Credits to M. Night Shyamalan's Signs

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It had been a long day,

Sven's stomach growled and cramped painfully,

Okay…A really long day.

The green haired gentleman opened the door to the small hotel room he shared with two others. He silently hoped she had gotten to bed all right without his being there, but then again she was almost sixteen. She could take care of herself just fine without him.

A small jingle caught his attention. Train moved a little more, getting to a comfortable position in the chair he was sleeping in, causing his bell to jingle.

Sven smiled as he remembered what his precious princess had said,

"If a bad cat wears a bell…he becomes good."

He chuckled softly as he removed his jacket and his tie before laying down on the couch. He slipped his hat over his mismatched eyes and slowly let the soft darkness of sleep creep over him.

The beginnings of a dream were already flashing in his head when something brought him back. He had the odd sensation someone was there…right next to him. Sven became alert once again and very carefully slipped open his eye.

Beautiful crimson pools looked at him with a vacant like expression, and in the faint light the outline of her short honey blonde hair was the only thing visible. His heart clenched slightly, was something wrong?

Sven opened his eye fully in surprise, "E-Eve?"

"There's a monster outside my window, can I have a glass of water?"

Sven blinked once. Twice.

"What's wrong with the water next to your bed?"

Eve said nothing for a moment. Her face was unreadable.

"It's old." The young girl stated flatly.

With a heavy sigh, Sven got up from where he had been blissfully falling asleep over to the walk-in kitchen that came with the room. He pulled out a glass and filled it, the small girl sat up on her knees and leaned over the back of the couch to watch him.

When the glass was full he handed it to her, "There. New water…is it good?"

Eve took a small sip and nodded.

"Alright…back to bed now." They both stood in silence for a minute and without warning Sven leaned down a little and kissed her forehead, "Good night Eve."

Her face looked a little blanker then normal as she walked back to the one bedroom in the hotel room and closed the door halfway. It was a few more moments before he heard the soft thudding of her feet running back to him. Eve gripped hold of his shirtsleeve and signaled for him to lean down, like she was going to tell a secret. Instead she kissed him on the cheek. It was feather light and soft, "Good night…" and she scampered back into her room.

Sven collapsed a little dramatically unto the couch as he covered his eyes with one hand and gritted his teeth, What possessed me to do that? Sure, three years ago it wouldn't have mattered but now she's gonna think I'm some old grandpa…or worse…a loli-con!! AH!

It took a lot of inner groaning and tossing before Sven fell back asleep. He dreamed of ice cream and feeding birds with a small girl in a white sundress. The dream quickly turned when a boy began to stare at his precious little girl and he beat him to a pulp. Oh the dreams of being a disgruntled dad. He smirked in his sleep. Sweet bliss.

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It had taken some getting use to.

The fact that every time he moved in his sleep that damn bell would jingle away. He thought he was starting to get use to it, but the small gold bell had woken the burnet again. He sat up, feeling stiff from how he was forced to sleep on such a small chair, and looked around the room.

Sven was back and sleeping soundly nearby.

Good. Eve acted weird when they were alone together; he silently hoped she wasn't getting a daddy-don't-leave-me complex. He shivered, Eve being overly attached? It would rain fire the day that happened.

His cat shaped eyes scanned the room one last time for good measure, that's when he noticed her. Even with his 20/20 vision he couldn't have seen her without twisting in an odd way. Eve was sitting at the foot of the chair, a glass of water clutched in her hand. He cocked his head a little more…the glass was trembling.

"Eve…" he whispered faintly.

The blonde girl jumped and turned to him, her eyes filled with a fear he had never seen before. Her fear gripped him harder then he imagined, "What's wrong? Is something wrong?" he questioned hastily growing fearful himself. If something could scare Eve then it must be bad.

"There's a monster outside my window…I have a glass of water already."

Her voice was small and tight.

Train relaxed, "A monster…aren't you a little big for that kind of thing?"

She frowned and oddly enough tears began to fill around her eyes.

"Whoa whoa. Calm down…"

He sat for a minute thinking of what to do. He looked at her again and sighed, "Let me see."

She nodded and took his hand as they walked back into the room. He noted how warm and soft her hand was compared to his own callused ones.

Eve had really grown up since that time three years ago…but he I guess everyone gets scared.

She pushed him ahead and came in behind though, glancing warily over to the window. "Is that where you saw the monster."

"Yes…"

Train opened the window, Eve gasped and hurried over to her bed climbing in and pulling the covers tightly around herself.

Train glanced around, there was nothing, just a small roof more then 9 yards away. Nothing was there.

"I don't see anything Eve…it must be gone now." He looked over at her, she was so scared and she needed him to comfort her. This was more of Sven's type of thing, but something about her pleading eyes made him change his mind about waking the older man up. With another sigh he closed the window and locked it tight.

"No one can get you in here, Eve…see it's"

Eve wiped away a tear that had overflow from her eyes and Train felt his heart break a little. What could he do to make her feel safe, "…Do you want me to stay..?"

Eve looked at him in shock and then nodded several times, "Stay." She whispered.

"Alright…scooch over."

The bed shifted from his weight as he lay down next to her on top of the blankets. Eve moved a little closer to him, but she still looked unsure.

Train smiled and in a quick fluid moment brought her up against his chest and held her there tightly, "See…I'll protect you…"

Eve smiled and snuggled against his warm chest, she could barely hear the faint beating of his heart. Her crimson eyes met his golden ones and she gently flicked the small bell, "Good cat."

Train chuckled and rubbed his chin against her hair making little purring noises. Eve giggled quietly and slowly closed her eyes, "Train…" She didn't get to finish her sentence for a few seconds later she was fast asleep.

Train felt his own eyes become heavy; he gave Eve a small squeeze and nuzzled her a little before laying back against the bed.

Panic clutched his heart one last time before he fell asleep.

What would Sven say?!

And in the other room the peeping tom our disgruntled dad was beating in his dream suddenly acquired cat ears.