Hui Gai knew he had to do something. The little girl seemed to be shrinking away and he had to stop it. His friend had told him to protect her, and that didn't have to mean just physically...

Li XiWang felt the weight of the ring around her neck lessen. Her fingers touched the circular object fondly, and she absentmindedly wondered where he could have gone.

Her silent question was answered a few seconds later, when the demon appeared next to her. He handed her a bowl of ice cream and a spoon, showing her all of his pointy teeth.

"I don't feel like eating it," she told him, sadly.

"But I stole it. Just for you." He looked hurt. "It will shred my reputation if you make me give it back."

She looked at him, wanting to detect the lie, but found only kindness.

"Okay." Reluctantly, she started eating it, much to his delight. "Um, what flavour is this?" She wrinkled her cute button nose but carried on eating.

"How would I know?" He shrugged, not at all bothered.

"Well, not that i don't appreciate it, but it tastes funny."

"Funny good? Or funny bad?"

"I don't know. Here." She shoved the spoon in his mouth before she could stop him.

Now the demon's face was half covered in sweet sticky white gloop.

"I'm going to forgive you, this time!" He vanished in disgust, to the sound of her laughter.

That was how Wei Ying found her, staring into space and cradling an empty bowl with a spoon in it. He looked at it and then,  at her face which still bore the traces of the white stuff around her lips. He grinned at her and wiped it off with his sleeve.

He was concerned when she didn't smile back. He opened his arms for the second time that day, and she came willingly, putting the bowl down first. She rested her head against his shoulder and sighed, letting herself be comforted.

"Want to tell me what's wrong?" The voice was open and candid.

She wanted to, so much. But where to start? So she sighed again.

"I don't know how."

Tears fell on his shoulder, breaking his heart. He stroked her hair softly, encouragingly.

"You can tell me anything. Nothing will stop me from loving you. You know that, right?"

She closed her eyes.

"No one likes me." She whispered.

"I do. Your father does. SiZhui does, and Gramps." He said, gently.

"Family doesn't count." She smiled through wet eyes.

"Don't be silly. Family is all that counts. Who hurt you?"

She opened her eyes at the steel in his voice. "Don't...don't do anything to them."

"Who are they?" Wei Ying forced his voice to sound calmer, but his heart was pounding faster. Who dared to hurt her?

"Promise me, or I'm not saying anything." She looked quite serious, and it made Wei Ying so proud.

"Promise." Wei Ying uttered the single word, thinking it wouldn't tie him down.

"Say the words." She must have seen something in his eyes.

"Alright, alright!" He huffed, but he smiled at her tenacity.  "I, Wei WuXian of GusuLan clan, promise not to hurt whoever has caused my daughter pain. On this occasion." He quickly added just as their pinky fingers touched after making a promise heart with their thumbs.

"Cheater, but I'll let you off."

"If you had to steal ice cream, it must be bad."

"I did not steal it."

"Who then?"

"Not telling! And you're getting off point." She smiled triumphantly when he held up his hands in a placating manner.

"Just spill the beans already!"

"Okay, fine." She rested her head again. "A few days ago, everyone was giving me strange looks. I thought it was because I came top of the class again, but it wasn't that. Then, they would all be talking when I went into the room, but when they saw me, my friends would stop, like they were waiting for me to leave."

His hand had stilled for a second while he listened. He resumed stroking up and down, once she started talking again.

"Yesterday, I pretended to leave but I stood just outside where they couldn't see me, and listened to what they were saying." She sighed again, deeper than before.

"What were they talking about?" Wei Ying prompted, after it looked like she was distracted into silence.

"They said...they said I was a freak, that I didn't deserve to live, that I was strange and how come they hadn't noticed it before?" The tears flowed again.

Wei Ying thought about how hard it was for her to have to repeat what she had heard, and he felt for her.

"Why did they say those things? Did...did you do anything?" He didn't want to ask but it was necessary.

"N-no, I didn't. They heard from someone who heard from someone else, who heard it from somebody else entirely."

"Heard it?" He remembered to keep his tone neutral but a quiet rage was growing in his heart. "Do you know anything else?"

"No."

"Sure?"

She studied him, faltering. "Okay, yes, there's more. Yesterday, my best friend came and told me clearly, that she and the other girls that normally hang around together would feel better if I didn't join them anymore."

He was silent, thinking.

"It's my fault." The realisation made him cringe with guilt, but he had to tell her the truth.

"What? What are you talking about?" She sat up, then.

"I talked to Shou Xing. You know he told me to ask about your birthmark?" He felt sick.

She nodded, looking confused.

"He told me things about you, about your people." He stared at her. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"My people? Aren't you, my people?"

Wei Ying rubbed the crease on her forehead, the one that appeared whenever she was stressed. Then he kissed it, his lips lingering, hoping to convey what his words might not.

"I love you. I will always be your people, never doubt that." He waited until she nodded. "I'm talking about the people who gave birth to you. We were talking out in the open, and it never occurred to me that we would be overheard, or that it would have this effect, and I'm so so sorry." He hugged her tightly. "Please believe me."

"I do." She whispered. "It's not your fault."

"It is. I should have been careful, I should've been more discreet."

"It's okay, father. You weren't to know." She relaxed against him, sighing. It felt good to be hugged. Like she belonged there.

"I want to believe you, but I know better."

"What did he say? About my parents." The words whispered, didn't cause any less pain.

"He said his lord allowed him to sense people who have that birthmark on their bodies. It's a seashell. It is the mark of people who live in the sea."

"In the sea?" She trembled.

He remembered that she didn't like the water, and she had screamed.

"Don't be afraid. Whatever happens, we can handle it together. Okay?" He held her face, looking deeply into burgundy irises. "Okay?"

"Together." She whispered, staring back.

He didn't want to overwhelm her with the extent of what he knew, wondering if it would be better to give it to her in small doses. Being a parent held a great responsibility and for the first time, he was afraid. He didn't want to fail her, but was that a possibility? Even when the only thing he wanted was for her to be happy? It sounded like such a small thing...to be happy.

They stayed like that for a while, unknowingly comforting each other, both afraid for different reasons. Wei Ying could feel something bubbling up inside of him, clamouring for release, but he held it in, trembling with effort.

Li XiWang noticed the change. "Father?"

"Come on, let's go home." He replied instead, forcing his voice not to betray his emotions.

Always good at knowing what he needed, she jumped up and held his hand. Nervous energy fueled his steps and he made himself walk slower, reminding himself that she had shorter legs, so as not to make her run.

Outside the Jingshi, he could have cried with relief when he saw SiZhui returning with an empty basket, having fed the bunnies.

"SiZhui! Please stay with your sister? I'll be back in a while." He did not trust himself to say more, willing the moisture in his eyes to recede.

The urgency in his voice had SiZhui making his way faster towards him.

"What's wrong, father?"

He couldn't say it, couldn't form the words, just knew he needed to release something and it was better if he was alone.

"I'll explain later. Please."

The curtness in his voice had SiZhui hastily take Li XiWang and bring her inside the Jingshi.

Wei Ying was already walking away, his long legs speeding his exit.

He walked and walked, far away from anyone, his thoughts churning in his mind. An anger overflowed, seeping into his arms and legs, spurring him forwards, not caring where he was going. Angry tears left his eyes, burning his cheeks, drying before they reached the ground, and he did not care.

Far, far away from any one, he sank to the floor and finally let himself cry. Huge sobs wracked his body, his chest heaving as he let it out, worse because he had not allowed the release before, not wanting to scare his children.

He felt like a bad parent, because if he was a good one, his daughter wouldn't be suffering like this. He was floundering in doubt, questioning his motives and blaming himself until exhaustion had him lying on the ground.

"Master?" The demon was sitting on a broken stump, watching him, when Wei Ying cracked open an eye at the intrusion.

"What? And you know I hate it when you call you me that."

"I was wondering if you wanted my help?" He asked, uncertainly.

"Definitely not." Wei Ying moaned. He just wanted to be left alone.

"You haven't heard my plan yet." Hui Gai defended himself.

Wei Ying sat up and narrowed his eyes.

"If it involves burning anything, or anyone, then I'm not interested."

He looked crushed.

"What about a little singeing? Just to teach them a lesson?" Hui Gai persisted.

"No! Absolutely not."

"Why? I should know the reason...?"

"I promised! Now go away." Wei Ying fell back down, his energy depleted.

The demon slunk away, muttering under his breath, and tail swishing ferociously behind him.

*******

He must have fallen asleep because the stars greeted him when he next opened his eyes. His head was resting on something soft and warm, while hands threaded through his hair, relaxing him further. He blinked some more, fighting the wave of sleepiness. Golden eyes stared back at him, curiously.

"There is a bed at home." His deep voice echoed in the quiet.

Wei Ying laughed, unexpectedly. He closed his eyes again, and felt himself being lifted. When he opened them again, he was staring at the ceiling of their home. It had only felt like seconds had passed.

Lan Zhan lay next to him.

"Wei Ying must eat."

Tears fell unbidden, alarming Lan Zhan, who pulled him into his arms quickly. He let him cry, holding his trembling body tighter.

The children had told him their versions of that afternoon's events, and he had gone looking for Wei Ying as soon as he heard his husband wasn't in the Jingshi.

He had run up the mountain, searching for signs, glad that no one could see him, but wondering what had made Wei Ying come so far.

When he'd found him, it was with relief, but it was soon followed by worry, when he saw that his husband had been crying. The eyes were closed but puffy, and the skin surrounding them was red. Not wanting to disturb the sleeping man, he had carefully arranged his head on his own lap, waiting for him to wake up.

Now, as the tears dried and he felt him becoming calmer, he sat them both up. There was food on the table, and Lan Zhan was determined not to let it go to waste.

He sat down, still cradling his precious man, and sat up slightly. Wei Ying glared at the first morsel, and then shook his head at his husband, but Lan Zhan rested it upon his lips, coaxing them to open. Slowly he fed his husband and himself, until Wei Ying curled around him like a koala.

"Thank you for looking after me," he whispered. "Even when I'm bad."

"Wei Ying is never bad." The deep voice sounded amused.

"You don't know everything." He persisted.

"I know Wei Ying."

Wei Ying sighed again. Then he sat up, alarmed. "The children!"

Lan Zhan pointed to the screen on the side, behind which their daughter was sleeping.

Wei Ying melted against him again. Lan Zhan stroked his hair, much the same as he had done for their daughter earlier.

"I'm sorry for making you worry."

"Mn."

"I had to go," he tried to explain. "I had to leave because...I, because I couldn't let them see."

"See what?"

"Me."

"Why?"

The voice soothed his worries.

"Did you know, our daughter is being bullied in her classes? Her teacher came to me today." Wei Ying told him everything. "I felt...I felt so helpless, Lan Zhan, like if I was a better parent, this never would have happened!"

He heard a sharp intake of breath, and then he was held tighter.

"Not Wei Ying's fault."

"But Lan Zhan, we have to do something!" He yawned, fighting the deep tiredness.

"We will. Tomorrow."

Lan Zhan picked him up, already asleep and placed him gently on their bed. He stared at this caring man who felt too much, gave too much. He leaned down and kissed his forehead. Wei Ying smiled in his sleep, comforted.

******

A/N

This one is especially longer for the whiny persistent fan - you know who you are! Should be satisfied with 2343 word count otherwise I'm going to make you suffer in the next chapter.

Also specially mentioning teeth for RovenaNatasha because you are far too interested!!!

Thank you everyone, I hope you like the longer chapters and I hope you have a really special Sunday! The sun is shining and it's going to be a great day!