A/N: And this is the conclusion. I'm glad some of you have enjoyed this foray into Cal and Niko. The books will probably never go here, so it was fun to speculate. As for this last part, Cal is a bit of a woobie, I'm afraid, but he's still strung out on drugs, so it's not really his fault :) Thanks again to geminigl11 and sendintheclowns for catching my numerous mistakes and to all who have reviewed.

CHAPTER FIVE

The hours were long and Cal slept restlessly. Promise and Goodfellow came and went, with food and drink and silent support.

No matter how they prodded, though Niko would not leave, not even for the shortest of breaks. He hardly wanted to blink. Because Cal was here.

Cal was here, on his bed--home.

And Niko could only think how much he'd missed that.

He tended his brother's bedside with due diligence. Checking his vitals, rolling him gently, changing the bandages. Little things, important things. Brotherly things.

When Cal stirred some time later, Niko could not be sure how much time had passed, nor did it matter. He couldn't even contain his smile as his brother's eyes opened, tired but lucid, and met his own.

"I see you finally decided to wake up," Niko said, keeping his voice gentle.

The confusion was evident in Cal's eyes, and Niko could not be sure how much his younger brother remembered. He had to take this slow and easy. The injury, the trauma of being kept sedated, and the let down of the drugs would be a rough transition for Cal.

"Cal? You with me?" he prodded carefully, leaning closer.

Cal blinked, licked his lips and swallowed.

"What...what happened?" Cal asked, his voice breathless. Despite the progress in his recovery, his younger brother was still very weak.

Niko hesitated, smiling instead and patting him on the shoulder. "Nothing that we need to talk about now."

"No," Cal said, more insistent this time. He tried to push himself up. "Tell me."

Gently, he restrained his brother, pushing on his good side to keep him lying down. "You were shot," Niko explained.

"I know...that," Cal said. "But I was...in the hospital. I was in the hospital. And you weren't there."

It wasn't a mean statement, certainly not accusatory, but it made Niko flinch nonetheless. "It was complicated," Niko said. "They wouldn't let me see you."

Cal blinked once, twice, his eyes wandering to the ceiling. "They...wanted to do something. Something with me."

Niko swallowed hard. He hadn't counted on Cal remembering that. "It was nothing," Niko said, his voice nearly unwavering with the lie. "You must have been dreaming."

Cal's eyes were on him now, more intense, more clear. "You're lying to me."

"Cal--"

"Tell me," he said.

"When you're better."

"Tell me now," Cal repeated, and Niko knew there was no avoiding this. Cal would not be dissuaded. And after everything Cal had been through, his little brother deserved to know the truth.

Niko sighed. "They had to perform surgery, to repair the damage caused by the bullet. They discovered some...abnormalities. They wanted to investigate."

Cal's brow wrinkled. "Abnormalities?"

Niko licked his lips. It was something they'd both suspected, but had never given voice to. So few things attested to Cal's un-human half that sometimes it seemed easy enough to overlook.

But now...now, there was hard proof. Concrete evidence.

Niko didn't need to say it. Even in his weakened state, Cal put two and two together. "So my Auphe daddy gave me more than my sense of smell."

The resignation in Cal's voice hurt. He'd spent years building Cal up, trying to convince his brother that his DNA didn't determine who he was, that monster was not an inherited genetic trait. That Cal was just as good and just as human as anyone else. Cal didn't broadcast it, but he'd struggled with self-worth for years. His trip to Tumulus had only intensified his self-doubt. Though his younger brother no longer insisted on being called Caliban, sometimes Niko could see that Cal felt like he deserved it.

"It's nothing important."

"What? You mean, no organs that secrete venom? No blackened heart that says just what a freak I am?"

"An extra lobe on your lung," Niko explained simply. "And an organ they couldn't identify. I got you out before they could perform any more tests."

He watched his brother processing this info, struggling with it. Cal's strength was still not up to par, nor was the sedative fully out of his system. His eyes glistened, and Niko felt his heart break.

"It doesn't mean anything."

"Except that I'm a monster," Cal said, turning his head away. "You should have just left me there."

It was like a bad nightmare. Saving Cal from the doctor's had been a perilous task. Now, saving Cal from the truth about himself--that was even more monumental. And so much more important.

"Look at me," he ordered.

Cal didn't respond.

"Look at me, Cal," he ordered again, this time more insistent.

Cal turned his eyes to him, full and angry and hurt. "What?"

"All they discovered in there was basic anatomy. These things are no more important than your appendix or your tonsils."

"Except that humans have those," Cal said.

"And you do, too," Niko said, holding his brother's gaze. "This means nothing. You are still my little brother, the same as you were the day you were born. I know who your father is, Cal. And I know who you are. And you are not a monster, no matter who your father is, no matter what organs you have, no matter what your DNA says. Don't let this ruin you. Don't let this ruin us."

Cal was shaking, nearly falling apart. Niko knew this was the drugs, knew this was the gunshot and the recovery and the separation. His little brother was stronger than even he knew, but it was moments like these, moments where Cal's defenses were all but gone, that Niko could see just how human his brother was.

It would be mortifying for Cal later, Niko knew that, but it was the only thing to do now. Gently, he leaned over, gathering his brother into his arms. Pressing Cal's head against his shoulder, he felt his brother stiffen only momentarily before the first sob broke free. Then there was another, followed by another, and Niko held his brother tight.

There would be more to discuss later. More questions to ask, more answers to give. But for now, this was what they needed.

Both of them.

-o-

Sleep had always been an old friend. At least, it used to be. Now, it just scared the hell out of him.

Which was why, he supposed, the second consciousness beckoned him, he came to--immediately. No hesitation, no regret, just awake--and now.

He couldn't say exactly why. The last week was a blur to him--a series of snapshots of floating and disconnection. And the overwhelming sense of desolation. Of being alone. It was such a foreign feeling, something that he'd never had to face....except that it felt so familiar. Wrongly familiar. Like the remnants of a nightmare he'd already had.

A place he never wanted to be again. A feeling he never wanted to experience again.

Shuddering, he took gulping breaths and realized he was still at home. Still in his bed.

Glancing around, he realized it was day. Light was muted behind the shade, but it was there, nonetheless. Looking down at himself, he could see that he was shirtless but that his chest was obscured by a tightly-wrapped bandage.

He'd been shot, after all.

That was when memory really came back to him.

He'd been shot and in the hospital and he was never supposed to see Nik again. Not that Nik would let something like that stop him.

Niko. He couldn't remember getting out of the hospital. He couldn't remember how he ended up here. But his brother had been behind it. His brother had been here for him--

Aw, hell. Niko had been here to break the news. About him. And his not-so-hidden monster half.

The rest of the pieces fell into place. He'd been shot after playing the idiot hero during a robbery and wound up in the hospital. Which was all well and good since he was dying from a bullet wound, except the doctors that saved his life discovered that Caliban Leandros wasn't totally normal. Not that getting shot at in a Chinese restaurant made anyone normal, but they'd found something. Something about him.

Something Auphe, no doubt, and unfortunately for him, the docs didn't know what Auphe were, or Cal was pretty sure they would have left him well enough alone. In fact, if they knew what was good for them, they would have tied him back together and dumped him on the streets as soon as they could.

Ignorance wasn't always bliss, especially when it came to Cal's luck.

And worse, he'd cried. Just like a little girl. Fell apart in his brother's arms.

Because it'd been too much. Getting shot, being held hostage by unethical and insane doctors--that was one thing. And it certainly did wear away at one's state of being. Not to mention that he must have been so pumped full of drugs that he hadn't even known which way was up.

He made a mental note to never try any kind of narcotic. Not that he'd planned to--Niko would kick his ass for that--but the side-effect would hardly do anything for his macho image.

Still, he wasn't human. Not exactly news, but not exactly something he enjoyed reliving again and again. Thinking about Niko, worrying over him, breaking him out, all when he was some half-breed bastard--well, it was just a little hard to take. Because Niko deserved more, deserved better. And there was no point in a guy like Niko having to risk himself to save something as dirty as Cal.

But Niko didn't see the monster in him. Niko didn't believe it. Among other things, his big brother was a master of denial.

It was part of what made Niko Niko. It was something Cal loved about his brother, something he could never thank his brother enough for.

Something that worried him.

Because Niko's denial, Niko's steadfast protection of him, usually came at the expense of Niko's own self-preservation and well-being. If Cal had lost as much time as he suspected he had, that meant Niko had been through hell. While Cal's had been terrifying and surreal, Niko's had been slow and far too real.

And yet, it was Cal who had broken done. Cal couldn't take that back, wasn't sure he needed to, but he needed to talk to his brother. Needed to see how he was doing.

A voice from the doorway surprised him from his thoughts. "You look much better."

He looked up and saw Promise lingering in the doorway. He'd known her long enough to know that she always looked pristine, yet it was still remarkable to see her. Especially when he knew how awful he was bound to look. Not that he was a picture of good looks and grace on the best of days, but after a hospital stay? And a great hospital escape? He wasn't sure he even wanted to know.

Quirking his mouth into a slight smile, he said, "You know me, always a picture of fashion."

She raised her eyebrows, stepping into the room, carrying a bowl of soup. "I come bearing food," she said. "Your timing is impeccable."

The soup was steaming and it smelled bland. He wrinkled his nose. "What kind is it?"

She settled it by his bedside. "Chicken broth."

"All natural?"

"Of course."

"Is there even salt in it?"

"Sea salt," she replied. "The minimal amount. I know Niko would also appreciate it if you drank your water."

He turned his head further, seeing the bottle of water sitting nearby. "I'm surprised he's not here mother-henning."

"He would be if I let him," she said. "I have him resting in the bedroom."

"Then why aren't you with him?" Cal asked, solicitously.

"Business before pleasure," she said, her smile sly. "Besides, Niko would hardly be welcoming of my presence when I'm assigned to babysit."

At that, Cal reddened. He needed to learn not to tease Promise. He blushed far more easily than she did. But, considering she had had hundreds of years to build up her immunity to embarrassment, he shouldn't be surprised.

"Seriously, Caliban," she said, her voice softer now. "You must eat."

His first reflex was to roll his eyes, to revert to sarcasm. But he could hear the plea in her voice. Not as Niko's girlfriend, but as someone who cared about him.

Damn it if that didn't make him nervous as hell. It also meant he had no means to resist her. Not on this. With a sheepish smile, he reached for the bowl, surprised by how shaky he felt. Steadying himself, he sat up, lifting the bowl to his chest. "If this makes me hurl, I'm blaming you."

"That is blame I will take," she said graciously. "Try to eat slowly, and you should be fine."

Tentatively, he filled the spoon, blowing on it before taking a small sip.

He grimaced as the liquid went down his aching throat and triggering the dull throb in his chest.

"Is it all right?" Promise asked, studying him closely.

He forced a smile. "Fantastic." He took another boat, glancing at her. If anyone could help him with Niko, it was her. Asking, however, was...awkward. "So," he ventured. "How's Niko?"

It wasn't subtle, but it didn't need to be. Her face evened out, smoothing to neutrality. "Niko?"

"Yeah, you know. Blonde ninja-wannabe. Your boyfriend. My big brother."

She simply nodded. "You know how Niko is."

"Which is why I'm asking," Cal prompted. "I mean, has he slept? Eaten?"

She sighed. "Minimally. Better since you've gotten back."

"He blames himself?"

Her eyes lifted and met his. "You know your brother well," she said. "He somehow believes he could have prevented this. Stopped it."

Cal grimaced again, this time not from the pains of his body. "Does he really believe that?"

"Your brother is a very practical man," she explained. "But not when it comes to you. He thinks he can bend the entire universe to his will when it comes to protecting you. When he cannot..."

"Yeah, yeah," Cal said. "I get the idea. You said he's sleeping?"

"Not likely," she said. "I did send him to bed, though."

"When he's up, can you send him here?"

"Not necessary," said a voice from the doorway.

Cal and Promise looked up. Niko was framed in the doorway.

"I thought you were supposed to be sleeping?" Cal said, grinning tiredly. It was just like his brother to know the exact moment he was awake, and, though he wanted his brother to rest, he couldn't deny that it was good to see him.

"I did."

"For five minutes?" Cal snorted. "Even you need more than that."

Niko shrugged moving into the room. "There will be time for that later."

Cal just rolled his eyes.

Promise stood, moving her way to the door. "You two are a perfect set," she observed, lingering next to Niko. Glancing back at Cal, she raised her eyebrows. "Incorrigible to the end. You just choose to veil it differently."

She was right of course, and they all knew it. Niko gave her a soft smiled, couched in humor and affection. "It is perhaps our best trait."

"And our worse," Cal chimed in.

"A strange occasion where you are both correct," she said. "Take it easy. Both of you."

With that, she left the room.

"Quite a girl you've got there," Cal commented.

"She has her moments."

"And so do you," Cal shot back. "You look like crap, big brother."

Niko ignored him, moving into the room. "I see you're feeling better," Niko said, nodding toward the bowl of soup.

Cal scowled at it, fiddling with the spoon as he remembered its loathsome presence. "I would feel much better if someone would give me something worth eating," he grumbled.

"In good time, little brother," Niko said serenely, taking the seat next to Cal's bed. "You have not eaten anything resembling solid food in over a week. Your stomach needs some time before you reintroduce it to things as foul as you would torture it with."

Cal blanched a little. He was hungry, that much was true, but even he had to admit that the thought of a chili cheese dog right now made him feel a little iffy. Everything about him felt weak, out of place. Like someone had taken him apart and tried to put him back together but hadn't done it quite right.

It was as if Niko could read his thoughts. "You're healing nicely," he said. "If anything, the prolonged sedation is affecting you more than the wound itself."

He would just have to take Niko's word on that one. To him, it was all the same. A pervasive sleepiness, a weariness that seemed to seep through every inch of his body. Gunshot wound, sedation--it didn't matter. One soul-sucking situation right after another. His body just wanted to sleep, though apparently he'd been doing that for nearly a week.

"So," Niko said, and Cal flinched. This wasn't going to be a casual conversation. "How are you feeling?"

That wasn't the question Niko wanted to ask. Go figure. Who would have thought that even his stoic big brother would be reduced to beating around the bush. "Fine," Cal said, putting the bowl on his bedside table. "You know, considering."

Niko raised his eyebrows. "Considering?"

Cal huffed. So his brother was going to make him say it. "Considering the whole being shot and sedated and broken out of the hospital thing. That's pretty out there, even for us."

Cal wanted to make it a joke because laughter was the best way to avoid the angst. And really, they angsted enough as it was. The whole being hunted by your monster father's irate family sort of maxed them out on their quota of yearly angst.

Niko, unfortunately, seemed oblivious to that fact. "Can you tell me what happened?"

It was a question he'd been expecting. One that he knew had been on Niko's mind since this whole thing began. What happened. How it happened. What stupid thing Cal had done to wind up with a bullet in him and a tube down his throat. It was just like his brother, to gather the facts, assess the situation and then look for ways to keep it from being repeated.

As if it was that simple. Niko was no fanciful idealist, but really, sometimes Cal wondered. "I got shot," he said, half shrugging. Then he grinned. "Too bad my Auphe half doesn't come with the ability to dodge speeding bullets, huh?"

Niko did not laugh, not that Cal was surprised. His brother merely stared at him, patiently. "Cal."

Cal's shoulders sagged. Niko wasn't going to let him get away from this. "It was a robbery," he said.

"I know that."

"Well what else is there to know?"

"Where you were, why you were there, why you were stupid enough to step in front of a bullet."

Cal rolled his eyes. "Right, since I wanted this to happen."

"I'm not blaming you, Cal," Niko said softly. "But I need to know."

Of course he did. He needed to know to regain whatever control he'd thought he'd lost. Cal had never seen Nik when he was missing. It wasn't possible, not since Cal was always the one missing when Niko fell apart. It was hard to imagine--to think about Niko feeling so helpless, so impotent. The guy was a tried and true superhero and Cal was the only chink in his armor that could be exploited to make him feel helpless.

And that was both a blessing and a burden that Cal didn't always know what to do with. Not that he didn't appreciate his brother's concern, not that he didn't rely on it. But damn, it sure knew how to make a guy feel guilty for something as stupid as stopping to get dinner.

He sighed. "It was nothing," he said. "I just was getting the dry cleaning. Which, did you ever find? That cost a fortune and I know Promise will be pissed if I lost the suit."

"Forget the suit," Niko said dismissively. "I know you picked up the dry cleaning. I know you left the dry cleaning place."

That didn't surprise Cal. Niko's detective work was meticulous and damn near terrifying. Especially when he was feeling emotionally invested. All that smart, ninja-like ability channeled through cold hard fear and rage? Was not a combination Cal ever wanted to see. "I decided to pick up dinner."

"Dinner?"

"Yeah, you know. Food. Sustenance. Even super-humans like yourself have to have it sometime."

Niko's brow furrowed. "Where did you stop?"

"The Chinese place," Cal said. "Something vegetarian. You know, so you'd actually eat it."

He hadn't said it to be mean, but the look that flickered across Niko's face made him wish he still had that damn tube shoved down his throat. Cal getting shot was one thing; knowing Cal was doing Niko a favor--that was entirely another. For as smart as Niko was, he didn't understand the simple concept that he didn't control the universe. Not for a lack of trying, though.

"Don't," Cal said. "Just don't. This isn't your fault."

"You went there for me."

"And so what if I did?" Cal said. "Am I not allowed to do things for my big brother? Hell, Nik, after everything you do for me? I have to give something back."

"I'm your brother," Niko said, his jaw tight. "Protecting you is my job."

"And so it's just my job to be the screw-up?" Cal shot back.

"Cal--"

"No, Nik, we need to get something straight," Cal said. Something had to get very straight before his brother drowned himself in his own guilt. Or worse, lojacked Cal and put a leash on him in order to keep him safe. "You're my brother, too. And I get that I'm not some super-powered fighting machine like you are, but I know what I'm doing. And I want to protect you just as much as you want to protect me. I'm not sure you can believe that sometimes and I've never seen you when I'm gone. But you've never seen me when you're gone either. It's not a pretty picture. So, I'm sorry for putting you through hell this week, but I'm sure as hell not sorry for trying to bring home dinner. I'm a big boy, Niko. You need to start treating me like one."

"You have people after you," Niko tried to explain, looking up and his eyes meeting Cal's. "The Auphe--"

"Are after you, too," Cal said, and he could see the fear that Niko would never voice. The doubts, the need. The dependency. He recognized them instantly, because he felt them, too. "Let's face it, bro, we're on the shit-list for about every supernatural son of a bitch out there. And I get that we need to be careful, but if being careful means not picking up Chinese, then we've got a pretty screwy life."

Niko held his gaze a minute more, and he cocked his head, curious. "Why didn't you run?" Niko asked. "When the robbery began? I know you are foolhardy at times, but you're better than that."

At this, Cal looked down. He remembered the kid with the gun. The girl behind the counter. Doing the math. "He was going to shoot the girl behind the counter."

"Lin?"

Cal screwed up his nose. "You know her name?"

"She's there every time we order."

"Yes, Lin, then," Cal said. "She was hysterical and crying and he was going to shoot and I knew you'd be pissed, but..." His voice trailed off. There was no way to say it. No way to say that her life seemed more important than his. No way to tell Niko that he was willing to throw away years of survival for some girl behind the counter of a rundown Chinese place.

Niko just smiled, shaking his head. "You really do have quite the martyr complex developing," he said.

"I'm sorry," Cal mumbled.

"You probably saved her life."

"And put you through hell."

Niko paused at that and pursed his lips. "Well, it's not like you haven't been there already," he said. "You know it's awfully hard to protect you when you insist on saving others."

"Yeah, well," Cal said, feeling himself lighten. "I know you'd probably managed to save her, disarm the guy, avoid getting shot and make dinner all at once, but I have yet to acquire those skills."

"You did well enough," Niko said softly. Proudly.

That surprised Cal suddenly. He knew his brother loved him--hell, everyone knew Niko loved him. Knew Niko'd give up the world for him. Mostly already had. Niko respected him, trusted him, would do anything for him. But pride--maybe it had always been there, but Cal had never felt it like this. Never felt like he'd done anything to deserve it.

Niko sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Sometimes it's easy to forget that you are in fact an adult," he said. "And when you're missing or you're hurt--I can't even explain how that feels."

"You think you have to?" Cal asked. "I know exactly what that feels like. I feel the same damn way every time it happens to you."

Niko didn't say anything. He didn't have to. The look on his face was enough.

"So does this mean you'll trust me to go out on my own again?"

At that, Niko raised a quizzical eyebrow. "You still haven't proven that you are capable of eating solid foods. And we haven't even discussed bathing options."

Cal grimaced. "I'm fine."

"You need to recover."

"I think you enjoy this," Cal said, his scowl returning. "If I'm hurt, you get to treat me like a child. You should really just get a dog. They like it when you control them and dote on them."

"I'm not doting."

"Oh yeah?" Cal charged. "Then what's with the TV in the bedroom."

"Something to keep you occupied while you heal," Niko said. "Your whining is worse than your atrocious self-maintenance habits, or lack thereof."

"Sure," Cal said. "Just keep telling yourself that."

"Just wait until we start your physical therapy," Niko said with a grin. He stood, patting Cal's leg. "Then we'll see if I'm doting."

Physical therapy? He was still recovering and already his brother was talking about torturing him again. "So much for brotherly love," Cal said. "Here I thought you cared about me, when all you want is someone to subject to physical horrors."

"Just need to get your strength back up."

"Sadist."

"You'll thank me," Niko said, moving to the door.

Thank him for torture--not likely. But...still. If not for his brother, he would be some doctor's test subject. He would have been some science project. Nothing they had done to him had been as bad as believing he'd never see his brother again. That loneliness--that desolation--was worse than any pain or threat of death he'd ever endured. Being a monster--that was nearly impossible. But being Niko's brother--well, that made everything just a bit more bearable. "Hey, Nik," he called.

His brother paused, looking back at him.

"Thanks for getting me out," he said.

Niko just smiled. "Anytime."

end