We Are Bulletproof

Right now I'd even take Marge's constant supervision if it meant being together with you. *soft but sad laugh*

Jack

I love you. Please don't give up. I know you're strong enough to get through this.

Even if-if I don't make it out.

*Similar delirious laughter*

I've... been kind of a mess without you, too. It's weird being here, with no one to talk to but another me.

Are you okay, Jack? Are you safe?

Y-yeah I'm... I'm as good as I can be...

*dazed*

Did

Did you do something with your hair?

*walks closer*

Jack?

Jack?!

H-how?

It was a whole lot of information to digest. Smith—Bray—sat for what felt like an hour or so just... doing what he did best: think. Thinking was his specialty and for once in his life it was paying off in a big way. There was nothing else to do here but think. And learn. He had a lot to learn from Brayden, it seemed, and truthfully he welcomed the opportunity.

He only wished that he didn't have to die to do it but maybe this was one of those silver linings in dark storm clouds situations...

There was no choice but to see it that way. He wasn't the kind of person to mope around when he could be bettering himself and practicing his powers to help protect Jack. If he trusted Jack to do his best then he—Brayden Smith—had to uphold his end of the bargain, too. Slowly, he turned to the other Brayden, who was patiently waiting for him.

"Did he ever love Jack? Keith... did he..."

Brayden thought for a long moment and then nodded. "I believe he did. Once. It was the first time that he... had something all to himself. But now I don't know if he is capable of loving anyone, even himself. Everything is dark in him." His head dropped along with his gaze and the guilt inside of him couldn't be missed. Still. Even after all these lives and after Keith had assassinated him all these times, there was still love inside his heart for the brother who hated him. And somehow, that was reassuring, that nothing could extinguish the light in his heart.

"It's not your fault." Reaching over, he squeezed Brayden's shoulder. "You didn't set out to steal Jack from him. And... well... Jack chose you. Us. I'm sorry that Keith had to go through all of that but it's not fair to pin all of that on one person. You didn't do that to him. You tried to love him."

Keith chose not to accept Brayden's love. That was squarely on him, because the love and acceptance that he sought was right in front of him and he refused to acknowledge it. As tragic as that was, it wasn't fair to Brayden to still have to...

Apologize for something that wasn't his fault...

Hm.

Well, some traits withstood the test of time, apparently. Smiling softly despite the sadness weighing on his very soul, he stood. "Let's get to work, Brayden. I have a lot to learn before Jack brings me back, right?"

Brayden stood too, nodding, smiling softly at him. Still eerie to watch himself but he was getting kind of used to it. "Right," said Brayden. "First, let's learn how to help Jack seal off his dreams. That will stop Keith from being able to track him."

"Welcome back," the Brayden on the throne said softly, reaching out a hand to Bray, for him to take as he fought to maintain a straight face. The throne was large enough for both of them so he sat down heavily beside himself and placed his face into his hands.

He could still taste the desperate kiss. He could still feel Jack in his arms and still hear his voice and it all hurt so much, to be separated from him so violently and abruptly.

A hand rubbed up and down his back gently. "They always did say I had a tendency to be emotional," the other Brayden said close to his ear, before his arms wound around Bray and enclosed him in a warm hug. He seemed to know just what Bray needed--but of course he would. He was Brayden and Braydens always anticipated the needs of others first and foremost. "Guess I haven't changed much..."

"I suppose not." Bray leaned heavily into him and allowed himself a quiet moment to absorb his own grief. To come to terms with the fact that someone had killed him--and this time perhaps permanently. Now his mother wasn't here to push him back from the brink. The last particle of magic she possessed in the world had been expended; she was one of the stars now, twinkling up in the night sky.

So who was left to help save him? A surprising number of people... actually. Jack. Always Jack and he knew Jack would never give up on him. Jack would do everything within his power to bring him back, Bray knew without a shadow of a doubt. And the Brayden beside him knew it too, didn't he? If he went so far as to take over Bray's body just to tell him what to do and how to do it...

There were others too, though. Ken. Bray saw Ken in the room with them but he didn't really acknowledge him, because he was focused entirely on Jack. There were Jack's brothers too--Niall and Rhys. Even if the latter still had reservations about them, Bray didn't think that he was as prickly as he presented himself. (The number of times he caught Rhys cuddling with Raphael--and liking it--was testament to that!)

Niall... Raphael... Bray wished he could have left them some kind of message too but there was no time. He didn't have long to say good-bye and... well, he didn't want to squander that time. Even if he could visit Jack in his dreams, he wanted to say good-bye in person at least one last time.

Bray took in a shuddering breath, still processing what had happened. He only looked up when he felt ready to, knowing there was no pressure--no hurry. "What's going to happen now?" he asked haltingly, unsure if he wanted to hear the answer and yet still needing to know it. For a moment he looked into his own face and as jarring as it was to stare at himself, he felt oddly reassured as well. The Brayden looking back at him radiated a sense of calm and assuredness, of the kind that Bray had never had. And if that Brayden could do it... maybe he could learn to as well.

"We trust Jack. Our Jack." The other Brayden's smile was serene. "And in the meantime you will learn how to fully use your powers, now that you've realized them. There is so much potential that you have yet to tap into, Brayden."

"Um. Could--could we maybe use different names? It's just--it's incredibly weird if we're both Brayden. Just call me Smith maybe?"

Brayden laughed but nodded. "All right, Smith. Even though you are me." He levied 'Smith' with a humorous Look but continued, "Once you have learned how to use your powers to their full potential, you can protect both Jack and yourself from future attacks. You know by now that this Keith is... our brother. Half-brother."

'Smith' nodded--that part was a little hard to accept, to be honest, and the thought of being related (however distantly) to that man made his skin crawl. "What happened? Why does he hate me so much?"

Brayden sighed and leaned back against the ornate arm rest of the throne; his gaze was faraway.

"We were born in a time of war with the Fallen. Keith was born first, the bastard son of our father, the King of our House, and a concubine of another House. Everyone saw that as a sign of bad luck and they blamed our House's ill fortunes on him. My mother was heart-broken but I think she still tried her best to raise him properly, but of course he was a constant reminder of my father's infidelity.

Our father denied him; he saw Keith as a mark of shame and that hurt Keith deeply. Then when I was born, everyone saw me as some kind of savior. I won't deny that my life and my brother's were vastly different. He was forced to hide in the shadows while I lived in the light, and the darkness sank into him and wouldn't let go. He came to resent everyone, but especially me, whom our father loved and protected. He thought that I had stolen everything from him--all the love, the attention, the rights to sit on the throne.

Keith turned to the Fallen, our enemy. He fell in love with one of the Fallen princes and even went so far as to bring him into our kingdom, disguised as his companion. I think it pleased him to flaunt our father's rules and laws in his face, and to openly defy him. And I... knew what he was doing, but I said nothing. It was foolish of me, I know, but at the time I thought maybe if he saw that he could trust me... That he might love me as I loved him, and we could repair our fractured relationship.

But the problem was, the Fallen prince--Jack, although he went by a different name back then--was not Keith's soul mate. He was mine. And I'm sure you know--" he paused here with a little twinkle in his eyes, "--how difficult it is to resist his many charms."

'Smith' nodded with a similar twinkle in his own eyes. Yes, he knew how hard it was to resist Jack. Coupled with the fact that he had no defense and plain didn't want to deny him, and it was a pretty bad combination. (Or a very good one...)

"I tried to refuse and refute my feelings at first. And his. I told him that we couldn't betray Keith, and that we could only remain friends, but... well. Love doesn't work like that, as you well know. And when Keith found out, that was the end. He Fell. The Fallen King claimed him with promises of revenge and corrupted his already wounded heart. Keith came to my room one night and killed me. He stabbed me through the heart and tried to corrupt my soul to bring back to the Fallen King.

I don't know how I managed to save myself. I think part of me always knew that Keith would fall so I had been unconsciously prepared for that moment. And I'm sure my love for Jack also saved me. It's powerful, ancient magic that not even the Fallen or the Celestials can overcome. So I came to be trapped here, watching myself go through different lifetimes, always with the same result. I left messages for myself to find in different lives, hoping that one day one of my reincarnations would fully realize his powers and find them, and--here you are! The only one to do it."

"I..." Smith sat there for another long moment and attempted to digest the information presented to him. "I'm not--nothing special, I just--"

"Ah, that's something I would definitely say," Brayden laughed. "But you are special. Only those with awakened powers could see my messages. It might not feel like it, but you are more powerful than you think. Once we train you up a little, you'll feel better about all of this. And just think of Jack--he is vulnerable right now. You can help close his mind to outside influence."

"I'm sor...ry..." He trailed off as he did the very thing Jack told him not to and then let out an exasperated, soft, mirthless laugh at himself. He couldn't help it. Everything was his fault--or it felt like it was. It felt like he shouldered the burden for... everything, and needed people to know that he felt remorse for their actions.

But they didn't have much time, so he let Jack say what he needed to say without interruption and only nodded slowly. "Yes. Dream." The House of Dreams, the Prince of Dreams--that was him. He stroked Jack's face, hair, down the side of his neck and along his shoulders, trying to touch him one last time, one desperate last time. "The other one is betrayal."

Betrayed by Keith, the man who arranged the attack so that young Prince Brayden could... die.

"Don't go back to the visions, Jack. It's not worth it. I'll just... talk to the other me. And I can find you in your dreams, right? So we won't really be apart, it's just... just for a little while until..." Until Jack could find the person to bring him back to life. Bray kissed him, softly at first and then with mounting desperation as he felt himself beginning to fade.

"Jack. Jack I love you. Always. Always. Don't give up, okay? Don't... don't give... up..."

And then he was back in that dark place again, looking at himself seated upon the throne.

For a lingering moment, Brayden's gaze settled on the tall, dark-haired man seated at the side table beside his brother. At the long high table at the front of the room it was himself, his father and his mother--the royal family of the House of Dreams--alongside other Kings, Queens, Crown Princes and Crown Princesses of the remainder five houses. They were celebrating the union between two houses and while Brayden also had the option of bringing a guest, he decided to come alone so as not to stir up unnecessary rumors.

His brother, however...

Brayden dropped his gaze for a moment as his brother looked up--and looked directly at him with those piercing, judgmental blue eyes. There was nothing but contempt in them and Brayden could feel his gaze sweeping across the conservative tan robes that seemed somehow out of place among the brightly colored celebratory garb of the other royals. In an attempt not  to stand out, Brayden ended up standing out anyway...

He fiddled with the subtle gold hem of his sleeve. It was no secret that the first Prince of their house was not the Crown Prince and it was no secret that the first Prince was one of mixed blood, unsuited to assume the position of High King. Out of an indiscretion with a concubine of another House, Brayden's brother was born and since childhood, he had been viewed as something of a stain upon their father's legacy. 

After Brayden was born, however, focus shifted away from scandal. Everyone lauded him as the next King and with his even, quiet, obedient temperament and soft-spoken ways, he was well-liked by everyone. Meanwhile, his brother began to act out in the worst ways imaginable and everyone turned a blind eye because he was no longer relevant or important.

But to Brayden, he was still his brother. Brayden still tried to mend their relationship, tried to get closer to him and to show him that not everyone disliked him or dismissed him out-of-hand. He didn't want his brother's heart to be filled with resentment and anger and hatred towards anyone, not only himself. Naively perhaps, he thought that if he only tried hard enough, he could sway his heart.

It was a long, uphill battle but Brayden was determined. Even though his brother clearly hated him the most--and not subtly, either--he loved him. They were brothers, joined by blood. Brayden refused to turn his back on him, and so he said nothing about his brother's companion, though he knew his identity and he knew that should the truth come out, their House would be plunged into chaos and scandal once more.

So far, however, there had been no trouble, for which Brayden was glad. He kept his head down after being glared at and missed the look that his brother's companion sent his way. Dessert was served on beautiful bone china platters and Brayden stared glumly down at the concoction of flower petals and delicate blancmange, knowing that the 'social' part of the evening had yet to come. And he dreaded that--he dreaded having to strike out on his own while his parents mingled with the Kings and Queens of the other Houses.

Brayden fared much better alone. He was more at home in the library studying and being tutored than outside romping about in sunshine and tall grass. He preferred the company of books over the awkward, stilted conversations that came from being shoved at other young men his age. And at social functions,he preferred to hide, which was why directly after dessert was taken away, he melted into the shadows and found the nearest exit out of the banquet hall.

Outside, he reveled in the refreshing, cool night air. For the first time that evening he felt comfortable in his own skin, and he took in a deep, long breath before strolling into the gardens to find a quiet place to sit and observe the stars. Stargazing was his favorite activity, above all else. To see them twinkling away up in the heavens was a unique joy. So he found a bench and seated himself, and smiled as he tilted his head back.

Soft footsteps behind him, however, made his head snap back down. Brayden turned his upper body in the direction of the sound, startled; his brother's companion had followed him outside. He tried to school his expression so as not to look like a surprised owl--but he was still surprised when the man seated himself on the bench beside him with a very casual greeting.

"H-hello," Brayden muttered, unsure in the moment as to what the proper etiquette was. "Good... good evening..."

"I knew I could count on you." Brayden was so proud of how far his Jack had come! His Jack was capable and brave and resourceful—as he had been in all of his former lives, but particularly the first. The one he fell in love with without intending to, setting off this entire chain of events.

He embraced Jack again, tightly, and then pulled away. "I'll let your Brayden back now." Reaching up, he touched Jack's cheek, his temple, his dark curls. "I love you, Jack. We both love you."

Brayden closed his eyes. Everything faded to black and then he was back in the other realm, looking at himself seated nervously upon the large throne. "He knows what to do to save us. I've bought you as much time as I could to say goodbye." Brayden sat while he rose, smiling. "We're close, Brayden. You two can do this."

~~~~

Bray opened his eyes to Jack and he let out a soft cry as he held him tightly. "Jack! Jack I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't stop him. I tried but he—"

"I'm so sorry." His eyes flooded with heat as he shook his head again, desperately wishing that he didn't have to be part of this. "Keith killed him. Me. Both of our souls are in purgatory, in the realm I created when Keith killed me the first time because I could not bear to... to leave you." And his Jack could not join him there because he died naturally—of a broken heart—and his soul moved on to its next reincarnation.

"Brayden's soul will stay with me there. His body will remain here with you. My magic will protect this physical body for a time, so that you can find a celestial. A celestial soul weaver, remember that. You must find one and have them reconnect Brayden's soul to his body."

Finally he looked up, cupping Jack's confused face. It would dawn on him later, he was sure. The enormity of this loss wasn't something that came easily. "Your Brayden's powers awakened, Jack. None of my reincarnations have been able to do that before, so I think this time you both can break the cycle. If you can stop Keith from killing Brayden and if you can live out this life together..." He smiled through the overwhelming sadness, daring once again to hope.

"Free me, Jack. Free us. All of us. Don't let Keith win! I'll teach your Brayden all I know while you find a celestial to revive him. Okay? And please protect Rip, too. He has a part of your soul inside of him, and that soul has to have a chance to grow. Don't let Keith get his hands on either of us."

"He tried to save me from Keith," Brayden said hurriedly, in case Jack or his intimidating friend tried to harm Rip. "He fought to save me. Rip is our friend. Please don't hurt him."

Jack's friend made a noncommittal sound in the back of his throat but kept his eyes on Rip, though he made no moves to harm him. Brayden turned briefly to smile at Rip before he returned his gaze onto Jack, taking him in avidly. He had already memorized this face and committed it to permanent memory, but having him here and being able to hold him was an indescribably joyful thing.

But...

Brayden shook his head gently, as much as he could given that Jack held his face in his hands. "Keith..." he began, turning his gaze downward. "I am not your Brayden, Jack. I am... a Brayden and I've been waiting for you to break this cycle. I took over your Brayden's body to tell you something very important, and there isn't much time."

He touched the outside of Jack's wrist, still unable to look up at him. He didn't want to see the look in Jack's eyes when he realized that he was too late. That was a look he had seen a thousand times, each and every life that he lived where Brayden had to die at Keith's hands. "I'm sorry my love. I've bought some time for your Brayden to say goodbye, and then we will both have to go. But you can save him. I put his body into stasis until you can find a celestial soul weaver. They can reconnect your Brayden's soul back to this body, but you must hurry before his soul moves on."

There wasn't a lot known about the growth of souls inside of golems, since they weren't generally made to be fully sentient. They were usually more like automatons, meant to carry out menial tasks. Of the few that did have souls, their personalities tended to drift apart from the original owner of their souls over time. Brayden hoped that this was the case with Rip. If his soul grew apart from Jack's and into its own, he would be free from Keith's influence. The threads that bound golem and creator would snap and maybe he could live out the rest of his life in peace.

Not having much time meant that he couldn't personally oversee Rip's growth but Brayden had high hopes for him. His soul had already begun to grow; that meant someone here was nurturing it. Someone had shown him love, compassion, tenderness and he responded to it. That was a good thing because Brayden wouldn't be here for much longer. He needed to allow the other Brayden time to say his goodbyes, too...

Thankfully Jack arrived soon, and as soon as Brayden heard his voice, he rose. His heart already leapt up into his throat and his soul trembled knowing that its mate was beyond the door. Every life, Jack's soul was reborn, while Brayden remained trapped in that other realm, hoping and praying that this time and in this life, the cycle could be broken, hoping that he could survive one of Keith's attacks and finally defeat him.

"Jack..." Brayden hurried to the door and flung it open. He gasped. It... was him... He was in Jack's arms in hardly any time at all, holding him tightly and whispering his name like a sacred prayer. Not his earthly name but his True Name, that only Brayden could know. "It's really you..."

Behind Jack, someone cleared his throat softly. "Why... are there two of you?" The man asked, looking extremely grave. He edged inside and placed himself between Jack and Rip, staring at the latter. "Who are you?"

As they sat, Brayden slipped a hand into Rip's and threaded their fingers together, letting their clasped hands settle in his lap. He leaned in and rested his head against Rip's shoulder, just as he did a very long time ago under that spreading honeysuckle that shielded them from prying eyes, when he confessed his love for Jack.

The crown prince of the House of Dreams and a prince of the Fallen were not meant to be together. Their people were enemies; they were at war. Yet, from the moment their eyes met, a sense of destiny had fallen over them that could not be ignored. They were soul mates; Brayden knew that from the beginning. Even if Keith had Jack first and even though Jack had been in love with him, everything changed once Brayden caught them together. Keith conspired against his own people, hoping to become King and Jack was misled by his lies, thinking that all Keith wanted was to unite their people.

But a love scorned was a dangerous thing. As Brayden and Jack grew closer, Keith seemed to grow more unhinged. The night that he broke into Brayden's chambers and slew him, he set off a chain of events that not even he could have predicted. And here they were. Jack's soul was split and Brayden was inhabiting a body that was both his and not his at the same time.

"No... What is yours is yours. It wouldn't be right to take it from you." Brayden could not take a life and removing Rip's soul amounted to just that. He smiled at Rip, taking him in, the light catching in his hair, in his eyes. "Besides, it has already started to grow. Maybe one day it will become whole, and you will meet a new soul mate."

The exchange didn't sound like it was going well for Jack but if it lent speed to his feet and haste to his movements, Brayden was all for it. He heard some words here and there, but the device transmitted mostly to Rip, who faithfully did as he was asked and relayed their location to Jack. Then the device darkened and Rip indicated that Jack would be here a sap, whatever that meant.

Jargon of these confusing modern times, Brayden supposed...

"But Rip." Brayden hung on to him—literally, he clung to Rip with both arms about him, as though he would physically wrestle Rip if need be. "I want you here. I need you here. You are a part of me and you need to hear what I have to say, too. It's very important. This is not only for Jack." He loosened one arm to try and tug Rip over to the bed, to sit. "You are a part of me," Brayden repeated gently. "And I am a part of you, too, my love."

"Oh! Here? Look here?"

Brayden looked at Rip instead; he found Rip much easier on the eyes than some glowing rectangle. Was this modern magic? The Brayden of this time would have known how to use it but sadly he was holding down the throne, allowing him to be out here inhabiting this body. At any rate it worked and the glowing screen changed—to a picture of Jack. Undoubtedly, Jack translated very well onto this screen, whatever it was.

A means of communication? Ah. Yes. Brayden watched with keen interest as Rip held the device to his ear and began to speak into it. The exchange seemed stilted even to him, and poor darling Rip was nervous speaking to—essentially himself. Had he never met Jack before then? Brayden wasn't surprised.

Keith likely wanted to keep Rip as a backup, as his trump card to lock down a part of his soul to this time and this place. That way Brayden could not reincarnate, without all of Jack's soul having passed on to the next life. Golems, after all, were not bound by time restrictions the way humans and fae were.

As the device was pushed towards him, Brayden started. He looked at it suspiciously and then spoke into it Very Loudly. "Jack? Jack! I need you to come here right away! There's not much time to explain, my love, but I need you here! I must give you something before I have to... go." He glanced at Rip. "Tell him where we are. If he can't get here in time, I... I'll give it to you to safeguard, okay? But you must not let Keith get his hands on it!"