*tears*

Ash jerked out of his grasp and reached for the pillow again. "Go to sleep." She growled.

NO! You don't make things worse! How am I supposed to heal, if you're not? I'm not leaving. You hear me?! I'M NOT LEAVING! Rex forced her mind to show him, just how much she loved him, what he meant to her. She poured all her feelings into that love, amplifying it, until it was all he could feel. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close.

Short.

She breathed in, color returning to her face. Ash opened her eyes and glared at him. "Storm you." She whispered, trying to turn back to the wall.

Yes, it's me. You don't deserve to die. That's a lie. Somethings are hard to say out loud. She impressed upon him how much she loved him, how she just needed a little bit of time to heal before she could go back to normal. She showed him how worried about him she was, how she wanted him to be okay, and wanted to help him get there. Rex lead him back through her memories, to the sweetest times between the two of them, she showed him all of her love for him while tears coursed their way down her face. I love you.

Rex felt him stiffen beside her. Reach out... "No!" She said in her mind, "I'll get hurt again!" Do it anyway. He needs you. "Fine!" Rex walked through her mind, into the almost empty corner where her forgotten memories had previously been kept. There, hidden away in the very back, there was her magic. "What if it's been to long?" It hasn't been. Use it. Help him. "Fine." She picked it up and pressed it out. Rex felt the familiar ripple as her magic crept outward, entering Daniel's head and reading his thoughts. "Daniel." She whispered in his head. Her brow furrowed in concentration, eyes closed.

Rex just looked away, not saying anything, not even looking at him. I'm sorry...

Rex didn't answer him, and she didn't lean against him. She kept all her anger and pain and sadness coiled up inside. You can't let it out. just don't. your fine.

"But... but this, this is my fault!" She didn't even try to stop her tears. "I should be fine. I should go on like we did, like everything is alright!" She seemed angry now. Mad at her tears, at her pain and hurt.

"Sorry." She whispered.

Say something... make it better... Rex was silent, staring at her lap. At her hand. At the bandage on it.

Rex shrugged and wouldn't look at him.

A tear slipped down her cheek. "I know." At least I think I do...

She nodded.

"I don't know if I'll ever be ok..." She sniffed, leaning into his embrace. "I'm trying." So that you don't leave. She added in her head.

She nodded and started breathing again, eyes closed, head down. "Sorry." She whispered.

Rex thought about her breath, how easy it would be to just stop breathing... It would all go away... She unconsciously held her breath, not even realizing what she was doing.

"I feel helpless." She whispered back, voice choked with emotion. She hid her face in his shoulder.

Ash shook her head, face taking on a tiny bit of a blueish tint.

Her eyelashes fluttered, but didn't open. she was still holding her breath.

Ash was staring at the wall. she was hardly breathing. breathing felt like work. She shut her eyes. She held her breath. She pressed the pillow closer to her face. Ash didn't move.