Trisha spent the next hour gathering all the supplies she could find that she thought they might need. She found as many blankets as she could, bundling more on Casey to make sure he was definitely warm before venturing into the building again. A search for clothes came up empty- aside from what the dead people were wearing, which only barely crossed her mind before making her sick for even thinking about it. She covered the bodies with sheets, not wanting Casey to have to see them when he eventually could walk. 

At least there was a staff kitchen, with enough food to last them until the drone arrived. Things to make sandwiches, plenty of packaged snacks which she brought in a big bundle back to the infirmary with her like a squirrel stashing nuts for winter. She looked out any painkillers she could find in the room for when Casey woke up, in case he was in a lot of pain again. 

It took just over an hour to look around and sort everything out. After, she pulled up a chair right next to the bed Casey was sleeping on. Blankets were wrapped around her until she became round, tucking her feet underneath herself in an attempt to properly warm them up. She fiddled with her phone to turn on the podcast they'd listened to on the way up, volume kept quiet. Just something to fill the quiet. 

Then she leaned forward to rest her head on Casey's chest, staring at his face for a moment before closing her eyes. Not sleeping- there was no way she could sleep- but she could at least rest while she waited. 

And wait she would… Because sleeping like this came with consequences.
[hr]
The water felt warm. Casey looked to his right and saw the Elliot Carrier, its black hull crawling up toward a sky of gold. A face sat staring down at him from among the clouds, her features familiar and distressing as he tried to come to terms with the fact that he was lucidly dreaming… And he wasn’t the only one here.

[color=8882be]”Your legs…”[/color]

[color=577d06]”Yep… Furio did a great job.”[/color]

[color=8882be]”They’ll heal.”[/color]

[color=577d06]”Did you see this one coming?”[/color]

[color=8882be]”No. And now we all have problems.”[/color]

[color=577d06]”Plan suddenly seems a little less certain, doesn’t it?”[/color]

The massive, almost divine image of Lynette Richoux shook her head, a strained expression washing over her.

[color=577d06]”Just give up… [i]Run.[/i] Do anything but what you’re trying to do, Mom… [i]Please.[/i] Because, if you go for it? If you really try and do this? You’ll be everything everyone says you are… Except for the good stuff.”[/color]

Her eyes twisted, looking down at the scene of the North African coastline. The port, the bay, the sand further off.

[color=8882be]”You come here a lot. Why?”[/color]

Casey sighed, closing his eyes.

[color=577d06]”It was the first chance I had to feel right. After China, and the Philippines.”[/color]

[color=8882be]”You came home between then and Africa…”[/color]

[color=577d06]”You called me a disgrace. Said I’d never be a real part of the family ever again. You think that felt right?”[/color]

[color=8882be]”But… You didn’t even have personal peace?”[/color]

He shook his head.

[color=577d06]”You wouldn’t ever understand, even if a Pink Adept stuffed it into your head, Mom… And I don’t think I care to describe it now. Frankly, I think you lost the privilege to connect right about the time you flung a sword at me.”[/color] he snarled, thinking about how Elise got it far worse than either he or Leon did.

[color=577d06]”You tried to kill your daughter out of principle. [i]Principle.[/i] Not because she threatened you, or your way of doing things… But, y’know, just as a matter of course. The same way you’d clean the lint trap out of a fucking dryer before you use it.”[/color]

She frowned.

[color=8882be]”As a woman of principles, it’s only right. She asked for it, and I obliged. Don’t ask for something if you don’t want it.”[/color]

[color=577d06]”You’re an insufferable person, even in a dream… [i]Even in a dream you can’t get a hold of this whole ‘Mother’ thing, can you?[/i]”[/color]

She shook her head again.
[color=8882be]”God shows me the future. I thought he’d show me how to be a good woman too, but… Things didn’t work out that way. So, I focused on the job I thought was most important, and I’ve never strayed from that path. Principle.”[/color]

[color=577d06]”And you’ll die principled, and you’ll possibly come back to a world that doesn’t want you.”[/color]


[color=8882be]”She’ll want me. She won’t know a world without me. She’ll want to be me. And one day, she simply will be. And then I’ll go. Then, I’ll disappear, just like you want. And I’ll wait, and wait again, until the world needs God’s Eyes… And then? I’ll shut them tight… And [i]damned be the world.[/i]”[/color]

The golden hued clouds closed in, their color fading to a dull gray that filled the skies darker and darker until the rain began to fall. Casey remained stationary, floating in the water as it pooled higher and higher around him. As his lungs filled, he gave a solitary prayer.

[color=577d06][i]Lord, and all the Ancients beyond: Protect this world from evil, and deliver it from the tyranny of those who would rule over the meek. Protect your sons, and your daughters, and the good creatures who keep in your faith, and forgive the ones who reject you. And God… Please… Bless my family, for there is evil in every single one of us. Amen.[/i][/color]

[hr]
It’d been almost six hours since Trisha had laid her head down to wait patiently. The silence was ruptured by a sucking gasp that drove Casey from his sleep and onto the palms of his hands as he pushed up on the bed. His entire lower body was ablaze, every single nerve ending screaming out in pain over the fact that they were only loosely connected to bone and tissue at this point.

Every pain receptor he had was flagged as ‘danger’, and it would’ve easily driven a weaker man into a panic… But at the same time, the sickly scent of cinnamon and banana wafted across the room as he channeled a perception spell to throw his entire consciousness into a separate brain from the one where the nerve endings were screaming. While Pink Lux had true nerve-ending dampening spells, White Adepts skilled enough at multi-boxing their perceptions had the ability to simply ignore what the brain was telling them.

He managed not to scream, the spell causing him to see everything slowly and react even slower now. His arms, however, were locked down as he no longer had [i]any[/i] connection to his cognitive motor function. Breathing was automatic, as were the other bodily necessities… At most, he could kidnap his mouth, and eyes.
And in those eyes, he saw her. Trisha. She was alive, and seemed well enough that she’d managed to get him… [i]Somewhere.[/i] Probably the front building with the staff quarters and the infirmary he’d seen when they arrived.

[color=577d06]”Trisha… Trisha!?”[/color] he half-slurred, unable to fully utilize his mouth for every syllable.
[color=577d06]”Baby… I… I don’t wan’t you t-to… Panic? Ok-okay?”[/color] he gritted out from teeth clenched together like electromagnets.

Trisha’s eyes had opened the moment Casey started moving, pulling her head off his chest but remaining close as she watched him with worry. 

Asking her not to panic never went well. Asking something like that always meant that he was about to say something that [i]would[/i] make her panic. What was he going to say? That he didn’t think he’d make it?! No, no, he would make it. Leon seemed to think so at least… But Leon wasn’t here, he hadn’t actually seen Casey. 

[color=d1b300]“Casey, you’re awake, I’m so glad.”[/color] She said, managing to not sound like she was panicking even though she absolutely was. But she could pretend for him when he was injured like this.
[color=d1b300]“Do you need anything? Water, painkillers- I grabbed all the ones I could find, but they don’t have anything particularly strong… What do you not want me to panic over? Is it something specific, or- or just how you are?”[/color] 

[color=577d06]”Oh, God, I’d love painkillers. Please!? It’s agony. T-the bones are a-all shattered, an-and they’re jabbing… I’m l-lucky he didn’t blow me apart… I’m… I’m separated from it, but… I c-can’t move like this! So… Painkillers! A-and, ask the doctor if there’s anything they can do for me! Please!?”[/color]

He sounded trapped, and a little desperate… And [i]looked[/i] rather funny in spite of it all, like he was posing for a bikini photoshoot with his face pointed toward the ceiling and his hair draped backward around his bolt-locked arms.

Trisha nodded, hurrying over to where she’d put all the painkillers she found. Most of them were over the counter ones… But she had managed to find some Vicodin after using the bees to get into locked cupboards. After a quick read for the dose she popped out two pills, coming back round Casey’s bed. 

Since he’d said he couldn’t move, she did her best to prop him up slightly on some pillows. Then she fed him the pills, followed by water as carefully as possible. 

[color=d1b300]“There, hopefully that helps.”[/color] She said softly, the momentary pause in her panic thanks to jumping to action ending as she looked at him. He looked awful. Not so much physically, with most of the damage hidden by the blankets she’d piled on him… But mentally. Of course he wasn’t doing well! He was stuck unable to move after almost dying, and having to kill two people who’d helped bring him up.

And now she had to tell him…
[color=d1b300]“There’s no doctor… It’s just us. All of the lines between the buildings were cut, but I don’t think that matters anyway. But you’re going to be okay! I called Leon, they’re sending one of Sylvie’s drones with supplies and key lime. So you’ll be fine in-”[/color] She scrambled for her phone.
[color=d1b300]“Four to six hours!”[/color]

Separated from most of his brain, Casey’s thoughts were short and sharp.

[color=577d06]”There’s no fucking doctor?”[/color]

His eyes rotated around in the socket with what could only be described as open panic. 

[color=577d06]”Is anyone there!? To help you!?”[/color] he asked, face almost twisting into an expression of rage.

[color=d1b300]“Casey, Casey, calm down, please?”[/color] Trisha immediately panicked in reaction, not wanting him to overexert himself. There wasn’t anyone there to help her because they were all [i]dead[/i]. Wasn’t that more tragic than what she was dealing with? 

Maybe there were people in the village still alive… But she wasn’t sure. And beyond that, the nearest place with a doctor was probably so far away the key lime would get here faster. Especially now it had been six hours… And what would mundane doctors even be able to do?

[color=d1b300]“There isn’t. Clarissa and Furio were… thorough.”[/color] She winced. 

[color=d1b300]“But [i]I’m[/i] fine! I wasn’t hurt at all.”[/color] It wasn’t quite true, but bad bruising from falling a story and crashing into a tree wasn’t that bad. She’d already taken ibuprofen, so it wasn’t like there was anything else to do there.
[color=d1b300]“I can take care of you until we get something to help.”[/color]

Casey didn’t react for a long time… It could’ve been a minute or two; long enough for Trisha to see something shifting in Casey’s face. His jaw clicked to the side, and in the most glacial pace she’d ever seen, he looked at her squarely in the face.

[color=577d06]”Can… you step out… of the room?”[/color] he asked plainly, emotion sucked away from his voice.
[color=577d06]”Just one minute. Please.”[/color]

[color=d1b300]“Why? What are you going to do?”[/color] Trisha asked quietly and as non confrontationally as possible. 

[color=577d06]”I… am going to… stand up. And I’m going… To have an emotional… Reaction. I don’t want you to be hit by something.”[/color] he replied with cold rage. But Trisha would be able to see one of his arms trembling, and the thick cinnamon scent filled the room as the [i]bed[/i] Casey was laying on began to creak and shift…

Trisha winced, reaching out to snatch up her phone. She didn’t want their last connection to the outside destroyed. She didn’t want to leave, she didn’t want him to [i]stand up[/i], but what could she do? She couldn’t stop him, and if he stayed his anger may end up directed at her. The last thing she wanted was a fight. 

[color=d1b300]“Don’t hurt yourself, please.”[/color] She whispered, looking at him with wide eyes, trembling slightly. But it could be because she’d dropped all her blankets when she got him painkillers, leaving her in just the t-shirt and shorts she’d worn to bed. 
[color=d1b300]“[i]Please.[/i]”[/color]

Clutching her phone to her chest, she turned and hurried out the door. A lazy trail of bees, the ones she hadn’t sent back through Princess, followed her out.

As she was scuttling, Trisha could already see the bed shifting now. A mechanical hospital bed had plenty of moving parts to reconfigure, and motors already built in that would help as Casey’s magic poured into making this temporary body with his Orange and White Lux. As it bent and snapped, the blankets covering him cinched tight, locking Casey in place while the plastic edge guards wrapped around his arms and chest to cover him in a protective barrier. 

The wheeled section tightened, morphing and changing under the influence of powerful orange material spells that gave him a level of control similar to the kind Red Lux would have over raw elemental material. Manufactured bits and bobs was the baseline domain of Orange Lux, and Casey had two things on his mind. Rage, which he knew he’d be able to get rid of… [i]And courage to fight again, even in a broken body.[/i] He’d [i]never[/i] let Trisha feel that kind of loneliness ever again. The hope, the prayers, the waiting…

And as the Golem finished its construction, Casey let out the scream of pain that he’d been holding in as both brains merged back together and returned him to the agonizing fire… He didn’t know what Trisha had given him, and didn’t have a single clue how long it would take to kick in… But he needed to scream. He needed to rage. And in this temporary shell, all of his strength was amplified by the material quality of the body. A twisted metal and plastic arm smashed through the nearby desk and computer, absolutely cleaving it in half. 

The next blow drove straight through the row of cabinets that had lined the section above the sink and counter, creating a hail of miscellaneous medical supplies that filled the air before crashing against the back wall and window. The impact ripped the folding blinds from their position, dropping them to the floor and leaving the window’s line of sight wide open toward the [i]smoldering crater that had once been the long term residential section.[/i] Casey screamed in shock, and Trisha would’ve been able to hear.

[h2][color=577d06][b]”YOU ANIMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALS!”[/b][/color][/h2]

There was an incredibly loud crash. Then another. Then [i]another[/i] in an adjacent room to the infirmary’s office that resulted in a plume of dust emanating from inside the duty-free shop. This, followed by the massive metal and plastic body totally demolishing the cash register system that’d been set up near the door. He [i]almost crushed[/i] one of the sheet-covered corpses, but Trisha would be able to see him stop short before the whole thing leaned over. A gentle hand, metal pipes for fingers, gingerly gripped the sheet and pulled it back, only for an incredibly painful sob to follow.

[color=577d06]”Why!? [b]WHY!? WHY AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN, WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY THE FUCK DOES IT-”[/b][/color]

With unnatural speed, the motion started again with Casey picking up one of the shelving units and flinging it back into the infirmary office from whence he’d come.

Trisha had crouched outside the infirmary door, curled up into a ball with her back pressed against the wall. She was doing her best to not have her own panicked meltdown. The bees lay on her in a muted attempt to comfort where they didn’t have the energy to do much at all. She could only watch what little she could see with wide eyes, resisting putting her hands over her ears just in case he saw her. 

It wasn’t like loud noise or violence was any worse for her than it was for other people… But it wasn’t easy, especially after the last seven hours. It was scary, and it hurt to hear him be in so much anguish. After she’d gone through the effort to cover the bodies, he’d just- but she couldn’t blame him, she couldn’t. 

She just had to ride it out, curling into herself and forcefully taking deep breaths. He’d be fine, he would be, of course he was upset, seeing all of this- wasn’t she the weird one for just ignoring it to help him, to help them. No, she couldn’t blame herself for anything, this wasn’t her fault. She’d done everything she could. [i]The only way she could’ve stopped this was by not existing in the first place.[/i]

The rage lasted about as long as it took the pain killers to set in. By that time, Casey’s throat was so hoarse and roughed up that he could barely speak aloud. He’d done his best to gather the people who Trisha had so kindly covered, doing so blindly as he’d opted for covering his eyes and face in shame upon seeing Trisha’s exhausted and fearful expression staring at him in horror one too many times. He’d brought them outside to where it was coldest, and gingerly set them one next to the other before scooping and packing them in mounds of snow. Decay hadn’t started yet, but he didn’t want to be stuck in a building that smelled like every other warzone he’d ever been in.

Somewhat calmed, and rather breathless, the heavy footsteps of the hospital bed golem crunched against the rubble of the wall he’d blown out to fit through and get outside. Far less concerned with his pain, and far more aware of his surroundings now than he had been on waking up, he gently and tenderly made way for the last place he’d seen Trisha; still locked in place in front of the Infirmary… The chest and head of it opened, and he looked down at her with eyes blood red from the capillaries that burst during his screams.

As he got closer, a tear fell from his eyes.

[color=577d06]”You saved my life again. You [i]are[/i] my life.”[/color]

The machine kneeled, and Casey slid both of his arms out of the fixture before letting himself drop and hit the floor. On his hands, he crawled to her. He saw that she was starting to scramble, and he held one of his hands up to get her to pause for a moment.


[color=577d06]”No! No… Stay… I want…”[/color] he grunted with effort, dragging himself along until they were next to one another properly.

One hand reached for one calf, and the other mirrored it. And with one last drag, Casey pulled himself into Trisha’s lap, letting himself curl up like a paralyzed shrimp.

[color=577d06]”I’m… Sorry. I’m sorry. I’m [i]so[/i] sorry…”[/color] he half-panted.

[color=d1b300]“It’s okay. I- I just don’t want you to be in pain.”[/color] She whispered, curling forward to press her face into him. She was trembling enough that it would be easy for him to feel it, even as she tried to calm her breathing. She’d managed to stop herself from having a full blown panic attack with the hyperventilating and crying, but that was almost worse. Because she was constantly at a level of anxiety just below it. There was nowhere for it to go, and it just clung to her. 

She was cold too, not really able to move and get the blankets. Trapped in place out of fear she’d get in the way, and knowing that if she stood up she’d get lightheaded enough she might just fall back down anyway. 

It wasn’t entirely because of his reaction. She was running on so little sleep, and thought he’d died before spending hours alone waiting for him to wake up again. It wouldn’t have taken much to push her over the edge, something like this just made the cliff she fell off much higher. 

[color=d1b300]“You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?”[/color] She pulled her head back to look over him for any new injuries, trying to calm herself by concentrating on that. Looking after him was a distraction. She could pretend she wasn’t so close to her own attack, and maybe it wouldn’t be obvious that she had no idea how to deal with the aftermath of his. 

[color=d1b300]“I- I know when we get the key lime it’ll fix everything physical, but I still don’t want you to get hurt more. But it’s okay, it’s really okay.”[/color]

Casey shook his head, totally unsure of whether or not he’d actually been hurt any further by his construct.

[color=577d06]”I can wrap myself in trash pretty well… I’m fine. I’m here.”[/color]

The golem began to move on its own as Casey switched its functionality from living armor to a far more friendly and potentially gentle servant. It scooped its blanketed guts from its torso, draping them across the both of them before wandering off to begin fixing the walls it’d so easily broken. How? It didn’t really know… But that’s what it’d been told to do, and it would do what it could. Meanwhile, Casey simply clung to Trisha, the heat radiating off his body now trapped under the blanket to warm her up as quickly as was possible.

[color=577d06]”Trisha… Your turn.”[/color] he said calmly.
[color=577d06]”I’m here… You’re safe to… To be vulnerable. You can let go.”[/color] he said with stern insistence, feeling every quake and shiver in her body as she did her best to stay composed.

[color=577d06]”You’re strong. So strong… I don’t know what you did, but… We’re alive, and this isn’t Heaven. We’re still in the Shimmer. It’s real, and we’re alive… So you earned it. [i]You did it.[/i]”[/color]

Trisha shook her head, biting her lip. She didn’t want to let go after everything that had happened. What if it turned out like Thanksgiving. She’d let go then… And that panic attack had pushed her to confront him, where this one probably wouldn’t, but she [i]didn’t know[/i]. She could say something that upset or triggered him- and he’d just calmed down! She didn’t want that. She really didn’t. 

But she couldn’t exactly lie and say she was perfectly alright. There was a fine balance.

[color=d1b300]“I’ll be fine when we get everything we need from the drone. It’s just circumstances. I’ve barely slept, then we had to fight, and I- I thought you were dead. S-So all that really matters is that we’re alive. That’s it. I’m just really glad we’re alive.”[/color]

Casey didn’t protest verbally… But he did move his body a little closer to squeeze her tighter.
[color=577d06]”Then you must be really cold… You’re shivering a lot. And that expression I saw earlier must’ve been you just wishing you had a blanket… I’m sorry I didn’t give you enough time to prepare. It was wrong of me to react like that, b-but… My brain. [i]She[/i] decided to visit. Must’ve seen it happening, or something.”[/color] he replied, doing his best to make sure she knew that he was aware of her feelings without being accusatory about lying or withholding. 

It was, after all, a difficult circumstance to come to terms with. And he didn’t blame her for just wanting to glance over it all… After all, it was just another traumatic side effect of being in the life of a Richoux. [i]The only way he could’ve saved her from this was by never being born.[/i] But, neither could wish themselves to death, or wish that life had never brought them together in the first place.

[color=577d06]”And, yes… It went as well as you can expect.”[/color] he grumbled, doing his best to let his body’s fading strength sap away. The legs were impossible to escape, but at this level they were a far cry from being the mind-consuming nightmare that they had been.

[color=d1b300]“Of course she visited, and it didn’t go well.”[/color] Trisha frowned, taking the out he’d given her. After all, she didn’t need to have a panic attack or breakdown. She could slowly bring herself down from the edge by being with him. Even if he knew… But he wasn’t pushing her. That meant he wasn’t upset about it, right? Every other time she’d withheld, it had become an argument. 

She hugged him as best as she could without worrying about hurting him, trembling lessening slightly.
[color=d1b300]“I’d almost be disappointed if she appeared with apologies, like it would fix anything… But you’d at least deserve it. [i]We[/i] would. It’s so unfair. It’s not like we asked to be part of her awful plan. I- I can’t believe Clarissa offered us that choice, like we’d ever just roll over and accept it. And that’s [i]all[/i] Lynette’s fault, because she put a target on our backs. I [i]know[/i] it’s selfish because things are chaotic back in St Portwell anyway, but it’s just… Fucked that even after all this she comes and haunts your dreams too.”[/color]

[color=577d06]”Choice?”[/color] he asked foggily, brain not entirely remembering what happened.

After all, past a certain point, he wasn’t listening to what anyone was saying. He’d been far too locked into the Simulread to hear anything, and any response he’d given openly would’ve only been his brain’s automatic reaction to whatever was said. Though, he [i]could[/i] Recollect it. He just wasn’t sure if he wanted to…

[color=577d06]”Choice of… What? Getting my fucking balls gilded?”[/color]

And then he understood.

[color=577d06]”[i]That[/i] was their plan!? The fucking… [i]Baby…[/i] If one of us couldn’t make it, she’d…”[/color]
He looked up at Trisha with more empathy than he’d ever expressed… It was an impossibly stark expression that read horror and sorrow all at once.

[color=577d06]”I’ve… [i]Never been more uncomfortable,[/i] I think… Than knowing that there’s a freaky fucking war over my fiance’s womb.”[/color]

And then he tucked his hands over his face in shame, curling up without crying. He couldn’t cry anymore. It was all out, and he needed water for rehydration… But he could feel his face heat up like a cramp pad.

[color=d1b300]“It feels awful.”[/color] Trisha whispered, honesty slipping through in the face of his empathy. While it would never be enough to stop her wanting to be with him, nor would she ever blame him for it- because it wasn’t his fault- it still made her so uncomfortable and disgusted. Because it was [i]her[/i] body. 

[color=d1b300]“And no matter what, we don’t win. I [i]know[/i] we said we’ll still love all our children, even if one ends up with Lynette’s ghost attached to them… But it doesn’t change that it’s that, or [i]none at all.[/i] And I want them with you, Casey. I really do. But I hate that it feels like it’s something that’s not entirely under my control- and Clarissa wanted to take that choice away from me entirely. From [i]us[/i].”[/color]

She curled forward, face pressing into her hair as she trembled more again. It had felt awful when she heard it, and each time she remembered afterwards. Even talking about it was difficult… But she didn’t want him blaming himself either. Because while it was her body that felt the most violated, it was still over [i]their[/i] future child. 

[color=d1b300]“It’s not fair on either of us.”[/color]

Casey could only grit his teeth and accept that it was happening. He didn’t want it to happen, but his biggest fear was that the entire premise [i]was[/i] his fault. That the only reason she’d be able to attach herself to Trisha in the first place was because [i]he[/i] was the one “contributing.” Like a Trojan Horse…

[color=577d06]”No… No, it isn’t. But… [i]I love you too.[/i] So, we’ll live our lives… And maybe we’ll find a way to prevent the worst. But… [i]I’ve always wanted a daughter.[/i]”[/color]

It was sad, and frustrating, and all around a mess. But life was messy. It was never supposed to be a clean, sterile thing. Mistakes happened. People tripped and fell all the time in a metaphorical sense [i]and[/i] a literal sense. Barring serious injury, one could only get up and dust themselves off. But none of it compared, in his mind, to the ever increasing death toll surrounding Lynette Richoux. 

[color=577d06]”And, y’know… We’re still alive… So, at least we get the chance to do all of that. I… [i]I can’t believe the scene out there.[/i] I almost expected the bodies… It’s Clarissa’s MO; clear the target area completely. No witnesses, no Recollections, and nobody to implicate Lynette. This? The other building? All of it, when we were all alone up on that hill? [i]This wasn’t the target area.[/i] That out there [i]shouldn’t have been the target area.[/i] She wanted us stranded here, just in case something like this happened.”[/color]

He didn’t remember the last moments at all. No memories of Furio’s confession, or his sobbing and crying. No memory of his death. The last thing he remembered was swinging, coming off the ground, and missing…

[color=577d06]”How… Did you get them? Did the Queen…?”[/color] he asked tentatively, not wanting to force her back into those moments, but genuinely confused as to what had happened after he lost consciousness the first time.

Trisha furrowed her brow, pulling back a little bit to look at him with confusion. Did he not remember Furio dying? He’d been awake, hadn’t he? Or was it not a proper sort of awake… Maybe it had been like a fever dream. He’d barely been alive, so maybe she shouldn’t be surprised he didn’t remember. 

[color=d1b300]“I didn’t get them both. You got Furio, Casey.”[/color] She replied quietly, hugging tighter into him. Killing Clarissa hadn’t been difficult, but what she’d said as she died… Seeing Casey lying there dying while Furio begged for forgiveness from his daughter… That was difficult. 

[color=d1b300]“You nailed him right as he got you. Then for Clarissa… We were both desperate, but the Queen nudged me to channel those emotions into transforming. If I hadn’t, I think we would’ve killed each other. But her bullet didn’t even dent the… Armour? I guess it was like an exoskeleton. And it gave my bees enough of a boost to catch up with her. [i]I[/i] was the one that killed her, not the Queen.”[/color]

It wasn’t that she wanted to take credit, just that it was the fact. She was the one that had to live with it. It hadn’t been difficult, but of course there was guilt. She was human. 

[color=d1b300]“She wanted me dead to the end. Furio… He regretted it as he was dying. He said that he loved you, and he let me use what was left of his key lime for you.”[/color]

Casey let what she was telling him sink in. About the fact that he actually landed the toss, and the surprise that Trisha had managed to transform while fully retaining her consciousness made him more than impressed. Pride mixed with anger, and anger mixed with sadness…

[color=577d06]”That dumb bastard… If they made it to Hell together, I know she’s giving him an earful about that one. [i]Fucking backup pie.[/i]”[/color] he said with a hint of sarcastic venom.
[color=577d06]”I wonder if she told him not to bring it… [i]So let me guess[/i], I hit him in the chest… Left pectoral, above his heart.”[/color]

It wasn’t a guess. Furio kept it there so he could get to it with his teeth if he had to, and rip through the inner lining of the jacket in order to do so. He remembered aiming for that spot, but his reasoning for it was something he’d never share… [i]Because he still would’ve saved them both if he had the chance.[/i] Disabling the threat on the off chance they didn’t suicidally dive into them… There was little chance of it happening, but he’d [i]hoped.[/i]

And then it hit him… Suddenly his hand was an iron grip against Trisha’s leg.

[color=577d06]”Ivetta… [i]Oh God, what the fuck happened to Ivetta!?”[/i][/color] 

[color=d1b300]“Leon- Leon knows. I’m sure he’ll make sure she’s safe before we get back.”[/color] Trisha replied with a wince. She hadn’t explicitly told Leon to make sure of it, but he’d directed someone to go to their house. She [i]hoped[/i] that meant he’d thought of Ivetta. She wouldn’t be dragged into care so quickly either, so it could be remedied with a phone call if needed. 

[color=d1b300]“He begged me to agree to take her… He said that she deserved us. Well, you, mostly. I agreed but I… Got so pissed off as he was dying. He was saying about how she didn’t deserve them, she deserved us- but they’re her [i]parents[/i]. And they-”[/color] She cut herself off, biting down on her lip. 
[color=d1b300]“Sorry. It’s harder for you.”[/color]

Casey bit his lip hard, tossing his head downward to look for solace in the floor… It wasn’t there.

[color=577d06]”No, you’re right. You’re absolutely right. I… If he did all that, then at least she’s safe. Just, the first thing that went through my mind was [i]Furio wouldn’t just leave Ivetta[/i]... Which, to me…-”[/color]

He didn’t want to say it out loud… He didn’t want to imagine Clarissa and Furio killing their daughter in case they never came back. Which told him that [i]none of it[/i] was meant to be some kind of suicidal last stand. 

[color=577d06]”-I just… There’s a world where she’s gone too… [i]Fuck![/i] We can’t! We can’t fucking take her, there’s no way! [i]We killed her parents![/i] What the fuck am I supposed to tell her!? How can I look that poor baby in the eye and-”[/color]

He was looking back up at Trisha with exhausted sadness in a plea for guidance.

[color=577d06]”-He… Is such an asshole…”[/color] he frowned, at a loss for words.

Trisha stared back at him, unable to give much comfort. What could she even suggest? What were they supposed to do? She’d never even spoken to Ivetta, and she’d killed her parents. There was a world in which Furio got that sword out and survived thanks to the key lime… But it was a world that would never exist while she was there to save Casey instead. 

[color=d1b300]“I don’t know, Casey. I really don’t… I don’t even know her. We’ll just have to try our hardest, I guess, if there really are no better options. At least he apologised for how unfair it was…”[/color] She frowned too, moving to take his hands in hers. 

[color=d1b300]“If it helps, I can take all the guilt and blame. [i]I[/i] killed Clarissa, and there was- I don’t know, maybe Furio could’ve survived if he managed to get the key lime.”[/color] Or if she’d helped him get it.
[color=d1b300]“But I chose you. That decision was all on me. And it was [i]their[/i] decision to try and kill two people who would’ve left them alone otherwise.”[/color]

He didn’t have the foresight that Lynette did to know how to maneuver things in his favor ahead of time. He could make educated guesses, maybe see a few seconds ahead of himself and dodge an attack… But history had happened… All it took was going through every single permutation of what [i]could’ve happened[/i] to find the most likely answer. At least he had the time to figure it out. One day he’d know. And [i]know.[/i] Not just guess.

Another gap in him speaking left dead silence… But he was physically there. Conscious. Aware. His hands moved against her now, living and moving rather than the stiff nothingness of his previous slumber.

[color=577d06]”I need to go back up there when I can walk again. I need to know what happened… White Lux has one useful interaction with the dead that Black Lux doesn’t, at least…”[/color] he said simply.

[color=577d06]”Ah, well… [i]I guess we both need to go up there.[/i] Our stuff… [i]And the fucking snow.[/i]”[/color]

It wasn’t difficult to see how much snow had been dumped on them after they got back the night before, but it didn't let up much today… And now all the magical road heaters were dead. He remembered Clarissa sucking the car into a portal, and it was probably at the bottom of the ocean now. Awkwardly, he hadn’t seen any other cars while he’d been burying bodies either… Chances were, they’d be using the bed, which slowly sauntered back into frame after having used many of the store shelves to block up the open hole to the outside, as well as the other holes that had turned the place into a wind tunnel rather than an insulated place of business.

[color=577d06]”Fuck… Your birthday’s tomorrow… Merry Christmas, Baby… I’m sorry about your gift being ruined.”[/color] 

[color=d1b300]“[I]Merry Christmas[/I]... It wasn't all ruined. This doesn't change how nice the last couple of days were."[/color] She responded, doing her best not to get immediately upset about it. She'd really been trying not to think about it at all. 

It felt like a joke the world was playing at her expense. The first year she had a chance of a nice birthday, and this happened? There was a small comfort that it wasn't anyone alive’s fault. Hopefully it would mean when next year rolled around she'd be at the baseline expectation, rather than going into further doom and panic about it. It still didn't feel fair, but at the same time she was grateful she'd spend her birthday with a living fiance rather than a dead one. 

[color=d1b300]“At least we weren't really planning to celebrate Christmas. We got Christmas with your family and Cass before we left, so it's really… Only my birthday. And that's alright, at least I'll be with you."[/color] Her eyes watered a bit as she did her best to justify how alright it was, like admitting it sucked would kill her. It wouldn't kill her, but she didn't want Casey beating himself up from guilt.
[color=d1b300]“And- And next year will be better."[/color]

Casey was still frowning.
[color=577d06]”I don’t know if they’ll be ruined… I got you gifts, still. I wasn’t going to say anything. One was for today, the other was for tomorrow… But, if they’re fucked under a pile of wood and snow, it won’t matter.”[/color]

He thought about the fact that he liked to organize surprises. He didn’t always like being surprised, but he understood why people went through the effort. If the surprise went off without a hitch, it was exhilarating. But if not, it almost always had dire consequences.

[color=577d06]”A book… I made it. It’s basically one of those uh… Electronic readers. But, it’s a book… Like, a real book. You write the title of the book you wanna read on the front of it, and it becomes that book. I piggybacked it off of a family heirloom that I stole out of the vault in the Temple… And, uh… The other’s a fucking… [i]FUCK![/i] It was in the car. It was a fucking… Autonomous painting. Elise made it. It was of your bees, and the hive in the box. One of the images I had in my head from before we took it home.”[/color] he explained.

[color=577d06]”They’re both replaceable, I think they can be made again… It was just a lot of effort on my end. The painting painted itself, at least…”[/color]

Staring down at him, Trisha's watery eyes became full of tears that streamed down her face. In the end it wasn't all the bad that pushed her to tears, but his kindness and love. The effort he put in for her… The thought of how perfect those two days could've been. The gifts were [I]made for her[/I]. She'd never have to worry about getting gifts that felt lacking in care again, would she? At least not from him. 

But even as she cried, she leaned down to press a gentle kiss against his lips. 

[color=d1b300]“I love you… Thank you. E- Even if one’s definitely gone and was possibly destroyed when the cabin collapsed…"[/color] More likely a probably if it was electronic. She held no hope for her laptop. But maybe this electronic book had survived, since it was magic? 

[color=d1b300]“You- You made them for me, and put a lot of effort into them, and they s-sound [I]great[/I]. So just knowing about them makes me happy… Even if i-it also feels so shit you won't get to give them to me like you'd planned, and w-we can't just celebrate in peace."[/color] She sniffed, moving her face to press it into his shoulder so she'd stop crying right onto his face. 

It was overwhelming after everything that had happened. After almost losing him. She loved him so much, and he really loved her too. 
[color=d1b300]“I really like them. Even if I- I haven't seen them. I know… Because you made them for [I]me[/I]. Thank you, Casey. Hopefully the book survived."[/color]


He looked back at her, watching her cry and listening to what she was saying. There was a slow, progressive collapsing of his arms around her as he tightened his grip. He didn't want her to cry…

[color=577d06]”Hopefully, Honey… We’ll find out one way or another. I… I just love you so much. And I’m proud! So proud, of you, and of the bees… I think everyone’s uh… Earned a little rest.”[/color]

He tucked his head against her thigh, having released her from the steel hug he had around her.

[color=577d06]”Where… I… Do we go home? No… We can’t. Someone has to see this. Someone’s gotta know.”[/color]

Trisha nodded slowly. Even if they wanted to go home they couldn't immediately, could they? They didn't have a car. She hadn't checked their snowmobile, but she had a feeling it wouldn't be there either. They'd have to walk to the nearest town, at least. 

[color=d1b300]“When you're better, after you get your stuff… Maybe we can use one of the other cabins for now rather than staying here."[/color] She said quietly, raising a hand to try rub away her silently flowing tears. They were beginning to slow down at least. 

[color=d1b300]“Leon said he was going to call Bianca. She's part of that… magical FBI, right? So that means they'll know. Maybe someone managed to contact the police before this happened but… You're right that we can just leave. Someone needs to know, but it'll also look suspicious if we do. We're the only people left! I- I know it'll be easy to clear our names with a recollection, but we need to be here for that."[/color]

The PRA… Casey’s cell phone had probably not made it through the collapse either, but modern cell phones were genuinely hearty as far as “delicate” technology pieces were concerned. Not that it mattered so much in the moment, but there were texts from Trisha he’d screen-shotted and saved. Unsure of whether or not they had uploaded to any digital access platform, he worried about the sentiment long before he even bothered to connect [i]why[/i] he was thinking about it.

[color=577d06]”I… Think I remember her contact number. I’ll call too… When I can walk again.”[/color]

He didn’t bother looking back to see his twisted, practically boneless locomotion drives. He’d seen this kind of thing before.

[color=577d06]”W-would you believe me if I said this w-wasn’t the first time I’ve been… Wounded like this? North Italy. Kinetomancers. A few of us were covered behind a pile of fallen t-trees. Two of the bastards working together b-broke the entire pile in half. Collapsed it around us like dull scissors. I didn’t die because I heard the cracking before everyone, a-and started scrambling before I could even warn them. My body just r-reacted, and as I got my torso out of the way, the logs snapped shut and shattered my p-pelvis.”[/color]

Thoroughly drugged at this point, Casey was at least comfortable and tired enough to freely recall moments of abject horror. That had been a very close call, that morning, and one of the lowest personal moments in that part of the push. He felt personally responsible for the deaths of the squad behind him, with the only other survivor giving everything they had to get Casey back into fighting shape… He’d been their only chance in that moment.

And he was still here… That was proof enough he’d not disappointed… But for five to die so one could live? That was evil. It was sick. It made him shudder gently just thinking about it.

Trisha hugged around him, rubbing his back as comfortingly as she could. 
[color=d1b300]“That’s horrible, Casey. I'm glad you survived, b-but the whole thing sounds awful. You had to deal with everyone else dying [I]and[/I] your legs being crushed. That's- I don't know, it just makes me so sad. At least this time I'm with you… You don't have to fight anymore, for now."[/color]

She didn't know what to say beyond that, hugging around him. She was sad it'd happened to him once, nevermind twice. But there was so much physical and psychological horror he'd experienced during the War, she couldn't let herself get stuck in her sadness over it. It was difficult enough for him without that. The past couldn't be changed, but at least from now on there'd be less trauma… Hopefully. 

[color=d1b300]“This isn't the first time I've had to play nurse, but it's definitely the worst injury I've had to help with… I was normally just helping with bandaging. So you have more experience than me."[/color] She paused, before letting out a quiet laugh. 
[color=d1b300]“That sounds a bit ridiculous. You have more experience with your pelvis being shattered, like it's something you get better at dealing with…"[/color]

He giggled softly. 
[color=577d06]”This time’s worse. There’s no Nazis to kill.”[/color] 

It was grim to say, but revenge [i]after[/i] an injury was always going to make the injury sting a little less. And at that time, Clemens essentially gave his life within a few seconds to get Casey back into fighting shape. It’d been intense searing pain, and then the equally searing pain of the instantaneous healing process as Lux infused his body with regenerative properties like a slug. This time, he had to sit and suffer with it. Even now, the dulled pain was still shouting his name.

[color=577d06]”Well… You’re here. So it’s better overall.”[/color] he giggled again, letting his body relax against her fully.
[color=577d06]”There’s… A while yet. Lets… get… somewhere warmer.”[/color]

As he said that, the docile bed golem twisted itself down slightly, offering its massive metal hand to Trisha.

[color=577d06]”I’ll… I can pick myself up. I just need a little space for it to-”[/color]
The mass of metal and plastic awkwardly bumped the wall, stumbling slightly like an absentminded giant. It was trying to scoop him with its left arm while offering Trisha the right, rather than getting fully in front of Casey and scooping with both hands.

It was a bit of a ridiculous scene, making Trisha laugh a bit more. She leaned forward to kiss the top of Casey’s head, before moving herself carefully out from under him and taking the bed Golem's hand to pull herself up. Her legs were a bit wobbly after spending so long curled up on the ground like that, her feet feeling like they were getting stabbed as the feeling fully came back to them. 

[color=d1b300]“Alright, I won't try to carry you again. I can't anymore anyway, since I'm back to normal."[/color] She held out her arms, perfectly normal and human. If he had some use of his legs she could probably help him, but none was pretty much impossible with her normal strength. 

[color=d1b300]“Oh, you probably don't remember that? I got to carry you like a princess this time."[/color] Her eyes creased slightly, lips pulling up into a little teasing smile. 
[color=d1b300]“For a little bit. The bees did most of the heavy lifting. But I lifted you onto them, then onto the bed… Maybe I can push two of the beds in the infirmary together, if they aren't too damaged. Then we can huddle together on it without me worrying about hurting you."[/color]

[color=577d06]”It’s warmer if we share. What’re you gonna do, hurt me? Just… Push the legs to the side.”[/color] he laughed morbidly as the Golem proceeded to pick him up under the shoulders. 

As all the blood rushed downward, he drew a sharp breath and grunted in pain.

[color=577d06]”There’s a little break room. It’s got a bigger cot in it than the medical bed… But you’ll have to help me drag myself in there, because I don’t think Huey here is gonna fit through the door jam.”[/color]

It’d be a few more hours yet before help arrived… But, at least everyone was calm enough that being together and alive could be cathartic, rather than regretful in the absence of the other. They’d come through another dangerous moment, and were still together. Casey hoped for a brief moment that it’d be even tighter than before. And the briefest flash of a carapace covered Trisha split through his mind… The Glorious Scion of Beekind… He trapped the image in his head, grinning at the next painting he had in mind to commission from Elise.

[i]Except… She couldn’t.[/i] But, Casey wasn’t even thinking about what’d happened. It was just enough to be alive, and there with Trisha. They’d made it again… [i]They’d make it.[/i]
[hr]
The last few hours passed quietly, much of it filled with Casey’s pained grunting in between stories about things that he thought Trisha would find calming. He’d seen nice places during and after the war, and told her stories about good people he met. There were things about stuff she probably [i]shouldn’t[/i] have known, but what the military didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them any more than it would hurt Trisha. 

There were plenty of reasons to be thankful. It was Christmas. They had each other. Their lives hadn’t been forfeit to the whims of fate. And eventually, more still to be thankful over. There was a droning hum from outside, and both individuals felt the warmth from their engagement bands as what had to be the delivery drone got progressively closer and closer. Casey sorted the bed again, forcing it awake to walk them both down the stairs and out the wide front into the snowy landscape. Bundled up tightly, they both got to watch a little show as the massive bronze-colored ornithopter buzzed in the sky like a huge dragonfly.

Its metal wings, rotating faster than the human eye could perceive, tucked tight to the body as it dove. Then, utilizing all its force, the machine tilted hard and buzzed against the ground to arrest its momentum like a falling sheet of paper. And clung tightly to that machine, was a figure clad in all black with a facemask and body armor.
Pulling the mask down revealed a friendly face, however. One that Casey was surprised to see, but still rushed and tried to use his Apparition to pull the entire bed into an embrace..

[color=9d33d6]”Boss! Trish!”[/color]

Behind him, the Eagle-Eyed Giant held its massive rifle in one hand while its arm dragged the bed construct close.

[color=577d06]”Theo!? My God! You must be freezing, man!”[/color] Casey called, shocked to see him here.

[color=9d33d6]”I’m all good! Uhh… Don’t get mad, but nobody told me to come here! I heard what happened and all, and I thought you’d need my help! Even if that means keeping this place safe enough that you guys can finish your weekend! Then, we can all go home together!”[/color]

Theo’s enthusiasm for Casey was boundless… It was, he felt, a great boon to the two of them, as he may even chase after them once the entire coven collapsed for good. The Furio to his Maxwell, if anything… 
The drone itself was close to fifteen feet in length, made of solid aluminum and brass that was generally made for small trips. This was about as far as it’d go, especially with a smaller, but still full grown man clinging to it.

[color=9d33d6]”If… Well… I mean if you were opposed, it’s not the biggest deal. You two would have a hard time getting home, but I’ve got a silly way of getting around that’s honestly way faster than the bird.”[/color] he grinned, still hoping he could stay.
[color=9d33d6]”If you’re not, come on! Trisha, I need help dragging this thing inside.”[/color]

[color=d1b300]“Hey, Theo… It’s good to see you.”[/color] Trisha said with a slight smile. It was, honestly. Seeing a friendly face. An unobtrusive one at that. Even if he stuck around to help he wouldn’t force himself on them socially, she was sure. 

Though ultimately, that was up to Casey. He had a better idea of Theo’s place in everything happening, and if he might be needed back at St Portwell. 

[color=d1b300]“I’m not against you staying, but it’s up to Casey.”[/color] She nodded, beginning to get up and unbundle herself from the blankets. But the cold air immediately cut through her thin clothes, and she shivered. She’d almost forgotten in the time she and Casey had spent bundled up with each other that she was still just in her pyjamas, and she didn’t have any shoes. 

[color=d1b300]“Are there, uh, clothes in there for me that I can change into first? Or even just shoes. I don’t have any… Unless Casey can magic a blanket to do all of that for me. But I can help as soon as I won’t freeze to death trying to walk.”[/color] She laughed a little awkwardly, hoping she could help drag it inside. She really wasn’t all that strong, and she probably couldn’t force a transformation now for its strength either. 

Casey gave a look of abject confusion, and the bed they were on, which had already served as a proven beast of burden, began to stamp its “foot” dejectedly.

[color=577d06]”Tie a line off to the cargo pod and get inside, you frozen tuber.”[/color]

[color=9d33d6]”Roger that, Captain Spudnik.”[/color] Theo giggled in return.

Casey pulled one of the blankets that’d been covering he and Trisha, and in an instant burst of Lux, began to hand off impossible lengths of the bedding toward Theo while being sure to keep Trisha wrapped up tight. Within a minute, they were already plodding back inside with the ornate machine like an insectoid invader from another world dragging behind them.

[color=9d33d6]”I uh… know you guys don’t wanna be bombarded. So, I’ll leave it up to you whether or not you wanna hear about home. But I’ll say everyone was real shocked hearing about what happened out here. Not a single person, I think, expected the outcome.”[/color] Theo spoke softly, almost melodically as he did, and kept his tone as light as possible in spite of the horror.

[color=9d33d6]”Leon’s contact at the PRA has a three day response time, I guess. Or, something long as shit; he had some incredible shit to say about the Feds.”[/color]

[color=577d06]”Those poor fuckers are on a shoestring budget. The annual net income of the Temple’s higher than what they pull in as far as support grants and shit. I learned all about it when they tried to recruit my ass. Y’know why they call ‘em Feds, Trisha?”[/color] Casey asked playfully while the bed-beast began to ascend the stairs back toward the warmer part of the broken building.

[color=d1b300]“No, why?"[/color] Trisha asked, tilting her head. She assumed it was short for [I]federal[/I]. It probably was in most cases!

[color=577d06]”They’re always looking for more to eat. Fuckin’ Food Eater Department.”[/color]
Theo giggled in return.
[color=9d33d6]”We used to get agents doing frontline work showing up on the ships [i]just because the food was better than the mess on land.[/i]”[/color]

[color=d1b300]“[I]Ohhhh[/i], Feds with two fs."[/color] Trisha laughed slightly, able to unbundle herself a little bit now that they were outside. At least she didn't have to be wrapped up quite so tightly. 
[color=d1b300]“I can understand, if they've got such a tight budget. It must be hard convincing whoever hands over money to the police that magic's real and a magical police force is really needed… Nevermind getting people to join. How many magical people would want to become a magic Fed? I wouldn't."[/color]

Not that she'd be qualified. But she imagined that was part of the problem too. Not many people qualified, you already had a smaller pool of people to pick from… If you ended up with corrupt officers, it was an even bigger problem because [I]magic[/I]. 

[color=d1b300]“As long as we don't get thrown in a jail cell while waiting, it's fine. We planned to stay at least until the twenty-seventh anyway."[/color] She continued, looking at Casey and reaching out for his hand. It maybe wouldn't be as nice as it would've been otherwise, but if they managed to find a cabin being stuck here wouldn't be the end of the world. Nobody [I]needed[/I] them back just yet either. 

She appreciated that Theo didn't just burden them with information from back home. While knowing what they were coming back to was good, it wasn't like they could do anything right now. If things were different, maybe they'd be rushing back right now. But a whole residence had been wiped out. They couldn't just leave, even if they wanted to. Nevermind the fact they didn't really have any kind of transport. 

She looked back at Theo with a slight smile. 

[color=d1b300]“You said ships… Were you in the navy? During the War?"[/color] She asked carefully. She didn't actually know Theo that well. Him being quiet made it easier to be around him, but combined with Trisha's general reclusiveness when she felt comfortable enough to not force herself, the two hadn't actually talked all that much. Either she was with Casey, or there was a comfortable silence between them. Which was nice. It wasn't something she achieved with many people… But it also meant she hadn't even realised he was in the navy. Maybe Casey had mentioned, and she'd forgotten.

[color=9d33d6]”Part of the Damned Taskforce! The only magical naval strike team. I was… More like a Marine than a Sailor, but we did both.”[/color] he grinned widely.

Casey giggled openly. 
[color=577d06]”I’m not surprised it’s never come up. You’re a special kind of bastard, Theo.”[/color]

He reached across the bed, patting Casey’s arm.

[color=9d33d6]”You can talk about it all you need to, Boss. I’m happy to let Hari turn it all into a wonderful pink mist for me.”[/color]
Turning his head back to Trisha, he continued.

[color=9d33d6]”I signed on immediately after The Attack. Gigante and I were already adjoined, and we’d been doing freelance mercenary work with Kaiber Security beforehand. So, I spent a shit-ton of time in Asia; lots of little islands. Unpleasant shit that I’ve long since decided I didn’t want in my head like a raging bull. So, in contrast to our buddy here, I get monthly scrubs. Touch-ups. Keeps the shine of the war in my head, even if I know for a fact that it wasn’t fun or shiny.”[/color] he admitted, seemingly free of guilt and totally casual about it.

Chances were, that was [i]also[/i] the treatment’s doing. At least Casey didn’t seem bothered. In fact, he partially felt as though he should mount a preemptive defense for his fellow veteran. After all, Trisha had only ever met his friends directly, and for hardcore commandos and Western Frontliners, there was a totally different attitude than those who saw the Breaking of the Empire. 

[color=577d06]”I would probably get the treatments if I didn’t think it’d effect my channeling. Especially after…-”[/color]

He weakly looked around the ruined building, a massive sweeping trail of blood marking where a person had hit the wall and slid down before being finished off.

[color=9d33d6]”Hey, now… You don’t worry about that stuff. While you guys get situated, Gigante and I will go take care of what needs to be done. There’s remnants, I assume?”[/color] he asked, brain hitching as the filter spell shuffled the word “remains” into something less explicit.

Casey nodded in return.
[color=577d06]”There’s a hole on the west side of the building. Outside, in the snow mound. I moved everyone in this building there. You can check the crater, but then I want you to head up the mountain and check all the cabins. At the top, there’s a ski lift and a restaurant connected to the non-magical public side. Make sure it’s all either disconnected or closed, and take care of anything up there.”[/color]

[color=9d33d6]”You got it, Boss. It’s already done. Just, uh, leave my bag in the pod. I’ll come get it when I’m done… Am I staying with you guys? Or-”[/color]

Casey shook his head.

[color=577d06]”I’d like nothing more than to try and finish the birthday vacation I planned with my wife. Alone… Unless she says otherwise, I just want you patrolling. Leon said something about making a call and keeping the perimeter-”[/color]

[color=9d33d6]”-Oh, yeah, the wolves. I guess one of Lelou’s daughters, or something. I’ll keep an eye out, but I’m not sure if they know that I’m also not a threat.”[/color]

[color=577d06]”I’ll call Leon in a bit and ask. Worst comes to worst, we’ll keep you short and close.”[/color]

Theo nodded, bowing slightly toward them both.

[color=9d33d6]”I’ll just need my rifle, and my vest from in there…”[/color]

The bulbous “head” of the dragonfly shaped transport vessel slid a few feet out from its fixture, opening up like a long, cylindrical storage chest. Sectioned off were a lot of different cargo spaces, with duffle bags tucked into them with tags that read “Trisha-Clothes” and “Casey-Clothes”, as well as one that read “Casey-Gear”. Tucked underneath was the scoped rifle that he kept in his locker. There was a heavy secure case as well, which when popped open, revealed a plethora of Oblivium supplements. Pepper jelly, chocolate mousse; there were ones Trisha hadn’t even seen before, a few of which Theo grabbed before hoisting up his armored vest from a separate section. He also pulled a large briefcase-style package out, and began clicking away with it as he assembled a comically long rifle for himself.

[color=9d33d6]”Should I come find you guys here? Or-”[/color]

[color=577d06]”I’ll pop a flare when we decide on a new cabin. Morbid as it sounds, we have the run of the place now.”[/color]

[color=9d33d6]”That [i]is[/i] true. I guess I’ll find one with a nice big bed and plenty of windows. Alright; be seeing you two. There’s a comm bead in there too, Casey.”[/color]

And with that, Theo was off into the building before heading outside. There was an immediate sound of a gunshot, but nothing more. Casey didn’t seem to react at all. Instead, he looked at Trisha and took a deep breath.

[color=577d06]”Well, moment of truth… Let’s see if the legs heal right. I think it’ll be fine, but it’s probably gonna hurt a lot more. Don’t get scared, okay? I just want you to hold my hand while I scream. But, it’s a good pain. We’ll be fine.”[/color]

Trisha nodded, giving Casey a shaky smile. She couldn't promise she wouldn't find it difficult, but she wouldn't get scared. Nothing could be as scary as when he went down earlier. And she'd seen plenty of magical healing before. She'd felt how the key lime worked too, though it wasn't for such bad injuries. 

[color=d1b300]“I’ll do my best… You can even grip my hand as hard as you want. And I know what it does now, unlike the time with the [I]cats[/I]. So I'm not going to be scared, just worried."[/color] She said, managing a slight smile. At least once his legs were healed she'd be able to relax a bit more knowing he wasn't in constant pain. They could do their best to enjoy the rest of the holiday together. 

[color=d1b300]“What happens if they don't heal right? Does that mean you'll just have to live with whatever damage is left?"[/color] She continued, voice getting a bit quieter. They were lucky to have magical healing, but at the same time his legs wouldn't be like they were if it wasn't for magic in the first place. But even with that question, she readily offered up her hand for him, assuming he'd eat the key lime before they both got dressed.

[color=577d06]”It means that we’ll have to deal with me being in a lot of shitty pain until we meet up with Cass, or a Chronomancer who can reverse the atrophy.”[/color] he took her hand, rubbing it gently with his thumb.
[color=577d06]”So, let’s hope.”[/color]

Pulling the pack from its slot, he split the perforation with his teeth and tilted his head back to begin slurping. Within a few seconds, he was crunching the retorque pouch into a thick plastic wad before jamming it into his mouth. Just in time too, as the pain washed across his body with the full force of a train collision. 

[color=577d06][b]”Oh God, it’s working!”[/b][/color]

Initial squelching noises were hidden spasms that Trisha would only be vaguely aware of underneath the blanket covering Casey’s legs. They compressed rapidly, until his feet were touching the unbroken sections of his pelvis. Rather than repair, the stronger formula decided to replace entirely, and began formulating the bones in an entirely painless, disconnected fashion. Blood vessels, veins, arteries, subcutaneous nerve endings-

[b][i]Pain.[/i][/b] Pain on an unimaginable scale, as once the first raw nerves were laid down in his body, everything afterward became intense and searing agony which echoed into the deepest fabric of Casey’s body. He didn’t scream. He couldn’t. He couldn’t even breathe. Thankfully, the delicious green goo understood, and kept his blood oxygenated without the need for him to intake it through the lungs. His pores opened up, and Trisha would be able to watch Casey’s very skin gasp and shudder as the magical healing properties surged through his body.

And that wasn’t even taking the awful, wretched cracking noises that were his bones being set into place by the semi-sapient goo. Agony gripped him until his feet were once more sticking out from under the blankets in the spot they were meant to be. By then, Trisha would be able to see Casey’s whole body turn bright red, then pink, only for every pore to let go and facilitate a body-wide plume of steam to rise up off him. For the first time in five minutes, he let his lungs inflate and collapse again in a shuddering breath. 

He pulled the plastic out of his mouth, revealing the extent to which he’d turned it into a prickly paste between his teeth, and tossed it on the floor like refuse. But, at the same time, he was already tucking his knees and pushing himself out of bed. Each movement was a wincing pain, but he was quickly ambulatory and standing, if only to fully hug Trisha with leverage as he plucked her up into his arms. He didn’t speak then, and simply smiled as he let his feet and legs do all the talking.

[color=d1b300]“W- Wait, shouldn't you at least give it a moment?"[/color] Trisha helplessly protested, though there was nothing she could do when he'd already lifted her up. 

It was a bit disconcerting for her, even knowing how everything worked. An agonising five minutes of watching him helplessly. He'd been in so much pain through the whole process- and it had been horrible for her to watch, to the point she was probably gripping his hand as hard as he was hers. Then he was wincing afterwards! But- But he was walking. He was holding her without even wobbling. 

So it really had worked. 

Her worried frown broke into a warm smile, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She was so glad. Just him being alive was enough, but it would've been hard for them both if it didn't work. He'd be in pain, and she'd have to watch him suffer. There was only so much she could do to help… But it wasn't a worry anymore.

[color=d1b300]“You can walk… it worked! You aren't still in pain, are you?"[/color] She asked, her concern still slipping through. He didn't look like it but he could be hiding it. 
[color=d1b300]“It sounded pretty awful, so I'm really glad it worked. You even gave off smoke at the end! Thank God it worked… I don't need to learn how to use my legs all the time again."[/color]

Her tone turned more playful towards the end, tucking in to bury her face in his shoulder. He carried her around so often that she was getting used to it. Not to the point she'd ever forget to walk, obviously. 

Casey was smiling too, but the more he walked, the more he realized that not [i]everything[/i] had gone exactly to spec. There was some osteoarthritic tendon pain, and he quickly understood that he’d simply been given old man legs. What was worse; the nerve endings in his groin and thigh grew back to the body’s memory, rather than utilizing some kind of esoteric anatomy knowledge; thus he could already feel the numbness crawling down his pelvis and into his bits and bobs… Which was frustrating, given that he was certain the formula he’d ingested was the [i]new and improved[/i] stuff. Andrade’s last batch.

Still, he didn’t need Trisha to know all of it. He could let her down gently, at least, given that things [i]could[/i] be worse.

[color=577d06]”Well…-”[/color] he started, finally sitting her down on the bed while he rummaged through the supplies and handed Trisha her bag.
[color=577d06]”-We’ve kinda gotta appreciate what’s here, so that we’re not sad about the problems still around. I’m walking, my back strangely feels really good… But, for all that, it couldn’t get the cartilage in the knees right. So, I’m a little bone-on-bone, and unfortunately the numbness in my junk is still there, which means it remade a dead nerve cluster. ‘Cuz that’s what my body remembers. The knees were already going a little bit too, so it all makes sense.”[/color]

He unzipped his bag and found some clean underwear on top with a note.

[color=577d06]”Oh… Leon just told me to take a shower.”[/color] he giggled, holding up the note.

[code]I can’t stand… To be stinky. Wash your problems away.[/code]

Wrapped in the underwear was a bar of soap and his shampoo from upstairs in their apartment. He’d bought a small travel size version, but wasn’t sure if it survived the collapse.

Trisha leaned over to look at the note, before giggling softly. Then she leaned further forward, pressing her face into Casey's shoulder and taking an exaggeratedly loud sniff.

[color=d1b300]“I don't agree, I think you smell perfectly fine. But maybe I just like how you smell."[/color] She laughed, pressing a kiss against his skin before pulling back to open her own bag.

And think about the more serious bit. She hadn't even considered that an old injury would be fixed by the key lime, even after it seemed to remake his legs entirely, so she wasn't disappointed about that. It was the knees that worried her more. If it was bone on bone, wouldn't it just continue to get worse? Like arthritis? He wasn't even thirty yet! 

[color=d1b300]“I didn't think it would fix old problems, so don't worry about the numbness. We've both adjusted to it and found what works… It'd probably be harder for you if you were suddenly feeling everything."[/color] She managed a bit of a joke, picking through what had been packed. 

She had to give Leon credit if it was him. He'd been thorough, and thoughtful. Her shampoo and conditioner was in there, along with a few skincare essentials. Then the clothes all looked warm and cosy but still nice. Simple t-shirts, a few wool jumpers, jeans… Thankfully just [I]plain underwear[/I] so whoever'd packed that bit had just grabbed whatever was on top. 

[color=d1b300]“Will the knees cause you problems? I assume you'll have to be more careful… I'll do whatever I can to help. Well, I can't promise I'll do heavy lifting, but I can volunteer Cass to do it for us when we're home."[/color] She continued, pulling on a pair of socks. Then she stood up to shimmy off her shorts, swiftly replacing them with underwear and jeans. 
[color=d1b300]“You’re right that we should appreciate what we have… But I'm still going to want to help with whatever didn't go as well. Because I love you, even if you have bad knees- even if you hadn't gotten your ability to walk back."[/color]

Casey reached across the gap between them, playing with Trisha’s hair for a moment before pinching her cheek and smiling.
[color=577d06]”Y’know what? It’s gonna be fine! I bet any money that Cass will do all of the Green Lux work that Andy never wanted to do.”[/color] he replied simply, wincing as he dropped his drawers and pulled on a fresh pair before making way for the pants.

[color=577d06]”I just hope that you agree… Well, I’m sure you’d agree if it wasn’t dangerous, but that’s kind of the problem that Andy always wanted to avoid.”[/color]

He formed an oblong ring with his two hands, shifting it over the numb spot in his groin.

[color=577d06]”The bundle’s about yay big. Big enough that if it’s not magically healed properly, it could cause permanent atrophy and maybe set in a living rot process. If the nerves get severed, and there’s nothing to tell the muscles to move, or for the veins to flex along with the bloodflow, it’ll just die. My dick, my leg, could just become fucking useless.”[/color]

Yet, he was still smiling. The truth was, he was fine with never having it fixed if it scared Trisha too much. Sex was troublesome, but he felt it was better that it was for both of them, and far better than winding up like his Grandfather, with most limbs entirely replaced. Sure, Big Max was happy and healthy otherwise, with magically enhanced strength and endurance that made him a mechanical menace… But he still complained constantly, not only about the pain around the implant sites, but of his artificial sense of feeling never being what a real flesh and blood leg or arm would feel. 

[color=577d06]”Could obviously being the focal word… Because I think, and just about know, that Cass could pump out enough Green Lux to brute force the fix. I just… Am not sure as to whether or not it’d be easy. She’ll need to read some textbooks about the nervous system at the very least.”[/color] he shrugged his shoulders, slipping the warmest shirt he could find in the bag over his bare chest and hugging himself for a quick moment.

[color=d1b300]“She’ll take it as a challenge, and get all excited to learn about it. She probably already has read a textbook about the nervous system, anyway. Did she ever mention that she started as a biology major? She’d already started doing it as an actual major when she swapped to computing… But she always found human biology the most interesting. Some of the things she’d talk about.”[/color] Trisha made a face that was quickly hidden by her pulling her pyjama shirt off. 

It was gross at this point, and quickly replaced by a bra and a long sleeved shirt. Then a warm green wool jumper, which she pulled her hands into the cozy sleeves of. 

On one hand, she trusted Cass and her overly powerful magical abilities. On the other, Cass was crazy. She’d do things she shouldn’t be capable of. Sure she often succeeded, but not always. The idea of Casey losing the entire leg was scary, even if it was just a maybe.

[color=d1b300]“It sounds risky… But I guess we don’t know that, or how hard it’ll be until we talk to Cass. It’s definitely not something to do before everything’s over, I don’t think. And your knees are more important… But if you want to get the dead nerves fixed, and you’re both pretty sure it’s more likely to succeed, I won’t stop you. It’s your body, anyway. What you want is more important.”[/color] She shuffled towards him, reaching out for his hands with a smile. 

[color=d1b300]“Because like I said, we’ve adjusted. Sex isn’t the most important thing… Though it would be nice if you could enjoy it more. I [i]know[/i] you do enjoy it, but properly! And any other benefits that come with not having a bundle of dead nerves. It would be better. But not if you lose it all anyway.”[/color] She was clearly a bit conflicted about it, but didn’t seem overly worried in that moment. If anything, she seemed relatively relaxed, still smiling and holding his hands. It wasn’t like Cass was going to crawl out from under the bed and start nerve fixing right there and then.

It would be a bit ironic if it went wrong, and they ended up unable to have children anyway… It was a darkly humorous thought she decided not to share.

Casey shrugged a bit, with nothing left but to accept that Trisha was going to let him do what he wanted. It was strange. Usually he made some decision about his own autonomy and the people around him complained, or gave their ten cents with eight being strongly opposing opinions. The only thing that was worse is that, right now, he actually cared more about her opinion than he did about his own. 

It’d been an easy thing to live with. Still was by all accounts. Everything except the occasional pain flare as electricity surged through the dead bundle into nothingness. He figured it was just the wound happening again in a different universe. But, ultimately, he’d never wanted to push his luck purely in fear of peeing through a tube into a bag the rest of his life. Stuff like that was what he wanted to avoid. 

[color=577d06]”I… Seriously don’t know. But I’ll keep thinking about it. About how important it is, and about how good Cass’ already gotten about limb replication. ‘Till then, uh… Maybe we’ll stick to missionary so I’m not on my knees too long.”[/color] he stuck his tongue out at her before pulling her tight and kissing her gently on top of the head.

[color=577d06]”You… You’re my fucking life. All of it. The world starts and ends with you. Hopefully, from here on, the fights should at least get easier physically. Less chance for mutilation on failure.”[/color] he admitted, patting her shoulder and rocking them both back and forth in a wide arc.

[color=577d06]”I need you strong for a while longer. Between what’s going on outside, and whatever else we may find… I’ll probably have a mood dip again. Not a full crashout, but… I need to see the bodies up there. And I need to fish out all our stuff. Plenty of clothes and shit that’ll need a wash and dry.”[/color]

Trisha nodded, hugging back into him. She just enjoyed that for a moment, rubbing her face against his chest like she was trying to clean something off with his shirt. At least she knew and could prepare. As long as he didn’t have the same breakdown he had earlier… Because she wasn’t sure she’d be able to react any other way. At least not until she’d been able to get a good long sleep. 

[color=d1b300]“I’ll try my best, as long as you understand how little energy I’m running on.”[/color] She answered. Things were always a bit more difficult when tired. It was when she tended to feel things even more, or get grumpy. Though she wasn’t worried about that happening today… It was just in case. She could be strong, she just might be a bit more muted. 

[color=d1b300]“I can help with moving the rubble, at least. Well, not [i]me[/i]. But if I increase her size, Princess will probably be able to bulldoze through a bunch of it. We can drape clothes over her for moving too.”[/color] She twisted around to look at where the bright, fluffy plush was sitting inanimate on a chair. Most of the bees she’d kept around were snoozing on her. It was only a small group, since she’d sent most of them back through to the Greenhouse to rest and recover. 

[color=d1b300]“It was already getting pretty dark, so searching might be a bit of a pain… Oh, if we find enough torches you can probably make magical floodlights, can’t you?”[/color]

Casey could only grin down at her, beaming in pride as Trisha made her way through all the ways she could help. He didn’t think it was possible to fall in love with the same person twice, but it was looking like a third time was in order at this point… 

[color=577d06]”Honey? I don’t need any of that. I… Just need you to be with me until it's done. To listen, and to hold my hand. Everything else? I’ve got. I promise, you being tired will get solved soon. And, if you really couldn’t make it? I’d just bring you to wherever we’re sleeping, and lay down in the bed with you, and cuddle you asleep… And then I’d take care of it alone. And everything would still be fine, because I’d just talk to you about it later… So, all that’s left is for you to tell me what you’d rather. Because, as morbid as it sounds, I know there's a luxury cabin further up the mountain that I didn’t book… And I want to sleep there.”[/color] he grinned down at her.

For a moment Trisha’s face scrunched up thoughtfully as she tried to figure out what could be in a luxury cabin that hadn’t been in theirs. Or was it a similar level, just a different one? She’d seen plenty of luxury places before, but having both the hot tub and sauna already beat out a lot of places. The only thing it had been lacking was an unnecessary amount of space, and some gold trim. 

[color=d1b300]“We have to stay in another cabin anyway, so may as well go for the nicest one. I don’t think it’s that morbid.”[/color] She replied pragmatically, expression loosening into a smile again. 

[color=d1b300]“I can survive on a couple of hours sleep just fine, especially if I don’t need to do anything except listen. I’d rather be with you. I think after what happened, I’d just wake up after you left and feel worse. I know I promised to get better with my anxiety about being apart, but this isn’t because I’m worried you’ll leave but because… Well… You almost died.”[/color] She bit her lip, before shaking her head and hugging him. 

[color=d1b300]“I don’t want you taking care of things alone today, so you’re stuck with sleepy me.”[/color]

[color=577d06]”Sounds like a dream to me… It’d be kind of fucked up if this was all Kane and Abel and a bad dream…”[/color]

He looked down at Trisha for longer than a second before shaking his head.

[color=577d06]”They don’t have that kind of patience. Never did. We’re fine.”[/color] he patted her head, making way for his socks and shoes.

It’d be a long night for the both of them yet… But Casey was positive that with the two of them working together at any level, it’d be a pleasure. One he’d revel in as sweetly as the life he’d been allowed to live. And while it didn’t fix his mind, the feeling washed over him and left him with a lingering sense of justice… That suddenly, all that guilt he’d been carrying from the war was worth it… Purpose beyond the war. Beyond the confusion of it all. A reason that he lived, and others died for him to do so….

Life was an honor. And he’d do his best to treat it that way from now on.