"Where the fuck are you off to?"

Ray jumped a bit, startled by the voice behind him. The dragon turned to look at Jason, the windian's eyes were still closed as he reclined on the couch. "I thought you were asleep?"

"I thought I snored?" Jason opened one eye to stare at Ray. "Shouldn't that have tipped you off? So where are you headed to?"

Ray chuckled quietly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Good point. Anyway, I'm heading out to go see Lucy. You planning on going anywhere?"

"Not really." The windian closed his eyes again.

"Well if you do, could to take Britney with you?" He watched as the windian opened his eyes again go flash him a curious look, and the dragon went on to explain. "Kristeen's still not back yet."

"She often leave like this?"

"Sometimes." Ray rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully. "She's usually back after a few days though. Anyway, Brit's outside with Phen. Just keep an ear open for them or something."

"Will do." Jason once again settled himself down. He could hear Ray turn to leave, but his footsteps paused at the front door as the dragon turned thoughtfully back to Jason.

"She really likes having you around, you know."

"What?" Jason's voice was tinged with annoyance as he sat up. Everytime he got comfortable, Ray would just say something else to disturb him. "What the fuck are you talking about, Ray?"

"Britney..." The dragon seemed somewhat nervous about Jason's temper. "She really likes having you around." Jason was not expecting him to say that, and the dragon could tell by the way the windian's face went totally blank with wonder. He flashed a nervous smile. "She was telling me just this morning about what you said to her last night, about the bed bugs? She really does like having you around. You've never... dealt with a younger sibling?"

"No." Jason blinked absently. He was an only child, thankfully, not like having another kid raised by his parents would have been a good thing. They already ended up with one kid too many. In fact, the only younger sibling Jason had ever dealt with had been the little terror, David's little sister, and he was used to tying her up and locking her in her room for hours at a time just so he and his friends could have some peace around David's house.

"Well you're definitly older brother material." Ray rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully. "I mean, she used to hate you back when..." the dragon's voice trailed off for a moment as he remembered taking his sister out to the park, just to have to shoo her off home whenever the WINGS would appear and decide to pound on him. He shook his head, clearing it of those memories for a moment. "Anyway, you showed up here, and suddenly she just can't stop talking about her new 'big brother Jason' and all the neat things he can do." He once again managed a little grin for the windian, who was looking more baffled then before. "She really likes having you around."

Jason wasn't sure what to say. Whatever part of him wasn't completely blown away by that information was actually feeling a little flattered by it. "Well..." the windian could only manage a blink as he tried to figure out what to say to that, or just plain how to react. "I've never had a little sister... but I guess..." he finally shrugged and just stared up at Ray. "I don't know? I didn't know I had it in me to be an older brother?"

Ray just chuckled. "I think I know what it is. It's because she depends on you." The dragon cast a glance to the back door, where he knew Britney and Phen were playing just beyond it. "You just seem to have a knack for knowing how to take care of people that depend on you." He shrugged. "Anyway, I'm heading out to meet Lucy. Keep an ear open for Britney, alright?" With that the dragon gave Jason a little farewell wave and headed outside.

Jason was still trying to get his brain working again. He never imagined that someone would end up calling him 'older brother material.' Then again, Jason never imagined he'd have a younger sister to look out for. Especially not one like Britney, who was a million times more tolerable then the little terror ever was. He layed back down, keeping his eyes open and stared at the ceiling as his mind wandered. How was the little terror doing anyway? He'd never liked her much, but he wondered how she was feeling ever since her brother's "disappearance." He wondered how Mr. and Mrs. Stark were dealing with the loss of their son. How the Wingstons would be dealing with the disappearance of their only child. Jason closed his eyes, his throat tightened at the memories. The families wouldn't know what happened to their sons, but Jason knew. Jason would always remember...

... he could remember it clearly. The day in the woods. He could remember the look of fear on Chad's face, the scent and taste of David's blood in his mouth. He could still hear Britney crying and calling his name as he chased after the two who used to be his best friends...

Jason's eyes flew open. He wasn't just imagining Britney's tear-choked voice calling for him, he was actually hearing it. The windian jumped up and went dashing for the back door, nearly tumbling over the little dragon who rushed in to meet him.

"Jason!" Britney latched herself onto the windian, tears streaming down her face as she tugged on his shirt urgently. "Jason Jason Jason! You have to come help! Quick!"

"What? What is it??" The windian's mind was racing frantically, trying to figure out what could be wrong. Britney seemed just fine, was there something wrong with that little demon, Phen? Britney led him outside, and sure enough he could see the JackFrost doubled over, close to the ground. It took him a moment to realize that Phen was actually looking at something, a small pile in the grass, and as Jason approached, h could see what had gotten the little dragon so worked up.

"A bird???"

"How's he doing?" Britney rushed over to Phen. The little snowman looked up at her, letting out a few puffs of frosty air.

"Britney, hi ho! He's still moving..."

Jason walked over and stared down at where a little brown and white speckled bird was collapsed on the ground, its breathing seemed labored. Britney looked up at him with wide and worried eyes. "Can you help him?"

Jason sighed as he crouched down to look at the bird. "I don't know, Little Bit. It looks pretty hurt."

"Please???" The tiny dragon tugged on his arm, tears brimming in her green eyes. "You're a windian, you should be able to do something!"

Jason just stared at Britney for a moment as his mind attempted to process her young logic. Jason was a windian, the race of bird people. Therefore, Jason should be able to help a bird get better. He wasn't quite sure how to break it to her that his race wasn't going to make a difference, but the look on Britney's face managed to dissolve any will he had to argue her point and the windian could only manage a sigh as he reluctantly agreed. "Yea, sure Little Bit, I'll make him all better. Now then," he reached down to pick up the bird, "let's see what's wrong with Mr. Bird." He was startled by how much life the little critter had in it. As soon as he scooped it up, the bird began to chirp loudly and proceeded to try and peck itself free from Jason's grasp.

"Shit!" The windian transferred the bird over to his gloved hand as he examined the damage its sharp little beak had done. "You feathery little son of a-"

"Is Tweets going to be okay?" Britney stared up at Jason with her wide, innocent eyes, cutting the windian off just as he was about to slip into one of his swear rants. He turned his attention from his bleeding hand to Britney.

"Tweets? You mean you already named this thing??"

"Tweets comes to my window and sings every morning."

Tweets was currently tearing up Jason's glove and trying to peck off his fingers. Jason stared down at the bird who just looked up at him defiantly before it went back to its destructive work.

Well shit... Jason thought. She's named the fucking thing already. Now I have to make sure it's alright. "Yes, Britney." Jason sighed. "Tweets is going to be just fine. Now would you mind telling him to stop trying to peck my hand apart?"

Britney let out a happy little squeak as she looked at the bird in Jason's hand. "This is Jason, Tweets. He's going to help you get better!"

The bird stopped pecking but continued to look at Jason disapprovingly.

"Thanks. Now run inside and get a shoebox and some tissues." Jason waited for Phen and Britney to vanish into the house before turning to the bird. "Alright, listen up you little ball of feathers. If you die it's going to break Little Bit's heart, and so help me I'll hunt down every one of your extended family and wring their feathery little necks if that happens, so you'd better be planning on getting better!"

Tweets gave an annoyed chirp.

"Here, Jason!" Britney returned with a shoebox full of soft tissues, Phen following close behind her. The two watched as Jason put the bird into it, and the little avian immediatly gave a flustered twitter and ruffled its feathers.

"You two go back to playing. I'll take Tweets inside and see what I can do for him." Jason picked up the box, turning to head back into the house. He was stopped by a tiny pair of arms that latched onto him in a quick hug.

"Thank you, Jason!"

"Yea yea, sure." Jason tried to hide the smile that was threatening to appear on his face as he looked down at the happy little dragon. "Don't mention it." He watched Britney run back over to where Phen was waiting and headed back into the house with Tweets. Once inside the kitchen, Jason set the box and bird down on the table and peered into the little tissue nest, trying to assess what was wrong. "Looks like you've got a broken wing there, Tweets."

Tweets chirped and fluttered its good wing before birdily glaring up at Jason. The windian remembered what Britney said about the little critter.

"What did you do? Miss your landing area on Britney's window sill and just flew straight into her window instead?"

Tweets gave an indignant chirp and looked away, apparently wanting nothing more to do with the windian.

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