It's a sin to kill a mockingbird.

It was getting worse. The blackouts. He went days without remembering what he had done, waking up in places he had never even been before. His clothes would be different from then what he went to bed in things in his apartment would be moved around. For a psychologist he should have known better what was happening, but he didn’t. A all but broke psychologist for that matter, for who wanted to deal with a foreigner and trust him with their mind? Not white people, that was for sure, it was a miracle he made it through college. He had tried all sorts of different ways to fix himself. Hypnosis, some shock therapy, liquid remedies, different eating habits, vitamins…everything he could find in a book and nothing. Now he was so stressed about falling asleep and doing something he couldn’t remember that he could hardly even fall asleep anymore.

This night he was driving himself crazy pacing in his apartment, so he decided to take a walk and eventually ended up going into the first shady diner his eyes set upon. He walked in, glancing around before going to sit down in a corner booth and sighed, running his hands over his hair. What was wrong with him? He couldn’t figure it out at all. He couldn’t fix himself…how could he help others? He looked up at the woman he came to wait on him and he found himself pausing to gaze at her for a few moments. Good God…she was beautiful. Absolutely breathtaking. What was a beautiful girl like this working in this crappy diner? “Uh…can’t sleep” He answered after a few moments and then found himself smiling at her. Well, night didn’t seem completely awful now.

He chuckled and shook his head “Ah, no, probably not. But can’t do any worse” He was already restless and wide awake, he doubted coffee could possibly make him worse…he was already at worse. He wouldn’t drink the coffee though because eventually when he behaved like this he got so exhausted he’d just finally pass out asleep. He was pretty certain with coffee in his system he wouldn’t get that reprieve and he needed it. One couldn’t function well without sleep. “Um…” He hadn’t looked at the menu, he had no clue what he would want or even if he wanted anything other than to just sit here. But she was drawn away and he nodded, watching her go before looking to the menu with a heavy sigh.

He looked up and was surprised when she returned with warm milk and a brownie. He smiled just as warmly and chuckled “Thank you. This actually is quite perfect” He was going to just order some pie, but a brownie was just as good. He then gave her a thoughtful look “You really work here?” He seemed quite suspicious, in a playful way. Back home in Egypt, women like her did not work. Women like her were pampered by men and married young so they never had a worry their entire lives. What could he say, Egypt admired beauty.

He nodded “Yes, yes, thank you.” Some warm milk and a warm brownie…well, he had tried everything else, maybe this was would be his scientific breakthrough miracle cure that would let him sleep at night? Even if it only made him a tiny bit tired he would be grateful. And get rid of the blackouts, that would even be better. He chuckled when she mentioned the cupcake and shook his head graciously “Ah, no, I think I’ll just eat this” He couldn’t have too much sugar, that would just wire him. He really shouldn’t even eat a brownie but she had brought it for him so he couldn’t refuse it.

Ah…she was a feisty one, wasn’t she? She had that spark of fire in her that he didn’t see very often here in America. But then again he could tell by her looks alone she was not American, she was as foreign as him. He looked down at the table and decided not to tell her the real reason why he asked, he feared she would misunderstand him and end up dumping the untouched coffee in his lap. He shook his head and picked up the milk “No reason” He murmured and took a sip before picking up his napkin to wipe his mouth. He wasn’t that great with women, he had never really been around too many…and oddly he just didn’t know why.

He glanced back up to her and smiled again when she asked his name “Khalid” He told her before glancing over to the drunk men that called for her. Oh yes…a beautiful woman like herself did not deserve to be working in a place like this with this kind of treatment. But he understood, when one needed work, they needed work and they would take whatever job they could to pay the bills. He nodded “Thank you, France” He told her politely and resumed drinking the warm milk and eating the brownie before it got cold and was a hundred percent useless to his insomnia.

His eyes would linger to her when she passed by, but he made sure to stay polite and not stare at her as she worked and just kept quiet in his booth. When he heard the commotion he turned around to look, seeing the men touching her…he didn’t even process he was up and walking over until he had grabbed one of the men, pulled him out of where he was sitting and dropped him on the floor. Khalid maybe couldn’t remember, but he had fought in wars and slayed men with swords and won fights with his bare hands, but the instinct of those battles were ingrained in him none the less. He glared down at the man he threw on the floor then looked at the others “Have some respect. She told you not to touch her.”

Khalid didn’t like to drink, he found it rather useless to get sloshed like these men, but he did understand liquid confidence so he wasn’t surprised that the man swung at him even after he had warned them to chill out. He couldn’t explain it, he never could, but it was like he could feel the man’s arm coming at him. He turned quickly from looking at the men still sitting towards the man trying to hit him and grabbed at his wrist, stopping the punch before it ever reached him. He glared him down, a flash of danger resonating from his eyes for a brief moment. A flash of the true fae that dwelled inside his mind, aware but unable to come out. He held the man’s wrist for a moment before letting go and shoving him back silently.

When the men listened and went outside he watched them, feeling such anger in him, he wanted to follow and show them there place. But no, no he couldn’t…that wasn’t him. He wasn’t the kind of man to start fights in bars and beat people up, he was peaceful….most of the time at least. He liked being peaceful. So he shook his head in disgust and turned away from them, ignoring their challenge to step outside. He looked to her and nodded “Of course” He murmured, taking in a deep breath “You alright? Did they hurt you?”

He nodded, feeling and looking relieved himself to see the men hadn’t done anything to harm her in any way. He glanced back then back to her “If you ever see those men again, you should call the police immediately” He advised, for he dreaded to think they’d come back another night to get some kind of revenge for her sticking up for herself. Men like that were dangerous…their minds did not work like a normal human being. He then smiled and shook his head, putting a hand up “No, no thanks needed. I couldn’t just sit by and watch you be harassed in such a way.” He knew though she had a right to be grateful, he knew too many people who would have just ignored it and stayed out of the way.

He gazed at her for a few moments until the chime of a bell called her away. He shook his head again “You owe me nothing, I assure you” He murmured before watching her go back to work. He then took in a deep breath and walked back to his booth to finish his brownie. Well, he was definitely not sleeping tonight, now that he had adrenaline rushing through his body. He finished off his brownie and milk then just sat back and sighed. He figured he should just go back to his apartment but, it would be just the same as sitting her quietly anyway so he decided to just…sit.

He was just staring out the window in front of him, thinking about how miserable it was to not be able to sleep…to not even feel an ounce of being tired because your mind knew what would happen if you did drift off asleep. Who knew, maybe he turned into a man like those men he had just confronted, some drunk who catcalled women and behaved like an animal. Though he would take that over his true fear, and that was during his blackouts he harmed someone…or killed someone and he would never know. Though he insisted that wasn’t the kind of person he was…but apparently during the blackouts he was not the same person, at least that’s what the little bit of evidence showed.

Then suddenly she was at his table again and he straightened, focusing his attention on her. Which wasn’t hard. She was indeed very beautiful. His story? Oh how he wished he could tell her he wasn’t sure. Memories of his past were…fuzzy and odd, they never made sense. He couldn’t seem to recall his parents, though he knew he had them. He couldn’t remember childhood memories, nothing of that sort. It was like it was all there, but he just couldn’t access it. “Egypt” Was his simple reply “I come from Egypt” He glanced over her curiously “And you? You’re not from America”

When she spoke of Egypt he grew curious and tilted his head “Have you been to Egypt?” She spoke of the Nile like perhaps she had seen it. He had never met another soul who had ever been to Egypt, it was this wild far away land that people only seemed to know about in fairytales. He didn’t answer her other question because…he didn’t know the answer. He remembered being in Egypt and then…then he was here. How he got from A to B, he did not know.

He couldn’t tell, she didn’t look American so he assumed she couldn’t be an American “You were born in New York?” He asked, before realizing he shouldn’t. He was being a psychiatrist, used to people speaking and him questioning and then repeat process. People who weren’t his patients normally did not like this. He looked curious “You don’t know?” She didn’t know if she was from Italy? This intrigued him most of all, especially with his condition of not remembering things.

His smile brightened when she said she had in fact been to Egypt before. “Well, I have never meant anyone here in America who has been to Egypt” She even became more intriguing to him then before “Do you travel often?” She said she had passed through Egypt once or twice, which sounded like she was a traveler. But how did a waitress in a palce like this get the money to travel? He didn’t even have the money to travel and his job was considered a good one…well, maybe for white American men. When she corrected him he chuckled “Ah, well, that mentality is far different than what is perceived in the desert” Where you were born, that was your home and that was where your loyalty lay, you didn’t switch sides to some other land. But that was Egypt; it was far different in other places.

He frowned immediately “I apologize, I did not mean to intrude in your personal matters” He hadn’t mean to pry or push personal questions on her, it was a bad habit that he just couldn’t control at times it seemed. He simply chuckled at her comment about him being a shrink and glanced down at the table, nodding when she said she had to get back to work. He then sighed a ran a hand through his hair “A psychologist, actually, yes…” He muttered to himself. He wasn’t good with women…every time he spoke to one, it was always so painfully obvious.

She liked it here? She had traveled around the world but she wanted to stay here? Working in a place like this? Even as a psychiatrist, he didn’t understand it. He had come to America because a psychiatrist was absolutely foreign in Egypt and also because he had wanted to go to school here. He thought it would be the country of opportunity…but he was sure many poor foreigners thought that and then ended up stuck here like he had. America wasn’t his favorite, but he was making do with it. After she had gone back to work he really knew he should go back home and try to get some sleep. It was late, too late for him to be sitting her. He wasn’t going to get any chance of sleep here.

When she came back and brought him something else he smiled and laughed, shaking his head “I’ll never sleep with all this sugar” He teased then shook His head and started taking out his wallet “Nah, I’m good. Thank you though, you have been wonderful” As he began taking money out he gave her a bit of a worried look “Do you…want me to walk you to your car?” It was so late and the people here questionable. Especially after the display from the men before, thinking of her going outside alone was a bit alarming. He was sure she did it every night but still, if he was here he might as well offer her one safe trip to her car.

He blinked and gave her an odd look, looking down to the empty glass of milk and empty plate where the brownie was. She had also given him a cupcake. He shook his head and looked up, smiling softly “I have to pay” He insisted. She had waitered to him and gave him food and been nice to him, he couldn’t let her not have him pay, that wouldn’t be right. So he still took out money and put it down on the table, giving her a smile that told her he was going to be triumphant in this argument if she chose to argue with him about paying.

He didn’t think she’d take his offer to walk her safely to her car, she didn’t know him but he had at least wanted to offer and be a gentleman. But when she did say yes he looked surprised for a moment and nodded “Yes, of course, I’ll wait” He had nothing else to do, he could wait forever. When she walked off he got up and went to stand near the door, his hands in his pockets casually. When she came out he smiled once more and opened the door for her to step through first before following. He glanced around to make sure no one suspicious was hanging around before looking at the cars. There weren’t many options….but she really couldn’t have the sports car, could she?

When they walked towards her car he made a bit of a funny look, glancing at her with a hint of curiousness. That was truly her car? The fancy thing over there? Well…she was full of surprised wasn’t she. A waitress in a dead beat diner who traveled the world and drove a nice car. He kept eyeing her, then the car and finally smiled “So…are you one of those people who has millions of dollars but works because you enjoy the hard work and not being handed things?” She had to have money, that was obvious, and she wasn’t getting it working at that diner. Unless she had some rich family or some rich boyfriend, but then still, why work? He then realized he had told himself he wasn’t supposed to be asking personal questions, but there one had slipped again.

He chuckled at her comment and shook his head, folding his arms loosely “Ah, no, I only do one diner a night” He joked back “I’ll probably try and get some sleep, yes. Though I probably’ won’t until exhaustion sets in. But until then, I have a cupcake to keep me company”