about what they had there that Mason could wear. He would need a harness, but with a boy his age an ace bandage would work just fine temporarily. A t-shirt of griffin's could work, and he had gym shorts with a string, but it was too cold for shorts. Pants would be too long, though. He could put him on long socks, maybe?

"...get out of these yucky jumpsuits and put on some real clothes. What do you say?" Griffin came back down to earth and looked between his girlfriend and the blond boy sitting on his couch, nodding gently. Mason offered a small smile and Griffin felt his heart race a little as he reached for the pencil and paper. The man licked his lips looking at Claire before back at Mason who seemed skeptical.

When Mason offered the paper back to Griffin, he looked down feeling the blood drain from his face. Parents are dead. No family. His parents were dead and he had no other family? Griffin frowned as the realization of their situation crashed down; Mason was completely alone. This poor child had no one. Griffin's parents were both still alive and well and thankfully out of the country. The darkness had become too much for them in their older age and they had gone to visit the Scandinavian countries until everything here settled. But Mason didn't have the luxury of parents, and this saddened him deeply.

Griffin slipped the note to Claire so she could see it, giving Mason a pained look. What was he supposed to do with the boy? He would need to talk to Callum Prescott, but that wouldn't be easy to do now. Griffin turned to Claire to see her reaction when a small voice made him turn back to Mason.

“Please don’t make me leave.”

The voice was so unexpected that all Griffin could do was gape at Mason. In the month or so he'd known the boy he had never heard him speak. His voice seemed worn out, like he had either used it too much or not at all. Trying to shake the shock away griffin shook his head, his brows furrowing. "No.. no of course I wouldn't make you leave." He insisted gently. "I told you we would get this all sorted out and I meant that. And.. well if that means you stay here forever then.." He gulped chancing a brief look at Claire, unsure how she would feel about him inviting Mason into his life permanently while he expected the same for Claire. "..well, then you stay forever. Or.. we could find other arrangements if that's what you would rather." He said, the reality that he was quite possibly becoming a father suddenly hitting him. He would have to rearrange the house a bit to make room for Mason. He would need to get boys clothing for him, a new harness, paint, toys, books... He wondered if he could collect some of his things from wherever he'd lived prior to the camps, but Griffin wouldn't get into that now. He reached out taking Mason's hand and looking him square in the eye. "You have a place here as long as you desire one. I won't let anything more happen to you." He promised softly, making sure Mason understood the seriousness of what he said. A whistling sounded in the kitchen suddenly, letting the group know the tea was ready.

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

Claire watched as Mason began to write on the pad of paper, waiting for him to finish and hand it over to Griffin. He had looked so nervous and scared, but he was going to be brave and give them some information to go on. Maybe they would be able to return him to his family tomorrow, since in a few hours Claire was going to be stuck in her animal form she wouldn’t be able to go out, but first thing in the morning? Surely they could hand him back to his family. They had to be missing him right now and were probably frantic. That made Claire wonder what it was like to have frantic parents. She tilted her head to the side and her eyes went out of focus, a clear sign that she was seriously thinking about it. Sure, Chey would get worked up and a little crazy at times when Claire was younger and she lost track of time and stayed at the library way past her curfew, but did their mother ever worry about them? If she did she wasn’t very good at showing it.

When Mason passed the pad back to Griffin she watched as her boyfriend’s demeanor seemed to change in an instant. He looked paler than he already was and Claire started to fidget with her hands, anxious to know what was written down. It didn’t take long for Griffin to turn it to her so she could get a good look. Parents are dead. No family. She stared at the words as if she expected them to suddenly change. Maybe a little ‘just kidding!’ to appear and the address to where his parents were. But that didn’t happen and she looked up at Griffin as her eyes grew sad.

”Please don’t make me leave.”

The tiny voice that sounded like it hadn’t been used in a long time startled Claire and she turned her attention over to Mason. Did he think they were going to make him leave? Claire wasn’t sure what they were going to do but she knew Griffin would never just toss him out. It wasn’t the sort of thing the Avisaille could do even if he wanted to, she was sure of it.

”No.. no of course I wouldn’t make you leave. I told you we would get this all sorted out and I meant that. And.. well if it means you stay here forever then..” Claire flicked her attention to Griffin and caught his gaze briefly before looking down at her fidgety hands. Was he going to offer Mason a place in his home for good? They didn’t know anything about this boy but what else was there? You couldn’t put someone like him in an orphanage. We’d like to drop off a little boy. His name is Mason, he’s quiet and from what we can tell a good kid... oh, by the way? He has these wings sprouting out of his back. Please don’t hurt him or turn him over to the crazy scientists. Yep. That would go well.

"..well, then you stay forever. Or.. we could find other arrangements if that's what you would rather."

Griffin was leaving it up to Mason. If the boy wanted to stay with Griffin then he would keep him. If not then they would find somewhere safe for him to stay. And if Mason stayed then Claire would do whatever she could to help Griffin. She didn’t know the first thing to being a parent but they had books on that sort of thing, right? It wasn’t as if she was going to play ‘mom’ in a game of house, but it would help if she knew the right and wrong things to say around him instead of getting nervous and going on a ranting session.

"You have a place here as long as you desire one. I won't let anything more happen to you."

Those words made Claire tear up a bit and she had to look away, quietly sniffling as she turned her head away from them and stared up at the ceiling. Don’t cry! she scolded herself and with one more sniffle and a quick dab of her finger under her right eye and she was good as new. She could hear the kettle whistling in the kitchen, increasing in volume until it reached its highest pitch and made Claire cringe, sending her to her feet and heading for the kitchen.

Turning off the stove Claire grabbed an oven mitt and picked up the handle of the kettle moving it to a cool spot on the stove, her ears finding relief as the whistling died down until it stopped completely. There was a part of her that was glad that she decided to move into the kitchen, almost like she could hide from the other two for a hot minute and actually think. She wanted to tell the poor boy that she’d be there for him too, that she’d do whatever she could to make things better.

But she was Claire. She had a tendency to muck things up at times and it made her nervous.

It wasn’t like that time she accidentally killed her pet fish by over feeding it. Chey always thought it was dumb that Claire had a pet fish, but dammit Claire wanted that fish! It was all colorful and cute and she named him Fred.. but she fed him too much and he died. Luna was different. Luna she could let out and she’d find her own food. And when she was full she stopped eating. Mason was a boy. She couldn’t just forget about him or feed him whenever it was convenient for her. If she overfed Mason then he’d get heavy and wouldn’t be able to fly and then he’d resent Claire for the rest of his life!

Claire was getting ahead of herself and she shook her head, preparing the mugs with the tea bags and pouring each one with the hot water. They’d have to get to know Mason first and he seemed like a good kid. At least from the last few hours that she’d spent with him in close proximity. And he was an Avisaille... they aged differently. How old was he? She gathered the mugs onto a carrying tray along with some sugar. They’d have to drink it without milk or cream since it had all gone bad. When it was all evenly placed on the tray she picked it up in both hands and carried it into the living room and set it on the coffee table but she didn’t pick up her mug yet. Her full attention was on Griffin and Mason.

This kid looked like he was about to have a meltdown. Claire knew the look all too well since she had it every other day it seemed. “You know what?” She asked in a loud whisper, her green eyes growing wide and bright to give her an excited look. They couldn’t do anything about his parents or his family-less situation, but they could try to distract him from it for now. He was just a little boy and they’d just broken free from a concentration camp of sorts. He didn’t need all this pressure and weight on his shoulders. “Tomorrow.. let’s go out of town. We can go up to Tillamook? They have some really nice shopping malls up there. We can shop until we drop from exhaustion.. and maybe even stay the night? There’s this really nice diner that serves the best fish sandwiches. We can stuff our fat faces full of fish and chips in one of those fancy hotels with a nice view of the beach.” It sounded like such a good idea.. even if they just left and sat on the beach for the whole day. She didn’t care just as long as they got out of the city. Because truth be told she had a feeling she was going to be looking over her shoulder every two minutes for someone to come and take them away again if they stayed. And she had emergency credit cards that she stashed around her apartment... it was just a matter of finding them.

[MASON CADOVA]

Griffin looked surprised as did Claire, which didn’t surprise Mason in the least. He’d never spoken to either of them, so of course they would be surprised. Still, he was anxious to know if Griffin was going to make him leave. “No…no of course I wouldn’t make you leave. I told you we would get this all sorted out and I meant that. And…well if that means you stay here forever then…” Mason could feel the tears stinging at the backs of his eyes, but that didn’t stop him from noticing Griffin’s hesitant look at Claire. The boy wasn’t so young that he didn’t know what a girlfriend was, so he knew if he lived with Griffin then he’d see Claire a lot. But would Claire want him around? “…well, then you stay forever. Or…we could find other arrangements if that’s what you would rather.” Mason shook his head vigorously. “No, I want to stay with you,” he insisted softly, his voice still raspy. Griffin took his hand and he was comforted a little, gazing back in his green eyes anxiously. “You have a place here as long as you desire one. I won’t let anything more happen to you.” The tears were burning even more in his eyes now and he bit his lip to hold them in. He was glad the whistling in the kitchen sounded to distract him from his happy tears. Mason didn’t want to cry anymore. He was so tired of crying. Every night in his sleep he would cry, and he didn’t want to start doing it in the daytime too. A small sniffle from Claire drew Mason’s eyes and he saw she was wiping a tear away too. He hoped she wasn’t sad because he was staying. Mason wanted Claire to like him. He was afraid that was the case, however, when she got up to move the kettle off the stove.

With Claire gone from the room, Mason’s eyes came back to Griffin. He was distracted by Claire, but it gave Mason an opportunity to move closer and put his arms around Griffin as thanks. Since his parents were shot, he really wondered if there were nice people in the world. Griffin had been nice to him in the camps and so had his friend Flynn and Claire, but they were the only ones who really talked to him. He never knew what would happen when they left the camps. Mason had been scared of where he would go and what he would do. He had no one…but now he had Griffin. It was such a relief to have someone who would care for you when all the rest was gone. Yet all he could think of to say was a soft, “Thank you.” He squeezed Griffin tighter and sniffled, still trying to hold back his tears. When Griffin hugged him back, Mason buried his face in the older man’s chest to hide that he really was crying now. There was a new life waiting for him right here and he hadn’t even asked for it. If it hadn’t been for Griffin, who knew where he would be?

When he heard Claire coming back into the room, Mason pulled away, but still stayed pretty close to Griffin. He wiped the tears off his face before looking at the pretty lady carrying the mugs and tea over to them. His eyes were still wide and teary even though he didn’t want them to be. She must have seen how upset he was because once she’d placed the tray on the table she leaned into him with her big green eyes wide and excited. “You know what? Tomorrow…let’s go out of town. We can go up to Tillamook? They have some really nice shopping malls up there. We can shop until we drop from exhaustion…and maybe even stay the night? There’s this really nice diner that sells the best fish sandwiches. We can stuff our fat faces full of fish and chips in one of those fancy hotels with a nice view of the beach.” Mason felt his smile grow on his face slowly as he looked at Claire. So she wasn’t sad he was going to stay. She actually wanted to do things with him! And he really liked fish…The smile on his face was probably bigger than it had been in what felt like forever. “I want to…” he said in an almost shy voice. He turned to look at Griffin, his blue eyes wide and curious. “Can we go?” Mason wanted all of them to go. He liked Claire and wouldn’t mind doing things with just her, but he wanted Griffin to come too. And he was pretty sure Griffin would want to go. Mason hoped there would be sunshine.

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

Griffin's eyes moved with Claire as she got up to get the tea. He gulped, wondering what she was thinking. Was she okay with this arrangement? Did she want Mason to stay? Would it mess with their budding relationship? He'd never done this boyfriend thing and he'd certainly never done this dad thing. It was all so new and a little overwhelming and all he wanted to do was sleep it all off. He toyed briefly with the idea of going after Claire, but then he felt small arms wrapping around him, distracting him from his thoughts of the beautiful woman in his kitchen.

“Thank you.” Came the soft, almost husky voice of the boy. Griffin wrapped his arms around Mason's small frame and sighed into his hair. "No, thank you, Mason. I'm honored you would want to stay with me." He told the child softly feeling the boys body move while he breathed and sobbed softly.

When Claire returned Mason pulled away and Griffin looked up with hesitant eyes. She looked thinner than he remembered her ever looking. Her hair was a little messy and there were bright red roots poking at her scalp, but he was still so drawn to her. He wanted nothing more than to go to her still. “You know what? Tomorrow…let’s go out of town. We can go up to Tillamook? They have some really nice shopping malls up there. We can shop until we drop from exhaustion…and maybe even stay the night?" His heart raced. Not only did she seem to accept this situation, but she was actually embracing it! "There’s this really nice diner that sells the best fish sandwiches. We can stuff our fat faces full of fish and chips in one of those fancy hotels with a nice view of the beach.” the beach sounded wonderful, as did the entire trip. Sure, he wasn't really in the mood for shopping, but they did need to get Mason some things if he was to stay there. In fact Griffin would probably need to order some things online, like a bed. Doing all that shopping at a store would just be too tedious.

The look he gave Claire was warm and grateful. He loved hat she was embracing this and that she seemed to almost want them to be a family. He tried not to read too much into it until they spoke later without Mason, but he was moved by her reaction. “I want to…” Mason's voice still shook him a little, and he looked back down at the boy he was now ward of. “Can we go?” How could he say no? Why would he want to? Slowly he nodded. "Of course we can go." He said softly, his tone not as energetic as he'd hoped. "I'll need to stop at the bank and have a new card issued, but we can do that before we go. I think some sunshine would do us all a lot of good. Before we go I'll need to get you a harness, too. I think I might have mine from my younger years but I'll have to check. If not maybe my friend Melanie has one." He knew Flynn probably didn't have an extra one and a woman's harness was far more likely to fit him than a man's. "But for now we need to figure something out to eat. I don't know about you guys, but tea and cookies won't hold me for long." He smiled at the pair, though his smile was a little guarded. There was so much to do, so many things he needed to get done with Mason staying with him! He reached for his tea and brought it to his lips, taking a sip of the hot liquid and letting it burn its way down his throat. He didn't even know where to begin.