[LoboDiabloLoneWolf]

Child’s Prayer

Bailey woke up during the night and she could not get to sleep again, the guilt she had been feeling all day came back with a vengeance and kept her awake. She lay there, cold and feeling awful.

She curled up miserably and made a small sound of unhappiness. The noise was soft but it woke Stranger from his own sleep.

“Bailey?” his soft question made Bailey feel even worse and she gulped back a sob.

“I’m sorry Stranger.” She finally said in a sad whisper. She heard Stranger moving around and a warm body pressed against her back. Stranger put an arm around the young human girl and rolled her over so she was facing him and let her rest her forehead on his chest.

“Whadda ya sorry for kid?” he asked softly.

“For everything. I’m sorry for everything.”

“What everything?” Bailey sniffled and took in a distressed breath. She squeezed her eyes shut and latched onto Stranger’s green shirt. Stranger was surprised but didn’t comment, just held her close. “Tell me.”

“I, I shoulda listened to ya. You were right about the farm. We should have tried somewhere else…but I didn’t and that Outlaw shot ya. And it was my fault.” She swallowed painfully and continued, “And if I hadn’t slowed yer up, yer wouldn’t have been caught in the first place and none of this would have happened… It’d been better for you if I’d never come here.” Bailey pressed her head to his chest and made a sound of misery. Stranger stroked her hair.

“And if I’d never met yer, I’d be dead several times already.” He soothed, “I didn’t havta let yer go ter that farm. And it wasn’t your fault we got caught. Nothin’ could make me regret meetin’ yer. Nothin’.” Bailey shivered. The nights were getting colder. Stranger pulled the human closer to him and used his own body heat to help warm her up. “We go together.” He whispered.

“Always together…” Bailey finished, feeling better now. Stranger smiled.

“Tha’s right… Go to sleep Bailey.” Bailey yawned.

“Stranger.” She murmured sleepily,

“I’m here.”

“They killed the Doc.” Bailey whispered, she felt Stranger’s chest rise under her head as he took a deep breath. “We really are alone aren’t we?” she mumbled.

“No.” came Stranger’s voice, “We have each other.”

¤§¤

Bailey woke up again later and no matter how she tried, she could not sleep again.

Stranger was asleep beside her, snoring quietly, nowhere near the rusty chainsaw she was used too, but familiar enough to make her feel safe. She found his presence comforting and reached back to touch his arm. Stranger twitched and grunted in his sleep, pressing his nose to the back of Bailey’s neck. Bailey tried again to get some sleep.

It didn’t take long for her to give up completely. There was no way she was going to get to sleep again tonight.

Bailey let out a frustrated sigh and stood up. Stranger, sensing the sudden absence of her body heat frowned in his sleep. Bailey knelt down on one knee beside him and brushed his cheek.

“I’ll be back. I promise.” Her voice calmed Stranger and he went quiet again. Bailey rose and wandered away from him. To the right of where they’d stopped for the night, a small cliff rose above the tree canopy. Feeling a sudden urge to see the night sky Bailey approached the cliff and began to climb.

It didn’t take her long to reach the ridge at the summit of the cliff. She sat, crossed-legged on the edge of the cliff, above the trees and gazed at the sky. Stars spattered the dark sky like diamonds studding velvet, and high in the sky, above her head, was the Oddworld moon. Complete with Mudokon pawprint.

Bailey let out a sigh. Since she’d arrived in Oddworld, which seemed centuries ago now, she’d always sensed that there had always been something or someone, somewhere watching her. Following her.

And now she needed some help, after all she’d had to go through she decided it was high time that she got something back.

“Alright, whoever or whatever you are up there, I want you to listen, and listen good.” She muttered, “I need some help, I need to find somewhere safe for Stranger, where no one can find him, a place no one can ever hurt him again… Please…”

Bailey went silent, the words her father used to sing to her, when she was young and scared at night, before he had died recalled themselves to her mind. Bailey let out a deep sigh;

“I pray you'll be our eyes,” she whispered, “And watch us where we go. And help us to be wise, in times when we don't know. Let this be my prayer, when we lose our way. Lead us to a place, guide us with your grace. To a place where we'll be safe... I pray we'll find the light, and hold it in our hearts. When the stars go out each night, help us keep our hope. Let this be my prayer, when shadows fill our day. Need to find a place, guide us with your grace. Give us faith that we'll be safe…” Bailey fell silent. She looked up at the moon. Raising a hand she fit it into the imprint on the moon’s face, her index and middle fingers together.

Somewhere, on the other side of Oddworld, was Abe doing the same? It was comforting to think that though she and Abe and Slick may have been far apart, they were still under the same sky, with the same moon above them.

“Maybe we’re closer then we think…” Bailey whispered.

“Bailey?” Stranger’s quiet voice made Bailey look down from her perch, Stranger was at the base of the cliff; she could see his green eyes, reflecting the dim luminescence of the moon.

“Hello Stranger.” Bailey whispered.

“Whadda ya doin’ up there lil’ one?” his tone was tender.

“Just star-gazin’.” She replied,

“You gonna come down?” Stranger asked. Bailey looked back up at the stars and then at Stranger.

“Yeh. Yeh, I’m comin’ down.” Slowly Bailey climbed down the cliff face until she was back on level ground.

Stranger crooked a finger under Bailey’s chin and gently lifted up her head so he could see her eyes, the clearest expression in them was an aching sadness that Stranger could not place.

“Squirt? What’s up wiv yer?” he touched her cheek. Bailey sank to her knees. Stranger crouched down beside her. “Kid?” he brushed the roughly cut hair out of her face and lifted her chin again. “I’m listenin’ kid, yer can tell me.” Bailey looked at him, that aching sadness in her eyes stabbing into his heart.

“I…I miss Abe…and Slick…I miss the other half of my family Stranger…” Stranger blinked his luminous eyes and understood Bailey’s aching depression.

“C’mere.” Stranger drew Bailey into his arms and held her close. Bailey rested her head on Stranger’s chest and closed her eyes, listening to his heartbeat. There was a silence, until; “Other half for yer family?” Bailey nodded. Stranger swallowed. He held Bailey tighter and pressed his cheek to her hair. “I dunno know how ter be part of a family. I’ve always been alone.” He murmured after a moment. Bailey chuckled weakly.

“You think it matters? My own mother never told me that she loved me. I’ve had more affection from you then I ever did from her. I don’t need you to try to be a parent. I just need you to be there, just be yourself. S’all I’m askin’.” Stranger pressed his nose to Bailey’s cheek and nodded.

“Not exactly a normal family are we…” He said after a moment. Bailey laughed gently.

“Human, Mudokon, Slig and now Steef all in the same family? No, I don’t think we’re normal. We’re very, very Odd…though we may not look alike, I think we fit…” Stranger made a sound of agreement and stroked Bailey’s hair lightly.

“S’all that matters.” He said.

¤§¤

The next day Stranger started acting peculiarly. He kept fidgeting and scratching feverishly at his Steef legs. Finally when Bailey saw him scratching a hindleg on one of the trees of the forest that they were still travelling through, her curiosity at his odd behaviour snapped.

“Have you got ants in yer pants or what?” she asked. Stranger blinked at her, caught off guard by Bailey’s outburst, bemusement written all over his face.

“I…ain’t wearin’ pants…” he said, as if explaining a very simple concept to a particularly stupid person. Bailey rolled her eyes but broke into a grin.

“It’s an expression you ninny. But that’s beside the point. The point is you’re actin’ like you got fleas.” Stranger tried to scratch one of his hind legs but couldn’t reach.

“Odd-damn…” he muttered. Bailey snickered, she went up to Stranger and began scratching for him. He arched his back, just like a cat getting scratched in the right place. His leg muscle began twitching and he purred, an expression of relief on his face. “Oh, that feels good, yer can keep doin’ that. No, no, down abit, okay, to yer left, yep, yep. Right there. Scratch harder.” Bailey grinned widely as she scratched Stranger’s hindleg.

“Better?”

“Very much. Thank you.” But Bailey was staring at his flank now, frowning. “Bailey, what-” Bailey began running her fingers through the fur on his Steef body, parting it here and there and looking at it closely. “…Bailey…whadda ya doin’…?”

“Just a minute…” Bailey muttered. She suddenly pinched something in her fingers and raised it to her eyes.

Pinned between her fingertips, wiggling it’s little legs, was a flea.

“Well I’ll be jiggered…you have got fleas…” she muttered as she flicked it away. She suddenly remembered the Steef bounty poster and finally understood what Stranger was doing;

Hobbies: Scoping the land, scarin’ folks, grazing, flea and tick removal.

Apparently Stranger had yet to master said pest elimination… Bailey put a hand over her mouth and bit back a snigger. Stranger crossed his arms over his chest, not looking amused knowing what Bailey found so humorous.

Stranger’s expression just made it harder for Bailey not to laugh, and finally, she couldn’t hold it and she began laughing, so hard she had to lean her hands on her knees to stay upright.

Finally she got a hold on herself and straightened but she was still grinning broadly. Stranger scowled. Just to irritate the Steef further Bailey put on a voice like she was talking to a toddler,

“Aww, is lickle Stranger throwin’ a wobbly?” Stranger’s scowl darkened and he tapped a hoof exasperatedly. “C’mon Stranger,” Bailey said, still grinning, “You gotta admit it’s kinda funny.” Stranger didn’t smile in return. His indigence was ruined however when he began scratching his foreleg.

His expression became something, somewhere in between wanting to ask Bailey something but being too embarrassed. Bailey blinked patiently but Stranger just fidgeted and didn’t say anything. It took a moment before Bailey caught on.

“Alright.” She said, “I’ll take a look.” She cracked her knuckles, “Okay, let’s see what we got here.” She stood next to Stranger and began picking through his fur. “Oh man, you got an infestation…” Bailey crinkled her nose. “Ew…that’s so gross…”

“What?”

“You got ticks as well…” Stranger grimaced. “Well the good news is I can get rid of both fleas and ticks.”

“So…what’s tha bad news.”

“Who said there was bad news?” Bailey asked mockingly innocent, Stranger raised an eyebrow.

“There's always bad news.” He muttered. Bailey sighed and nodded.

“We need water, a pool preferably, and deep.” Stranger gave a sigh.

“Well, let’s go find it. This itch is sendin’ me crazy.”

-----

Okay, just so you know, the lullaby that Bailey’s father used to sing is based off a song called ‘The Prayer’, which I do not own…

Did I also mention that I didn’t own anything to do with Oddworld Inhabitants either? No? Well though Oddworld and Stranger's Wrath (and everything that was used in that) belong to Oddworld Inhabitants and Lorne Lanning. However this story is only loosely on the Stranger's Wrath's characters and basic plot. The rest of the stuff created in here belongs to me.

So though the origins don't belong to me, the synthesized material that I’ve altered belongs to me.