For us

Declan was feeling a little out of it, still. They told him he was fine. He was brave. He'd done a good deed. It was all going to be OK. It was.. the tiredness now. It was as if his special powers were zapped from him. Of course, Declan didn't know what those special powers might have been. He thought back now how he'd pleaded with Mannie, to give Allie a chance.

Declan had a feeling Manny didn't really know Allie, at all. He didn't know what she'd been through, back when she had Angie. But she was on her own now. Things were different. If he owed anything to Declan, like Manny asked before the procedure went down to help Angie, he wanted Manny to give Allie another chance. After all, she was Angie's mother, and he couldn't deprive a little girl of her mother.

"You're thinking of her, aren't you?" River brought him back to now. He was washing dishes, and Declan was managing enough strength to watch, as he hugged himself.

"What?" Delcan, shook his head, no. He was sure River meant Sage. "Not at all."

"You best leave it alone. She's got a man, and he needs her. He needs someone to take care of him." River told him.

"Yeah." Declan couldn't help but let his eyes water. He promised himself, he wouldn't cry. But Sage was so cold now. And he felt a little helpless about the matter.

"Come on." River rinsed the last dish and put it in the dish rack. "I want to show you what I've done." He strolled down the hall, motioning him to come along. First he clicked on Declan's light in his room. Naturally, Declan couldn't think of a thing River had done. He'd been there already, before dinner.

"This room is for a boy." River told him as if he might make a documentary on the matter. He pointed to the thin, twin sized bed. "You're not a boy, Declan." He switched off the light and opened the door across the hall.

Immediately, Declan felt a cold shiver. It felt like ice in the room. It was his parents room. He didn't use that room. It wasn't his, even if his parents were no longer here. River switched on the light.

"Why on earth, aren't you living in here?" River told him he'd washed the sheets and vacuumed the place. He rid the place of dust.

"I-I dunno." It felt so forbidden.

"Its KING SIZED, for god's sakes." River looked at him as if Declan must be mental.

River pressed his lips tight then as he waited for some answer, but Declan didn't really have one. He hadn't wanted to disturb anything. But they weren't coming back. Maybe in a dream ever so often, but both were planted in the ground now.

"I dunno." Declan felt as if he'd been poisoned, somehow.

"Jesus, there's enough room here, for both of us." River mentioned.

"Why would you say that?" Declan didn't know if he were offended or not.

"Because, I know you won't sleep in here, alone." River pulled back the covers.

Why did River have to be right, thought Declan as he looked at the paisley sheets.

"Its not a big deal. Really." River promised. "I slept with brother, as long as I can remember. I won't hog the bed."

Declan nodded.

"I don't smoke in bed, if that's what you're worried about. Hell, I haven't even smoked in the house." River informed him.

Declan sighed. There was that one thing that troubled him, but he wouldn't bring it up. He sat down on the bed. He doubted River was interested in him, anyway.