Home is where the Heart is [tag: Adam Worth]

[MICHAEL MATTHIAS WINSTON]

He didn’t sleep the whole way back, periodically glancing back behind him as they walked at first. He was uneasy…it took a while before he finally relaxed a little bit, and his head stayed next to adams neck. He didn’t want to move it much, he liked feeling that there was indeed someone holding him, who promised to protect him. Even if he saw it…it could have been a dream.

He was convinced it wasn’t of course as soon as he saw the apartment complex. The boy distinctly remembered that he used to be afraid of such a big thing. He didn’t like that there were other people in there, but as they had climbed it that day, and as they approached the room, in pain from all the cuts and scratches he’d gotten, some rather large, Adam had calmed him, just be reassuring him. He spoke quietly, adjusting himself on Adam’s back. “C…can…can I say “I’m home?”’

It was a hesitant thing. He was trying it out. The word home sounded a bit breathy, because he forced it from his mouth, into the open air. He wanted to have a place he could go back to. His adoptive mother had always taught him about what Home was. Home was a safe place, where you could go where you were hurting, and where someone would be there to take care of you. Home had things that you loved, and people that loved you.

Michael was sure of this. He was hurt, and Adam wrapped up his bandages caringly, and helped him learn why he’d gotten them. Adam sometimes had gotten upset, but only when Michael did something wrong, and he always said he was sorry, and gave Michael a hug. A hug…when Adam first tried hugging Michael, he was scared. He flinched, wanting to get out of it. No one hugged him…not even his adoptive parents…they just figured that he was too dependent and needed to grow up on his own. He’d been told by Adam that this was a safe place. No one would get him here…or hurt him here, and he’d be taken care of. The boy didn’t understand if Adam loved him or not…but he loved Adam. So it was okay.

Adam even protected him from that guy that was talking to them…that guy that had, if only for a second, made him worry about the sanctuary. But this wasn’t something he needed to worry about. After all…Adam would be there for Michael. Taking comfort in his thoughts, he pressed himself to Adam, and a contented smile teased the corner of his lips. Even if he wasn’t allowed to say it. He was home.

[ADAM WORTH]

It wasn't long before they reached the building. Walking up the front steps, the doorman opened one of the glass doors politely for him. "Welcome back, sir." Adam smiled. The upside of being in a building of a rather large number of occupants is anonymity--their names, at least. Adam headed straight to the lift--they had taken the stairs the last time to avoid prying eyes. A previously childless man bringing one with multiple wounds would not only turn heads, but will also prompt concerned strangers to call for medical attention. Attention was the last thing Adam wanted.

He pushed the button to the elevator and entered it when it arrived, letting it bring them up to where his penthouse resides. He released a hand under Michael's knee and fumbled for the keys in his pocket before successfully slotting it into the hole. Finally, they are home.

Adam heard Michael again, his question brought a smile to the man's face. Even Hyde would be touched. The darker persona may be violent and dangerous, but a child that Adam loves dearly had been the root of his creation--for vengeance, for protection, for aid in inventions. Adam had soon found a partner in Hyde, no longer fearing the other's rage and thirst for vengeance. After all, he wanted Imogene back.

The man lowered himself enough to let Michael off his back and shrugged off the bag and coat. "Yes," Adam answered with a smile, reaching out to ruffle the boy's hair affectionately before standing up again to hang his coat. The three-room apartment had been empty with silence and solitude--Adam had no problems with that, but ever since Michael found his way into Adam's life, the spare, empty room had now been transformed into a guest room. He couldn't be sure how long Michael could stay then--how long until Helen come knocking on his door in demand for the younger abnormal, but the boy needed a place to call his own, even for a little while.

"You know where your room is," Adam reminded him before laying his bag next to the couch, then stopped with surprised when Michael pressed himself up against Adam. The man leaned down and embraced the boy with a gentle squeeze.

Only one room in the apartment had always been locked--the experimental room, where Adam worked on the protocols of his bulk experiments [ooc: time dilation and teleportation device, and now the time machine]. He often conducted more sophisticated experiments in the kitchen--unlike the normal kitchen, this was completely sterilized after each use, and Michael had been taught not to touch anything of Adam's. It had seemed to be the easiest way to keep the boy safe.

"There's juice in the fridge, if you'd like some." He offered, heading to the kitchen to child-proof the fridge under the counter where he keeps the chemicals.

[MICHAEL MATTHIAS WINSTON]

Michael of course remembered his room, and what the rules were. He looked down a little bit, and then the boy smiled slightly to himself. He could call it “home” out loud. It was his home. He looked around the room, and then slowly moved to where HIS room was. Wondering if it was still the same.

It was the same. He’d left it like that, after all. He moved over to the bed, looking at it. It was inviting…not like the ones back at the sanctuary. His car sheets neatly showing at the top of the bed where they were showing, and his clothes neatly layed out at the foot of his bed. It was very clean and very neat in here, that was how he’d seen Adam keep things in the apartment, so he’d mimicked the actions, and kept his own room just as spotless.

Michael liked it in his room. He had a small desk with colored pencils, paper, and a pencil sharpener. There weren’t any books in there…he couldn’t read or write in English, so there wasn’t much point to that. The books he did have were coloring books…a hobby of his. There weren’t very many other toys, and there wasn’t a special bed or anything for his teddy bear, because that bear was not going to leave his arms at night, for he was known to have bad dreams due to that photographic memory he’d found so dear.

Having such a good memory was wonderful, but horrible at the same time. He knew exactly who people were, and he watched all that they did, being silent most of the time. When he didn’t want to remember what happened, there was no way he could merely close his eyes. The memory of what he was doing at that time would stay with him. Sleep was really the only release that he got, and he was often afraid of his dreams when alone…with Adam here, things would be better.

Michael climbed on top of the bed, rubbing his eyes again. His sleep patterns were irregular at the sanctuary, for he only slept when he managed to find his way back to his room, which was very few times without multiple errors. So most likely even his power wouldn’t be as effective…and he’d get himself sick if he didn’t get this sleep.

[ADAM WORTH]

Adam turned to see that Michael was already gone from the living room--there's only one other room the boy would be in. He smiled, crossing into the living room to pick up a remote on the glass table. He clicked a button and a portion of the plain wall jutted out and parted to the side. A flat-screen television and a hi-fi set revealed itself. Adam stepped over the coffee table and keyed a series of numbers on the hi-fi system. The television rolled up, revealing the hidden safe. The man turned the passkey in and pulled open the in-wall safe. He mentally checked off the items in the hide-out--a routine for each time he returned home. Adam smiled, every item was in place.

He shut the safe and keyed in another series of numbers for everything to slide back into place. Grabbing the keys off the table, he pass Michael's room and took a peek in. The boy was fast asleep in the bed. Car sheets--something the boy picked out himself from a catalog, as are most things in his room. Adam stepped into his room next door and pulled out a thread-and-needle kit before entering Michael's. He took the bear from the boy's embrace gently and started patching it up. Even Hyde didn't protest the delay. The idea he had in mind was just a hypothesis after all, and if it didn't work, there was more work to be done. As much as they want Imogene back, Michael is all they have now.

Adam bit the end of the thread after tying off the knot and the toy was all patched up. Gently, he tucked the bear under Michael's arm and pulled the covers over the boy's shoulder. He stayed a little while longer, taking in the young, innocent face of the child. He misses Imogene--when has he never? The man grabbed the kit and headed out, taking one last look into Michael's neat room before pulling the door close, leaving just a small gap between wood and cement.

With the right key, he unlocked the experiment room and slid into it. This door, he shut it fully and locked it. He might have taught Michael to always knock before entering a room, but precaution was always a good thing to take. He looked at the wide, white board that covered the whole of one wall, eyes darting back and forth at the equations. Adam sighed once, then picked up the duster and wiped the board clean. Blank slate, he thought, lifting the step-stool to the left end of the board and stood on it. All yours. Adam presented, and Hyde took over. After all, it was his hypothesis.

[MICHAEL MATTHIAS WINSTON]

The boy’s eyes had been too heavy to keep open, and the end result was him being sound asleep in the bed. His bear tucked safely in his arms, the boy didn’t even note that Adam had come in at all to touch it. Michael’s journey in the past few weeks had been a long one, and so many new memories had been added to his mind. He let out a soft sigh as he turned over in his sleep.

His dreams this time were good, and he slept for at least three hours with them, content to let them wander and flourish, due to their nature. Adam was a main character mostly, in different forms. Sometimes it was a friendly Adam puppy that was protecting him from a mean pitbull with grey hair. Other times it was regular Adam protecting him from other things. All in all, he knew he was physically weak and needed this protection.

The three hours proved good for the amount of sleep he needed…so Michael soon sat up, yawning as he rubbed his eyes. He was under his blankets at this point, and he looked down to see his bear was fixed and his eyes lit up in excitement. Michael left his bed, and he changed out of the clothes from the sanctuary, into his own pajama’s. He moved to the door slowly, opening it and peeking out. He wanted to thank Adam.

[ADAM WORTH]

[ooc] My knowledge of physics and anything electronic/mechanical/along those lines are either rubbish, or non existent. Don't mind me while I blabber my way through. LOL

Hyde scribbled the theoretical equations down on one side of the vast, wide space. Sharing the same brain, in a way, makes it easier for the one to see the patterns of the others' thought processes. He presented his ideas, and Adam pondered, gnawing at his lower lip in deep thought. The numbers and patterns in front of him were starting to make sense--the light at the end of the tunnel. There was still plenty to be done, but there seem to be one step closer.

Adam stepped down and fished out a thick, hard-cover note book and flipped to the bookmarked page. Quickly, he added the scribbles in, then flipping to the back of the notebook and stared longingly at the blueprint of his time machine. He had one book for each invention--methods, thought processes, blue prints, final products, everything. Not only was it easier to keep track of things, a second invention, or a better version can derive from a first edition. He took a few long strides towards a music player and pressed a button to release the soft music. It slowly filled the room, just enough to keep Adam in focus, yet not loud enough to drown everything else out. He would love to--letting the tunes of Mozart radiate through the entire apartment as he worked, but Michael was in the next room. As much as some recent, scientifically unproven papers seem to claim that Mozart's music promotes brain growth and increases intelligence in new borns and children, he didn't want to wake the boy up.

Adam made his way back to the front of the white board and picked up the marker, chewing a little at its back end and stared at the stream of equations. Finding the logical connection for the next step, he started scribbling again.

[MICHAEL MATTHIAS WINSTON]

He’d never been In there, it was Adam’s space, and he wasn’t allowed to do anything in adams space. He moved forward slightly, and the boy leaned up, knocking up high on the door. Still a little bit shy of loud noises, it wasn’t a sharp rapping noise, it was more like a gentle tapping with his tiny fist. He quickly pulled his hand away afterwards and stood up still, eyes at the door. His bear was with him, as always, and hanging from the hand that had not been occupied with knocking. For others, his bear would be hidden, as it was his weakness. The boy would follow anyone that took his bear from him, and would have to force himself not to cry.

His color was better after the sleep, and he didn’t seem to be as weak as he was just waiting for Adam to take him home. He looked up at the door for a moment, and then lowered his head, looking at his feet. He wriggled them lightly. Carpet…his feet were sore from being barefoot all the time on other types of floors…so this was better. Everything was better here. The boy then, still wriggling his toes, looked up to the door.

[ADAM WORTH]

Even with the occasional squeaks of marker against the smooth board, and the harmonious melody that made pretty trails through the room, Adam heard the soft knock. It might be easier to miss if the board was against a wall away from the door. But both were on the same support, and the tiny rattle was heard. With one leg folded up on the stool he was now seated upon and another dangling off to the floor, Adam spun around and eyed the wall clock. Hours have passed--he isn't sure how long, but it was almost close to dinner time. He tucked the marker behind a ear and scratched his chin--he probably has a couple more days before he needs to shave. Making a mental note of where his train of thoughts stopped, he stood up and headed to the door--it could only be Michael. Was he hungry already? Unless the Sanctuary had already tracked him down. But he had been so careful....

Adam pulled it open and came face to face with the boy by the door. He smiled, laying a gentle shoulder onto the boy's shoulder as he stepped out and locked the door behind him. "Hey," he said softly, running a hand through the boy's hair. "Slept well?"

[MICHAEL MATTHIAS WINSTON]

When Adam came out to greet him, Michael smiled some. He liked that he got to have Adam all to himself when he wasn’t working, and he got to be with him a lot. His pajama’s were ones with snowflakes on them, seeing how close it was to Christmas made this fitting in any case. He held up his bear after Adam ruffled his hair and spoke, with only a slight bit of stuttering, which was rather good for him.

“Th…thank you for fixing it.” He moved in and he hugged Adam. Not as tightly as before, because before it was so that Adam didn’t have a chance to let him go. This was a hug of mere affection, respect, and love as well. “I didn’t have any bad dreams at all.” The fact that he didn’t stutter through that not only showed his progress, but that he was proud of himself.

He was proud that he’d gotten to Adam, and that Adam knew how to send him a message as well. Perhaps proud of things he shouldn’t be, but he liked it when things were properly focused on him. He smiled more as he saw that Adam was looking at him with approval as well, and he hoped affection. He wanted Adam to love him too.

[ADAM WORTH]

Adam was going to open his mouth in response when Michael inched forward for a hug. Pleasantly surprised, Adam embraced the boy with a gentle squeeze. It felt....nice, nostalgic. He almost forgot what this feels like. "Anytime, boy," he smiled as he pulls away, nodding in approval at Michael's report of his lack of bad dreams. He remembered the first nights when MIchael slept over--the screams through the night, screams so deep and raw with hidden emotions, hidden darkness. As Adam attempted to comfort him then, he came to the realization that perhaps Michael and him are not so different after all. Now with the disappearing bad dreams, Adam wondered if it meant something inside the child was changing, or it was just as simple as a child finding safety and comfort in his new environment.

"I'm sorry Mikey-boy, there's some work I need to do," he offered an apologetic smile. "You want to watch some television?" Adam gazed up at the clock on the wall. 'I think it's just in time for your favourite program," he says as he led the boy into the living room. "I'll make us some fruit smoothie, then we'll order in for dinner. Chinese?"

[MICHAEL MATTHIAS WINSTON]

He smiled up at Adam a little bit and nodded. Adam had to do work sometimes and he knew that, so the TV was his friend. He too looked up at the clock, surprised at what time it was. He was right, Michael always watched the new transformers cartoon show at this time. He held his bear to him as they walked into the living room, and Michael got up onto the couch, setting the bear beside him.

After a little bit, he spoke slowly. “I…it’s better to be at home than at the place Helen Magnus had.” This was really from his heart, especially calling this place home. The sanctuary, while it had it’s calming moments, was filled with fear for him, because he wandered a lot when someone didn’t set clear boundaries. He wandered in the sanctuary as well, and didn’t find many comfy places at all. Everything was…made from stone. And lots of things were old. The only clothes that he wore were hold clothes of another person.

Here, he felt welcome and wanted. He had his own room, that had always been his own room, and his own clothes, that had been bought just for him. The boy had his special place here. Adam called him “Mikey-boy” as well. This was a nickname reserved for here. His home. He wriggled a little bit to get into his comfy position on the couch, smiling at the TV, which Adam would turn on and set for him…whenever Michael couldn’t find the remote he’d start channel surfing, which wasn’t allowed after he seemed to hack the neighbors channels and watch what they were watching as well. It was much better that it was set up for him.

He nodded about Chinese and thought about what foods he liked best from there. He knew a bit about Chinese, they’d had it before. “I want…I want the fried rice. And those good noodles. And..and a blueberry smoothie.” He was indulging today, and for that, he was happy. Michael for once seemed content.

[ADAM WORTH]

Adam thought of child-proofing the channels many times, but knowing Michael's ability to manipulate the systems anyway, he never really bothered. He did however, set a range of channels available just for the child--if he did ever channel surf within that bubble, it would be age appropriate. However, if the boy got bored enough to surf outside the range given, any child proofing method would have proven useless against Michael's ability. A television was not a computer--there was only so much Adam can do. He could, possibly, do more, but there were more pressing matters at hand.

What was blurted out surprised him--it seemed to be something the child had been doing constantly ever since they reunite. "Home is always better," he agreed, But anywhere is better than the Sanctuary. he added in thought. Their initial meet up was more cautious, but this time, it was as though the fact that Adam took time to seek the boy down had formed a new born between them. Bonds....carbon bonds...another thought about tweaking his teleportation device. It had been a useful technology, even with its poisoning side effects. Adam would have waited longer to perfect the instrument before trapping Helen, but the woman should not be underestimated. Furthermore, she had Nikola Tesla on her side--once they found the map to Hollow Earth, it didn't take long for the vampire genius to find a way to unlock the path into paradise. Adam wanted to get there first. Now, he just needs to find another element that would power the device in the same way, or better, yet not emit any harmful ions.

He picked up the remote and flicked to the channel for the boy and headed off to the kitchen. Blueberry, the boy had said, and Adam fished out the ingredients from the fridge--fresh blueberries, plain yogurt, ice, and honey for sweetening. He washed, measured and toss the ingredients into blender and set it off. He smiled at the silent hum--wonders of science and technology. Silence is always an option--it makes stealthiness easier to achieve. Pouring two the contents out into two glasses, he pushed a bendy straw into each one and laid one on a coaster on the coffee table for Michael. Adam stopped himself just as he was about to plant a kiss on the boy's forehead. Everything about their interaction was reminding him of Imogene. Nobody will replace Imogene, but at the same time, the affection he feels towards this boy bares an almost uncanny resemblance from the way he feels about his daughter. Don't get too attached. You know what happens when you do--Helen storms in and takes it all away. Adam warned himself--he didn't even need Hyde to beat him down with reminding words. Instead, Adam smiled and ruffled the boy's hair before he headed back into the locked room. He had about an hour before he needs to order dinner. One of these wishful days, Adam hoped, Helen will lose the power and authority to take anything away from him.

[MICHAEL MATTHIAS WINSTON]

Michael was also realizing this. He must not get…too attached. His voice faded out of range to hear, and the boy stopped talking, watching the TV. He loved Adam…and he was happy that Adam had brought him back. However, Michael had to remember that he left Michael alone, and didn’t come back for him for a long time.

He looked back at Adam, and then he looked back at the TV, and as children often did, he was sucked into the world of transformers. He lifted his knees up, assuming his regular position of holding in his own legs. This was a common way for him to sit, especially when thinking.

He was thinking of people…and who he could trust. Helen Magnus was nice, but she had no time for him, and had ignored him a lot. Adam had always payed attention to him, and he’d brought with him food, and a place to stay. His eyes closed tightly for a moment as the commercials tried to sell him things. Ah. He was confused again. The commercials annoyed him, and with a slight flash of his power, the channel changed. Animal planet. The boy looked up to see what it was…ah. Puppies. And they were playing, doing tricks and things. The complicated thoughts slowly went away as he stared at them, absorbed. So…amazing. The smoothie, for once, remaine untouched as he stared at the screen, unblinkingly.

[ADAM WORTH]

Adam took one last look at the boy before closing the door behind him with a click. Bonds--he needs to find a replacement element for the device. By products may be inevitable--it wasn't like building a macbook with no air ventilation, let the laptop is kept cool at all times--but it would be possible to change it to something that's safe. Probably much like a writer, when an inspiration comes to mind, Adam would preferably write it down, or work on it before the momentum finishes. He pulled out the book of notes he had made of the teleportation device and started flipping through it. Technology in this century may have made things easier, but it is certainly less trustworthy than a good, old fashion handbook, especially when the electronics fail you--perhaps in another century, Tesla would figure out a way to fix that. Unfortunately, Adam won't know if he would still be around. As much as the man is somewhat an expert for coming back to life, Adam was not completely invincible. He doesn't have Tesla's immortality, Druitt's gift of teleportation, or Magnus' longevity. Even Watson's increased perception and intelligence that led him to build a device to sustain his biological body eventually failed him.

Adam sat cross-legged on the ground and flipped through the pages, then searched his own memory bank for a list of possible, suitable replacements. Narrowing it down, Adam picked out the items needed from the walk-in closet that he turned into a supply storage and started jotting down notes as he tested one after the other. The torn gear he used during his confrontation with Helen had been re-constructed and now put to good use. Adam opened a portal and with a gloved hand, reached in to pull a syringes of gas from inside--one syringe for one replaced element in the prototype, remembering to label them accordingly as he went along.

The testing of gas was going to be a long process. He placed the device back into its storage, dismembered, much like a toy without its batteries, then went on to work--he would have to bring these out, to the make-shift lab. He looked up at the time, realizing that it was about time to order in. He would have about 45 minutes before the delivery man comes knocking at his door--there's time to set the tests in motion, record the results, then set them aside till after dinner.

Adam unhinged the receiver of the wall phone and dialed the number he knew all too well. The boy wanted fried rice and noodles--he ordered those, along with some frittered shrimps, spring rolls and fortune cookies. Fortune cookies are always fun--especially if they sound completely ridiculous. He hung up, pausing to take a large gulp of the smoothie before putting the equipments and samples into a large basket. Silently, he moved to the sterilized kitchen and began testings.

[MICHAEL MATTHIAS WINSTON]

Michaels brain was not necessarily one intended for the faint of heart. If someone could simply see the neurons firing…it would be a glorious day indeed. He connected memories to images quickly, or made new ones with new images, as any human did, but his were ALL in there. Every memory he’d ever had. He could draw on them, whenever he really chose to do so, and this was a glorious thing, for once.

Animals up here on top of the earth, or so he had been told it was, were so different. The program switched from the pedigreed dog show to one about the wild kingdom, focusing mostly on those animals that were commonly found in zoos, and fun facts about them. Most would call it boring, and indeed it was a show with ratings that were rather low…but Michael remained focused. Even below the surface, his foster parents stressed the importance of other animals. They mentioned ways that food for him came about, and companionship. Then again, they were abnormals who bore remarkable similarities to many different animals, and could communicate with them well.

Giraffes were really cool to him at first, and then he started to favor the lions. He favored them up until the point where one made a rather unnecessary growling noise, and started eating another animal. Then, he went back to liking the giraffes. There were striped animals, zebra, and there were cute black things with white stomachs, and yellow along the edges of the stomach too. It was…it was really cool.

He didn’t necessarily smile. Only a few people really made him do so. Adam was the main character that Michael was allowed to smile for, and by “allowed” he allowed himself to do so. There were a few other people…and Helen Magnus had pushed lightly into his list.

As this show also had commercials, it gave him time to think. He paused for a moment, his own fascination puzzling him. It wasn’t the fascination that made him confused, it was the ease in which the other kids were smiling. He saw it all around him. Other kids were more outgoing, they had more friends. Their hair was cool and pretty…his was always combed neatly and back. It made him feel..well…even more different. His expression turned to a slight grimace as he forced a smile, then frowned at the ineffectiveness. He let out a small sigh, reviewing his trust issues. As far as HE could tell, they were all completely and totally valid. There was not one thing wrong with his assumption that people weren’t always a hundred percent true to what they meant.

Frowning a bit more, he started to close his eyes as the introit music came on for the show. His eyes snapped up, and he started watching once again, taking in all the information he could get.