Chapter One

Calvin gently placed the band-aid onto the other angels hand and gave it a small pat.

---

"The kind of situation that includes a drugged up Akaria, two strange men and a child walking around outside my club." Sandy told Satori as he led the way back down stairs. "Which you would already know if you answered your damn phone!" He snapped at her, still annoyed.

Sandy pushed the door open to his club and stepped inside. He ignored everyone as he headed over for another drink.

"Sandy," Taro stood up again and left the three at the table - he had moved them pointedly away from the bar so that he would be able to talk to Sandy without Sam listening in too much - leaning forwards onto the counter again and waving over Satori. Mori moved to stand a little to the side of Akaria, hands resting on the tabletop and eyes on Sandy.

Stepping quietly behind the bar, Taro let his back bump against the counter and folded his fingers under the edge. "They need somewhere to stay. Akaria, and- her friends. They have $350 total. Right now," Taro continued, "I have about $100 to spare, and uh, guess what, payday tomorrow." He added with a small grin, "So... Hey, you could pay me early, and I'll pitch that in, help them get the room? I know it's... inconvenient, but, think you could do that?"

Sandy looked at Taro. He let out a small sigh and ran his hand down his face as he lent on the counter. He shook his head before glancing up. "I'll put it under my name. I'll make the payments so long as the adults help out around here from time to time." He looked over to the table. The only person who seemed able to help themselves was the one named Sam. The others were either too young or not quite right. So, they couldn't be left to fend for themselves. He also didn't want Taro spending his money on something else. The man obviously needed it. Everyone who worked here needed the money where as Sandy had enough to spare and still make ends meet.

He looked back to those in front of him. "Once they're on their feet, they can take over payments. Until then, they can help with the after hours clean. Sound good?"

"Done." Taro agreed, with a flash of a smile, "Still, I'll help out a little - It's Akaria. I have two jobs, Sandy. Just dock my pay for tomorrow, and we'll go from there. I'm good to pitch in a little. Wouldn't be offering if I couldn't. It's already more than I was used to. - and Akaria is my friend. You shouldn't have to pay for all of this."

"Yeah?" Sandy asked as he rose a single eyebrow. He removed the wash cloth from over his shoulder and placed it on the counter. "Watch me."
He made sure his wallet was in his pant pocket before walking out. He was more than ready to get another apartment under his name. The landlord wouldn't ask questions, he'd more than likely just give it to him so long as the money was there.

Taro watched after the man as he left, trying and (mostly) failing to figure out exactly how he had taken so long to figure out that it was Sandy all along, Jesus, he worked for him, they shared the same building, it shouldn't have taken him this long to figure it out. Still, it was good to know that they had at least this much figured out.

"I'll take them upstairs, into my place, until Sandy's figured it all out," Mori offered, already helping Akaria up and giving the child a quick smile, because he looked entirely too stressed out already. "I'm Mori. Akaria, yeah, know her, but,"
"Sam, I'm Sam. That's Tosh, and this is... Calvin. Klein."
"Calvin-"
"His name was on his underpants." Sam explained wearily. Taro's grin widened.

"They can all go, yes, but you're coming with me. We're having a talk." Satori said, catching Sam by the elbow as he went to follow Mori, who was pausing, waiting for Calvin and the others. "Just to be sure you're not here for the wrong reasons. Just a nice, friendly talk." Sam tried to pull his arm free but she just grinned and started leading him off to the back rooms, keeping hold of him without the tiniest bit of effort.

"She's fine," Taro said quickly, to Calvin, "Go with Mori."

"I'd rather stay here." Calvin told the other angel calmly as he made to follow after Sam. It was something about the way that woman smiled.
She seemed dangerous. He was supposed to protect Sam from danger, so thats what he would do.

"Oh no, honey, you won't be. We're talking." Satori said, led Sam straight into the room, shutting the door behind them both.
"Calvin. Calvin, right?" Taro asked, moving quickly after him and neatly stepping in between the younger angel and the door that Satori had just clicked shut. He reached to pat Calvin's shoulder, and then paused.

"Why did you go for an underwear brand?" He asked, lifting an eyebrow, "Anyway, no, look, here's how it is; you know the organisation that you and Sam came from? With the suits and the... Chair? Those people would very much like people like us and people like those helping us, in cells. We can't help, from cells. She's just going to talk to him, about... What's going on, and make sure that he's not here to cause trouble. Nobody will hurt him."

"I would still prefer to be inside." Calvin told Taro calmly. He looked down at the man. "Please move so I can be inside." He tried to step around the other angel. He hoped that the asking would work. He really didn't want to teleport into a space he didn't know.
He could always lock onto his charges location and transport to be beside him, but he'd rather just walk in.

“Who are you?”
“Sam.”
“Sam…” She paused and tilted her head to the side, lifting an angled brow, nails clicking against the table-top.
“Sam Nichols.”
“Sam Nichols,” Satori leaned back in her chair, regarding him across the table. “I don’t trust you.”
"I had a feeling that you might not," he offered, quietly, but he had his head down low and his breathing had picked up a little, though it was only slightly audible. His gaze flickered towards the door.
“What did you do for them?”
“I’m a doctor. I… Worked in the medical department for-” He started, and she wove a hand, effectively cutting him off. He noticed vaguely that her nails looked more like claws.
“You expect us to just… Believe? That you’ve saved a demon and an angel, out of the goodness of your heart and somehow managed to get straight to us?”
“I… I just-”
“Do you even know what’s going on around you? Do you have any idea what your organization is up to?”
"It's not my-"
"Why did you come here?"
"I don't know what you're asking, I can't... I just tried to get somewhere safe."

---

Taro nodded slowly and stepped to the side, out of the way. "She's not actually dangerous to anyone on our side. Its just... We were ready to start planning out a full-fledged action plan, and suddenly, everything's fine. It looks too easy. Whenever something just... Works like that, we've all learned to not trust it."

Calvin stepped forward, his hand on the doorknob. He paused before letting his hand drop. He turned his head, glancing to Taro. "Perhaps you should learn to be more trusting." He said calmly before stepping back.

He could feel Sam becoming anxious and knew that the man would need help with the head pains later but for now, Calvin was going to leave it. He was going to take his own word, and the word of these strangers. He was going to give them the chance to be truthful.

"Perhaps," Taro agreed thoughtfully, watching Calvin and leaning side-ways against the wall, folding his arms loosely over his chest. "We are running out of time, though, as far as time goes."

---

"We'll be keeping an eye on you, so you know." Satori said finally, after a few sharp questions and an even longer silence. "One misstep, and you're going to have an exceedingly hard time explaining yourself." She said, standing up and patting the back of his chair as she walked out towards the door.

"You'll need to be available to tell us everything you can about SHADED. I'll come and talk to you tomorrow."

She walked out, giving Taro and Calvin a humorless smile as she went past, and Samuel stepped out after another moment, pale and uneasy. He smiled slightly, though, and stepped in a little closer to Calvin's side.

---

"Holding you liable until it's their name on the lease." Hideki said in warning to Sandy as he scrawled out a hand-written receipt for the payment he had just taken and offered it to the man - cash, and the exact amount, he wasn't going to look it in the mouth, this wasn't that kind of establishment. For all he cared, Sandy could be using the room for... Private dancers, or, whatever. Money was money, and he could be getting it from far worse people than the man who ran a club and always paid on time.

He handed over two sets of keys.

"You take care."

Calvin frowned, becoming confused by that statement. "Time does not run out." He told Taro calmly, correcting him best he could. As an Angel, he should know when time ran out and whenever it did, it was not any time soon.

Calvin placed a gentle hand on Sam's arm the moment he appeared. "Are you okay?" He asked, wondering if the man needed help with his head now or later.

---

"You too." Sandy rose the keys in a thankful gesture as he pocketed the receipt. "Next time you visit, dancers are on me." He stepped away and made his way back downstairs.
The entire way back to the club, Sandy was thinking of all the different ways he could threaten the new comers. This room was under his name. Any mishap and he could very well lose both his club and his home and that was just not good enough.

"Fine," Sam said, flinching a little at the touch and drawing back in an unconscious response to the proximity, but he didn't actually move away any further once he had dislodged the contact. "Fine, I'm, I'm fine."

"Sandy, the club owner? He's going to cover the first few payments for the room upstairs," He said, offering Sam back the small bundle of notes. "Provided that you can take over after that. And Calvin, if you and Akaria are happy to help out after close."

"I can't get a job, without some... my papers, they're going to find me. If I use my own name."
"We know people who can help, there."

"Is that okay?" Sam asked, looking from Taro to Calvin. "Would you be okay with that? Helping out?"

"If it would help you." Calvin told Sam. He looked up as the club door opened again. Sandy re-entered, holding the key's up as he did so.

"Alright. Place is yours." He told Sam as he held out the keys. "I'll make payments until you can move it to your name. If you need anything else, let me know. I have a few people that can help out." He gave what he hoped was a re-assuring smile. He wasn't so good at the smiling thing. "Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta sit the hay. I'll see you at 5:30am sharp." He pointed to Calvin before turning and leaving again. He wasn't really up for more conversation.

"Thanks," Sam said, but Sandy was already leaving, so he just looked down at the keys. "We should go upstairs."
"I'll have Mori bring the others over." Satori said, keying in a message on her phone and loitering at the doors, waiting for the two of them. Sam nodded, dragging in a sharp breath and then turning to walk after her, hesitating here and there to check that Calvin was still following - he didn't even know why that was suddenly something that was important, but with everything else, he wasn't so keen on being entirely surrounded by unfamiliar people.

Not that Calvin was familiar.

The lights, the fluorescent lights, were suddenly too bright and he just wants to be somewhere cool and dark until he can think straight. Because all he seemed to be doing was running through stats and methods of escape, and occasionally remembering the piano lessons he paid for in college with one of his wages. His fingers twitch in recollection. Satori was still with them, talking to him as they walked up another hall (dank, dark looking apartment complex that it was), but he just wasn't listening anymore - only managing small noises of agreement here and there between pauses.

It was a small, dingy apartment with peeling wallpaper - the one right on the corner near the stairwell, and Satori pointed out her and Mori's door, three down. The door opens up into a tiny living room with an equally minimalist kitchenette. There's a half wall near the one window that overlooks the alley that goes down the side of the club a few floors below them and two doors, apparently two bedrooms and a bathroom.

Sam's head was down again, his expression and the darkness under his eyes coupled with his hunched position make it clear that he was feeling worn way past the limits where he felt as though he could think logically about this situation. Satori left, door snicking shut, and he felt like he was going to vomit - swallowing harshly against the bile in his throat as he tugged his bag off his shoulder.

"I'm going to have a shower," He said to the door, not really feeling like he could look at Calvin right then. Too much to take in, now that he actually had time to think about it.

Calvin stood where he was by the door as he looked to Sam. "Would you like me to help with your head again?" He asked, never once moving. He remembered how the man had pulled away from him downstairs. He must have made Sam uncomfortable then and he didn't want to do that again.
So he decided that asking and remaining still was the best possible option.

Sam wavered at the door to the bathroom, fingers tapping against his shoulder, holding his bag steady as he tried to think it over. It had helped, before, whatever it was that Calvin was doing, and he was steering towards an actual panic attack at this rate, with the sensory overload coupled with the headache - and if just one of those things went away he might be able to get a grip.

"If you could, that would be great," He said, taking a step backwards away from the door and offering Calvin a small smile, a little weaker than the last but no less real for that. "Thank you."

Calvin walked over slowly, afraid that he might actually startle the man. He looked on edge and he didn't want to make things worse for his charge.
The angel lifted his hand and gently placed his fingers to Sam's temple, removing the pain from his brain. He couldn't do anything for his emotions, they were all Sam's. At least he could get rid of the physical pain though.

Sam relaxed, instantly, some of the tension uncurled from his spine, fingers unleashed from their tight grasp around the strap of his bag, leaving it hanging from his shoulder. He exhaled softly and shook his head as he stepped back again, moving back to the door and twisting the handle.

"Thanks," He said again, and then just stepping inside, pulling the door tightly shut behind him and immediately moving to turn on the water.

What the hell had he managed to get himself into?

Calvin turned to survey the room. There was visible dust on almost everything and the furniture seemed ready to break. The kitchen needed an obvious restock. The humans would not be able to survive without one.
Though he wasn't sure how to restock, or get rid of the dust. He could at least try to make Sam a tea... but how was he to do that... Something about water. Yes, something about water.

He made his way into the kitchen.

Akaria knocked twice and then walked inside, leading Tosh in beside her and already looking far more steady and... Present than she had for the past two days. "You helped me." She said to Calvin, a statement, more than anything else, and then she smiled pleasantly, letting go of Tosh's hand and looking from the child to Calvin. "Thank you. And for the bandaids." She looked around and wandered into the kitchen to peer at the cupboards.

"This... Will not do." She decided firmly.

"I already came to that conclusion." Calvin told the woman as he glanced around the room. "I'm trying to make Tea."

"Well, you need tea, to make tea." She said, tilting her head to the side in perplexion, frowning slightly. "I... have never purchased tea before, nor have I used tea to make tea."

"Perhaps it would be best to wait for Sam." Calvin told her as he walked out of the kitchen. "Do you know how to remove dust?"