Prologue

Valerian Talon Montgomery was only five years old when he lost his mother and father to a house fire. He watched from outside in his tree house as tears flowed down his little face. The two men that lit the house ablaze left without noticing him out there. A neighbor had called 911, but they arrived too late to save Marta and Thomas Montgomery.

“Has anyone seen their little boy?”

He heard the neighbor ask. Everyone began searching for him while he stared blankly at the burnt rubble that was once his home. He didn’t register he was crying as he held his little blue stuffed rabbit close to his chest. He wore his Batman pajama top and Spider Man bottoms along with his Hulk slippers. His dark brown hair was sticking up all over the place and his piercing emerald eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight from his tears. One of the firemen spotted him in the treehouse and climbed the ladder. He knocked on the trap door on the floor before opening it slowly,

“Hello, may I come in?”

He asked as he looked at Valerian. Valerian nodded and moved closer to the fireman. The fireman smiled at him and climbed further into the trap door.

“Will you come down little one?”

The firman asked him. Valerian scooted back towards the window and shook his head no.

“Well, can I call someone?”

The fireman asked as his hazel eyes scanned the little treehouse. Valerian clung to his little stuffed bunny tighter and kept his emerald eyes glued on the fireman. When the fireman noticed the bunny he smiled and spoke kindly

“My little boy has one of those, but it’s green.”

Valerian looked down at his bunny then back at the fireman.

“I want my mommy!”

Valerian cried out sadly. The fireman frowned and held a look of sadness in his eyes as he shook his head no

 “I’m sorry little one. Your mommy and daddy are gone.”

Valerian sobbed out a hiccup

“B…but…I saw them leave..”

He said in his little voice between sobs. The fireman looked confused before his eyes went wide.

“Little one. Did you see the people who did this?”

He asked softly. Valerian nodded his little head.

 “I…I…th…thought…i..it…was…was..m…m..mommy…a..and…da..daddy..”

He said as he hiccuped between sobs. The fireman shook his head no.

“No, little one, your mommy and daddy went to Heaven.”

He said causing Valerian to look confused between his sobs.

“H…Heaven?”

He asked the fireman.

“If you come with me I will tell you all about Heaven little one”

The fireman said with a sad smile. Valerian thought about it for a moment then nodded and moved towards the fireman. He climbed down the ladder after the fireman. The fireman told him all about Heaven on the way to the hospital. The fireman introduced him to the EMTs in the ambulance as well and they wheeled him into the hospital. The fireman stayed with Valerian the whole time he was being checked out. The police showed up and asked Valerian questions. He told them about the two men he had seen and described them. The fireman felt drawn to protect little Valerian. When the social worker arrived he asked if Valerian could be placed with his family. The fireman asked Valerian if he wanted to live with him and his family. Valerian nodded silently and the fireman took him home.

“Honey, I’m home!”

The fireman called out as he carried a sleeping Valerian in the door. His wife came around the kitchen door and look surprised to see a child in his arms.

“Who is that dear?”

She asked softly. The fireman smiled at his wife as he walked closer to her.

“This is Valerian Talon Montgomery. He is going to be staying with us for a while. He just lost his family tonight.”

He explained before kissing his wife on the forehead. She smiled and shook her head

 “Well, I would rather a child than another stray animal.”

She said with a soft laugh in her voice.

“Hank, do you think that Tommy will mind having a little brother?”

She asked as she followed behind him towards the spare room.

“We can ask him in the morning.”

Hank said before he opened the bedroom door and entered the room. He put Valerian on the bed and removed the slippers from his feet.

“This poor little one saw it happen. I found him up in his treehouse. The only thing to his name now is that bunny and his pajamas.”

Hank said as he tucked Valerian in bed and turned to leave the room. He shut the light off and then left the door cracked. He walked to his room and sat on the bed.

“Lola, my love, how do you feel about having another son?”

Hank asked as he looked up at his wife when she shut the bedroom behind her. She smiled at him as she walked over and wrapped her arms around him.

“Oh Hank, He’s a beautiful boy. I always wanted more children. I just hope Tommy will be alright with this.”

She said softly.

“Lola. I don’t know why, but I need to protect this child.”

Hank said as he rested his head on his wife’s shoulder. She smiled again and hummed softly.

“Let’s go to bed and focus on this in the morning.”

She said before pulling away to get ready for bed. Hank nodded and stripped down to just his boxers before he climbed into bed and went to sleep.

“Mommy?”

A small voice asked into an empty kitchen just after the sun had risen in the sky. Valerian stood in the empty kitchen and rubbed his eyes with his left hand as his right hand still clung to his bunny. He frowned when he didn’t find his mommy making breakfast in the kitchen already. He pulled one of the chairs out from near the table and climbed into it. He sat down and stared at the doorway waiting for his mommy to enter. He ended up dozing off in the chair as he waited. About 20 minutes later he woke up to soft humming and the clinking of a dish.

“Good morning little one.”

A woman greeted him. He furrowed his eyebrows together in confusion when he looked at her.

“You aren’t my mommy…where is my mommy?”

He asked when she looked at him. Her face held a sympathetic smile as she turned to face him.

“Your mommy isn’t here sweetie. My name is Lola”

The woman said softly. Valerian looked her up and down. She was beautiful with dark chocolate colored hair speckled with golden streaks through out that was pulled into a ponytail, dark chocolate eyes, milky colored skin, a slender waist, and she was tall. Well, she was tall to him since he was five and all grown ups were tall. She was wearing a pretty pink dress that ended at her slender ankles and puffy pink slippers on her feet. He stared at her slippers for awhile before he spoke again

 “Mrs. Lola?”

He asked softly. She looked down at him while she held a mixing bowl in her hand.

“Yes, sweetie?”

She asked softly. His emerald eyes looked up into her dark chocolate ones.

“Can I go to Heaven with my mommy?”

He asked softly. Lola frowned and paused before she answered him.

“Heaven is very far away little one.”

He looked down

 “How do you get there?”

He asked softly. Lola put the mixing bowl down and bent down to look into his eyes when he looked up.

“Sweetie. You go to Heaven when you die”

She said softly. His eyes widened slightly

 “My mommy and daddy died?”

He asked with horror filling his little voice. Lola frowned and contemplated lying, but decided the truth would be better.

“I am so sorry Sweetie, they did.”

She said softly. Valerian’s face broke as tears left his eyes in big droplets.

“Do I have to die too?”

He asked between sobs. Lola shook her head no as she wiped away his tears

 “No Sweetie. You don’t have to, not until you are very, very old.”

She said. Valerian sniffled letting his tears dry up a little

 “B…but…where will I live now?”

He asked after a few moments of silence passed. Lola smiled at him.

“You can stay here with Hank, Tommy, and I.”

She said softly as she stood up.

“You want me?”

He asked softly looking at the floor again. She smiled again and began mixing the ingredients in the bowl

 “Yes we do Sweetie.”

Valerian nodded in silence.

After Lola had made breakfast she made the plates and Valerian helped set the table. Hank and Tommy came in just as Valerian put the last cup onto the table.

“Good morning Love”

Hank said with a smile before planting a kiss upon Lola’s lips. She smiled and returned the kiss.

“Good morning Darling.”

She said softly after they finished their kiss. Valerian and Tommy both said "EWW" and then giggled at the same time. Tommy walked over to Valerian and looked at him closely with his hazel eyes.

“Who is this?”

He asked with a slight glare. Valerian shifted uncomfortably under the glare from Tommy.

“Tommy, this is Valerian. He is going to be your new little brother.”

Lola said as she moved towards the two boys. Tommy glared and moved even closer.

“H..Hi.”

Valerian said nervously as his emerald eyes locked with Tommy’s hazel eyes. Tommy stopped right in front of Valerian and reached out his hand. He gently poked Valerian’s right cheek before he smiled.

“COOL!!! I GET TO BE A BIG BROTHER!!!”

Tommy yelled loudly in excitement. Lola and Hank both laughed and let out a breath of relief. Valerian covered his ears and blinked at the sudden noise. Tommy let out an excited holler as he ran around the room.

“YAY!!!”

He squealed causing his parents to smile widely. Valerian smiled slightly and clung tighter to his bunny. Tommy’s eyes went wide as he let out a gasp before he bolted out of the room and down the hall. Valerian stared at the empty spot Tommy had just been standing in with a confused look on his little face. A few moments later Tommy came running back into the room with a green stuffed bunny that looked like Valerian’s blue bunny.

“We even have similar bunnies!”

Tommy said excitedly as he came to stand in front of Valerian.

“My bunny is named Gummy. What is yours named?”

Tommy asked with a huge smile on his face.

“B..Blaze”

Valerian said softly. Tommy smiled wider as he excitedly exclaimed

“Gummy and Blaze are gonna be best friends just like you and me!”

Valerian smiled a little.

They all sat down to eat breakfast after that. Tommy was excited as he gave Valerian an outfit to wear. They both got dressed after a bath each then Hank took them both to school. Tommy was excited to show off his new little brother to all his friends. Tommy was an energetic 6 year old with his fathers hazel eyes, mothers dark chocolate hair with golden streaks through out, and a nice tan complexion that he got from his father. He had his mother’s plump red lips and perfect almond shaped eyes, but he had his fathers small nose. Valerian was excited to make new friends at school and had fun. He held back his sadness at losing his mommy and daddy until he was alone in bed that night.

“I miss you mommy and daddy. I promise to be a good boy like you taught me.”

He said as he looked out at the moon from his window. He fell asleep clinging tightly to his stuffed bunny. He went to sleep thinking of what he would become when he grew up.