[Despayre]

 3:20 AM

It was of little wonder that he had such difficulty in sleeping these past few months. Up until the time that he had moved into this house in the wealthier suburb of North Las Vegas, he had shown a distinct preference for being closer to the cities' metropolis of the places he had once called home. The lights of the buildings and streets would mesmerize him as he looked out the upper story windows he would stay in when he traveled across the country or stay in one of the houses he had owned at one time. He could still see the lights of Vegas now when he looked out across the landscape.

He could see the stars as well, much easier out here than he could when he lived where the city would drown them out. It was something he had taken for granted for years until he had his team stay over at a ranch in Atlanta, Georgia and Despayre was positively enamored with the stars overhead too where they had to practically drag him inside to eat. Another testimony to the life he lived in the hell of that mental asylum. Cooped up in a virtual cage and rarely if ever seeing the night sky overhead. Damning, really, as Canada was known for having beautiful night skies. To be denied that simple pleasure, it should come as little surprise. Since Despayre's release into Synn's care, Synn had come to know many such luxuries he himself took for granted that Despayre simply wished to experience.

There was much missing out here besides the light and stars Synn was all too used to in the heart of the cities. The people themselves would always draw his wanton attentions while they walked or drove by while he himself sat comfortably in a random restaurant or cafe. And the noise? It was the very life of the city. His own personal mantra in the nature of sin. Ironically, it was also the same life that he had wanted to lead Despayre away from. It baffled his psyche that in any other case, he would reach for those closest to him to experience the same pleasures that he himself enjoyed. With Despayre, he wanted him to enjoy him life, but at the same time he also wanted to protect him from the very dangers that life could harbor.

Such was the nature of being a parent.

Now that Synn was away from the heart of the city, he found that he missed the subtle pleasures that it bestowed. Subconsciously at night he would lay there in wait for the comforts of the noises he had taken for granted; cars honking and speeding down the streets. The raised voices of pedestrians on the walk. The sirens of police cars or ambulances. None would come. So strange was this revelation that the silence would disturb his slumber more so than the noise would. Yet now something else ate away at his mental well being, keeping him alert.

The fear of potential loss.

Synn relaxed back in the large, plush recliner that was centered in his living room. His feet were crossed at the ankles, and his left elbow on the arm rest while the side of his head rested against his fingers. He extended the television remote in his right hand and clicked through another channel in a seemingly unending attempt to divert his attentions from the thoughts that continued to haunt him. He found no success. His thoughts would always end up reverting back to the problem at hand.

"What are you doing?"

The voice of Gabriel gave him an unexpected start. He turned and spotted the magician standing in the frame of the living room door. His hair was mussed and his sleeping clothes of a plain t-shirt and pajama pants were ruffled, indicating that he had just awoken. Gabriel did not call this house his home. he had a special suite atop the Luxor in the city, but he had come over for a late dinner and Despayre had managed to coax him into staying over. Despayre had done so successfully and with enough frequency, roughly twice a week, that Gabriel had taken the precaution of keeping a set of emergency sleepover clothes for just such an occasion.

In reality, Gabriel slept in absolutely nothing but wasn't about to do so in any house Synn resided at.

Synn asked absently, "What are you doing up?"

"I asked you first."

"So you did." Synn turned back to the giant screen LCD television mounted against the wall and clicked the remote again. He answered in a low murmur, "I'm just channel surfing."

"You don't channel surf."

"Yes, and I am starting to understand why." Frustrated, Synn switched off the television and gave the remote a nonchalant toss onto the oak table at his side. "Shit. Over two hundred channels, you'd think there would be something remotely worth watching."

"What about that Facts of Life marathon?" Gabriel smirked, leaning heavily against the frame of the door and folding his arms across his chest.

"I should slap you silly for even suggesting such a thing." Synn growled.

This only egged Gabriel on and he started singing off-key, "You take the good, You take the bad, You take them both and there you have...the Facts of Life..."

"Gabriel..." Synn whispered, flashing him a look of expressed annoyance. "What are you doing up?"

"Are you kidding?" Gabriel said as he uncrossed his arms and made his way into the living room, taking a seat on the arm rest of the sofa an arm-span to Synn's left side. "The guest room you gave me is right next to yours and I could hear you and Sean making those goddam barnyard noises through the wall all night."

"What are you talking about?" Synn turned his head to look at his charge and yes, friend. "Sean passed out three hours ago."

"Yes but the memory lingers on and causes dreams I wouldn't wish on, well, you."

Synn exhaled through his nose in what could be mistaken for a half asses attempt at a laugh, but pushed himself up off of his seat and turned and headed toward the kitchen and Gabriel opted to get up and follow the brooding man.

"So c'mon, fess up." Gabriel said as they entered the kitchen. He pulled up a stool and had a seat against the bar as Synn opened the fridge and started to dig around inside. "Talk to me. You haven't been sleeping right for a couple of weeks now."

"Do tell." Synn said as he emerged with two chilled bottles of beer and he slid one across the counter to Gabriel and popped the cap of the second for his own. "Right about when Joshua received that damn gift..." He muttered darkly.

Gabriel sighed as he took a drink from his own bottle. "I thought so." He set the bottle down and paused for a moment's thought, and then looked up at the man who seemed lost in his own thoughts. "He hasn't taken that shirt off since he got it. You speak to Underwood?"

Synn set his bottle down, untasted, and frowned as he stared at nothing in particular. "He said the package was delivered to his office. Went through security and when nothing was found wrong, it was passed along to me. I told him what was going on and it never should have been..." He shook his head. "But he told me it wasn't his fault or his job to monitor my personal life outside of the promotion."

"Oo." Gabriel muttered through pursed lips. "Cold. Accurate, but cold."

Synn rested his forearms on the counter top and he said, "Joshua acts as though she's going to walk through the door at any second. If someone knocks, or the door bell rings, he beats me and Teresa there every time. Then when he sees it's not her..."

"Looks like his heart breaks for the smallest second." Gabriel finished the thought.

Synn nodded, gripping the beer bottle again. "Exactly. Call it wishful thinking, but after everything I went through when I first found out about him, getting him out of that asylum, making him the home he deserved... for that bitch to just take it upon herself to waltz right back into his life..."

Gabriel said, "Well she hasn't exactly shown up on the door step yet."

"She will." He finally took a deep swallow from the bottle. "I just never thought she'd have the guts."

"You seriously never expected it?" Gabriel frowned in a slight state of disbelief. "I've known you for going on a couple of years now, and I can honestly say that I'm surprised you never believed the kid's mother would show up after you saved him."

"He's going to start asking questions." Synn muttered, rubbing his hand along his jaw.

"Like what?"

"Oh like why he's with me now, instead of her."

Gabriel raised a thoughtful brow, taking a drink. "And if he does?"

"I don't know." Was Synn's answer. He closed his eyes momentarily. "For the first time, I do not know what to do."

"You may have to face the obvious." Gabriel said in a serious tone that drew Synn's eyes back open and on him. "I told you before he should know the truth before it's too late. You may have to consider this a sign that it's time."

For the longest time, Synn said nothing. He seemed lost in thought as he took in and considered Gabriel's words. Of course, he was right. He had put it off, for fear of what harm it might do to Despayre's already fragile  psyche. It was a risk he did not want to take, but now that this woman had taken such a step, the risk had become even greater.

Finally Synn said, "I thought I was finally coming to grasp on the boy's mind ... at least to a small extent. We'll never know the full range of what his thought process is capable of but now..."

"But now...?" Gabriel repeated, inquiring.

Synn curled his fist against his lips and his eyes hardened. "But this is new. I'd swear if I didn't know any better, I'd say his thoughts are almost lost in time. Like he thinks it was only yesterday that Margaret left him in that place."

Synn calmly sat on the small chair in the hospital's recreation room and his eyes remained fixed on the young man who was seated as properly on the sofa as his excitement would allow. Joshua's eyes were firmly glued on the television screen as he watched Daffy Duck play at being a detective by the moniker of 'Duck Twacy' and attempt to solve a piggy bank crime wave. Joshua drew his feet up underneath him and laughed in delight at the antics of the screwball duck and Synn could not help but smile himself. He never gave any form of thought at what this would be like.

His thoughts were only of wanting the boy out of this place, yet even for him the process was painfully slow. It started off only once a week, and slowly grew to four times he would venture up into Canada to spend time with him. Joshua never received visitors according to the doctors, and Synn's visits were met at first with suspicion, and then hearty enthusiasm. This last visit Joshua ran up and embraced -- actually embraced -- Synn in greeting, much like a child would with a, well -- with a parent.

The cartoon ended and Joshua reached for his glass of apple juice and had a deep drink, spilling some down his chin. Synn reached over and the boy blinked in surprise as the bigger man brushed the juice off of his face with a napkin he had at hand.

"May I ask you a question?" Synn asked as he settled back and another cartoon was set to begin.

Joshua's eyes traveled toward the screen lazily, wanting to watch this next episode but he turned and looked bright-eyed at Synn and answered, "You do all the time. That was one right there."

Synn found himself smiling at the delightful wit of the teen and he crossed an ankle over his knee. Subconsciously perhaps, Joshua uncurled his legs and mimicked Synn's action. Synn said, "True, Joshua, but I was just wondering if your mom ever let you watch these wonderful cartoons."

Joshua's joyful expression went still, and he looked down into his lap and at his clasped fingers. is features were still, almost eerily so, and he turned his head to start watching the television again.

Synn said, "Joshua?"

"Sometimes." His voice came timid. "But not often. Grandfather didn't like them. I did. I love Looney Tunes. When grandfather wasn't at home, mom and grandmother would let me."

Figures. Synn thought silently. He knew the man that was Joshua's grandfather. A strict disciplinarian who wouldn't know a good time if it slapped him across the face. Quite honesty, he was shocked the man had enough wit to drop his pants and mount his wife, but the evidence was there with Joshua's own mother.

Synn asked, "Will you tell me about her?"

"Hm?"

"Will you tell me about your mother?"

It was a pressing question, and a risky one. Given the fact the boy had such a devoted love for the woman that was his mother, he seemed generally unaware of the situation she had forced upon him. If even the smallest part of his mind knew what his mother had done, it could set him off down a dangerous path. Joshua seemed lost in a trace as his eyes watched the screen blankly as Porky Pig and Sylvester the cat seemed to be moving into what appeared to be a haunted house. He didn't press. That would be the catalyst so he simply waited for the boy to make his own decision.

"She was pretty." Joshua finally whispered after many long, tense moments. "Very pretty. She was the prettiest mom out of everyone."

Synn smiled as he just waited for the boy to make his own move, allowing him to talk at his own pace. It was ab breakthrough.

"She would take me to the movies all the time. I loved popcorn and she'd buy me big boxes of it. Candy too. Grandfather didn't like it but she did it anyway. I think she'll take me home soon. I hope she does soon. I don't really like it here."

Synn blinked. Did he just hear right? Joshua firmly believed his mother was going to pick him up at any time? Take him home any day now? Upon Synn's first few visits, Joshua was timid, afraid. he believed Synn was another abusive doctor who was there simply to hurt and torment him. A number of times he even tried to attack Synn in a state of mentally induced self-defense. It took a week's worth of visits before he finally showed the first sign of trust, and even then he didn't start conversing until much later.

Joshua fidgeted, and turned to look at Synn briefly, his eyes darting back and forth between him and the TV.

"Can we talk later, please?" He asked. "I'd like to watch this."

Synn could not help but smile. He reached over and patted Joshua on the arm, despite for the briefest of moments, feeling the boy tense under his touch. "Sure." He said. "Enjoy." And he watched as Joshua eased up immediately and curled his legs under himself again.

"I'd like you to do me a favor tomorrow." Synn said as he dropped the empty beer bottles in the garbage.

Gabriel turned around and leaned back against the counter. "So long as it doesn't involve me removing my clothes, name it."

Synn sighed. Under most circumstances he would have found himself making some form of witty retort toward a statement like that, but this wasn't the time.

He said, "I have a feeling with as little sleep as I've had the past number of days, I won't bee of much use tomorrow. What time I will be up, I need to try and figure out what to do if she shows her face." He stepped up beside Gabriel and leaned heavily against the counter, his forearms pressed down on the marble counter top. "There is a winter carnival in town. Joshua has been wanting to go..."

"And you want me to take him to get his mind off of things?" Gabriel finished the thought.

"If you would be so kind..." Synn said. "I admit I had hoped he wouldn't find out about it, but perhaps it's for the best."

Gabriel nodded, "I can do that. But I don't do merry-go-rounds."

Synn smirked as he stood upright, "Somehow I believe you will if Joshua sets his mind to it." He turned around and exhaled, "I best go check on him, and try and get some form of sleep before I give up and get back up." He looked into Gabriel's eyes and the magician thought he felt his very soul was being pierced in examination. "Thank you."

"Are you excited?"

"Shh. We should be sleeping. Big day tomorrow."

"I know. Are you?"

"Am I what?"

"Excited."

"About what?"

"About what? Getting to team with Gabriel again! That's what!"

"Ohhh! Well, of course I'm excited! It's been forever since I got to team up with my best friend!"

"I thought I was your best friend."

"You're my bestest friend!"

"Oh ok, I gotcha! Boy, you haven't got to team with Gabriel since before he won the Heavyweight championship."

"I know. That was a very long time ago. I was really looking forward to getting to team up again. He promised me we would again and he was right. I just wish he hadn't lost his championship."

"I know, but that's the common factor in wrestling."

"What is?"

"Every champion will one day be a former champion."

"Well that doesn't sound very fair. Wait, does that mean one day you'll lose your title too?"

"No. I'm the exception that makes the rule stick."

"Oh! ... Er, okay?"

"So even though you had all this time off, you've still been training, right? I mean, you have to keep your skills sharp. This team you're going up against is very tough. They'll be very hard to beat."

"You've said that about every team Gabriel and I have wrestled since we first started teaming up. What makes this one so different?"

"I don't know. I was just trying to be diplomatic."

"Well you're just being silly. Everyone out there knows Gabriel and I are going to beat... we're going to beat... say who are we beating anyway?"

"The Aristocrats."

"You mean that funny family of cats in that Disney movie!?"

"No! No no no! That was the Aristocats! This is the Aristocrats! You know... Chett Hawkins and Steve Scanlon."

"That's even weirder. The guy's named after an onion?"

"No, that's a scallion. His last name is Scanlon."

"Oh! Okay now I gotcha! Now I know who you're talking about."

"Good."

"I never heard of `em."

"Oh sure you have! They just wrestled last week and beat Reprobate and Jonathan Downs."

"Well anyone could beat Reprodowns and Jonathan Bate."

".....Yeah. Look, I watched their match when we broke from our investigation and they had very good teamwork. They play the referee..."

"So do me and Gabriel."

"They do sneaky moves and double teaming when they can get away with it."

"So do me and Gabriel."

"They like to use tables if they can and fight and bend rules."

"So do me and Gabriel."

"They like to kiss each other."

"So do me and... hey!"

"Ha ha!"

"So not funny! So, you think they'll be tough to beat?"

"Well, you can't underestimate them. They're bigger than you, but then again, Casey's the biggest guy around and you did beat him in tag matches. You and Gabriel have the experience advantage as a team. They might think they do, but you two have been teaming for a couple of years now."

"Yeah! And we're good too!"

"You're the best, but this match is going to be important and the Aristocrats are going to try and use that to their advantage and push themselves to a win."

"Why is this match so important?"

"Because now that there's Tag team Champions, whoever wins this match is surely going to go up further in the rankings and get a title shot."

"You mean Gabriel and I could get a championship match and be champions together again?"

"That's right!"

"Okay now I know there's no way Gabriel and I are gonna lose if it means being champs again!"

"Thatta boy!"

"Say, why do they call themselves Aristocrats? Isn't that like royalty? They look more like a couple Southern boys to me."

"I dunno. I think they were drunk when they picked the name. Ah, makes sense. Well,  good night. Tomorrow we're going to the carnival!"

"Night buddy."

The bedroom door opened with a soft latch and Synn peeked inside just far enough so that he could see the curled up form of Despayre under the covers of his bed, with his arm draped around the teddy bear Angel and snuggled up closely against him. There was a small flashlight attached to Angel's paw with a rubber band, and the soft light illuminated a small path in the room so the bear could better protect hiss dutiful friend from any unwanted beasties that might roam in the dark.

Synn focused on the sleeping youth, drawing in his gentle breathing as a sign of a mind in contentment. Slowly Synn closed the door, and the flashlight winked out.

"Shhhhh..."