So, it begins... | Open to Titans

[Tim Drake]

They would be there in moments, Robin, Speedy, and Cyborg where in the T-Ship, the central cockpit reconfigured into a mobile trauma center, Raven and Argent flying in formation next to them as they raced for the Doctor's locator beacon, and their friends.


"Fast and clean, we don;t know if they are still looking for them or not, or what kind of resistance they could put up if they DO find them or us."


His tone was fast, clipped, and direct, and his eyes where set hard, the T-Ship moving at its best speed, and... there!


"I have them! Raven, Argent, go ahead and scout the area, set up and defensive line if needed, Cyborg, take over, and set us down as close as you can, Speedy, you're with me, Doctor Kavanagh will need help moving them to the ship..."


Everyone voiced their understanding, and within what was both the shortest, and longest measure of time, the T-ship set down, and everyone sprang into action...




~Titans Tower, two hours later~


"I'd make you an honorary Titan Doctor Kavanagh, but somehow, I doubt it's... Age appropriate..."

Robin extended his hand to the Doctor as they stood just outside the med-lab, Blaze and Darkbrand both asleep and healing now, the medical miracle that had taken place was nothing short of astonishing.
"But I can say that you are always welcome here, no matter the situation, and no matter the time."

With that, Robin then looked through the glass at his friends, and shook his head, and softly commented; "They're... I've seen some pretty spectacular and amazing things, but this is bordering on truly epic... What about you Doctor Kavanagh? I'm sure you've seen more, both better and worse... But have you ever seen anything quite like this?"

He was of course, referring to the relationship the bond that Will and Vi shared, the incredible strength it gave them, and the power it seemed to create due to them, it was unlike anything Tim had ever see or heard of before.

It was down right awe inspiring...

[Violet Schultz]

The doctor nodded once in thanks for the offer, but said nothing. His duty was to help others, to save lives. It was his purpose, and the reason he got up in the morning. There was really no need for thanks when he was doing what he loved, and he was doing what was right. Still, he said nothing, as was his way when thanked.

"Such compatability is truly rare, no doubt," the Doctor agreed, shaking his hand with a sigh. "I've seen people with similar powers who are able to compound each other's strength, but it's far less common for them to be able to draw on each other, or strengthen each other like they can. "

He looked into the recovery room with calm eyes, his senses telling him not to be unduly worried. They were both sleeping, and they were both stable. Violet's body heat was recovering at a steady rate, and with the rise in temperature, the infection was quickly dying off. The IV was intravenously feeding water and nutrients to her system, giving her the materials her body needed to recover its strength. He had healed her broken bones and her other injured tissues, and he had drained the fluid from her lungs and her body cavity, but she still had a long way to go before she could be considered healthy again. Will's body was quickly recovering from its injuries, and didn't really need the doctor's powers, though Kavanagh had cleaned and dressed the wounds anyway.

"They're both injured, but I expect them to make a full recovery," he said. "Will's injuries are relatively minor by now, though they are numerous, and the kinds of injuries are varied. Mostly, he's just worn out, but his body is still recovering from what seems to be a series of intense electric shocks. He'll be on his feet within a three to four days, I think. She, on the other hand... She's certainly on the upswing, but I expect it will be at least a week before she recovers fully. If it had been any normal human had been taking as much abuse as they have, I don't think that they could have survived."

His dark green eyes turned onto Will after a moment, the expression kind as he regarded the both of the Titans in the recovery room, as if he was looking at a grandchild. His own grandchildren had died many hundreds of years ago, but it didn't stop him from acting grandfatherly to people, even though they weren't really his. He looked on most people with the compassion of a grandparent.

"And that boy... He continues to astonish me. His body is even more resilient than hers, but even so, he seriously depleted his own energy stores to help her recover. Kid's got a lot of heart."

He closed his eyes and shook his head with an exasperated smile. When he opened them again, his expression was more serious, with worry clear in his eyes.

"You know there's still a warrant out for most of the members of your team, including both of them. They need time to recover, and legally, custody of Violet still belongs to that lab. What are you going to do, Robin?"

[Tim Drake]

Robin nodded at the Doctor's assessment, and was once again thankful for that things had worked out as they had in the end, even if it had been some level of hell getting her back, he knew that for Will, and the rest of the team, it was worth it.

However...


"I'm going to fight it, tooth and nail... I've been digging any and everywhere I can, as deep as I can, and have called in a few favors owed me on this as well, and thus far, it's all legal... In California at least, because the legitimate authority this order was given on, only goes as high as the state senate, and while a thin paper trail leads to the Governor's office, it as far as can be determined, never crossed his desk, and with good reason, he's one of our staunchest supporters in the Government, period."


Crossing his arms over his chest, Robin's face shifted into a scowl, his mask bending with his face into a eye slitted glare as his brow furrowed; "The biggest problem is that, there's just enough read tape in place that even a legitimate order would have trouble gaining traction, and enforcing something like this is CLEARLY contrary to the Bill of rights, the state and national Constitution's as well as anything that the county and City have passed. But flash a big enough, shiny enough badge and a fist full of paperwork, and suddenly you can pick up a well known person from the streets, and then hand them off to a private lab to be tormented, and abused, all in the name of science... It's totally barbaric, underhanded, and legal... This smacks of massive dark and ulterior motives, likely on a global scale, and that certainly narrows the field down to a very select few known criminals..."

The boy wonder let a long frustrated sigh out as he reached up and ran his gloved hand through his spiked hair and then glanced at the Doctor again; "Only trouble is, practically every villain we've ever faced that fits that description, is either locked up, frozen, missing or dead... Everyone but Slade, however he's never been very trusting of underlings, so I think we can discount him in this for the moment..."


After a moment of silence, Robin looked up and gave a wan smile as he shook his head; "I'm venting, sorry, Ive been up a long time because of this... At the moment, all the Titans with warrants or alerts posted for them, are to stay low, either here or in Steel City, which is currently safe for the moment, Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Argent and Aqualad are on their way there now for safety, Blaze and Darkbrand really don't need to be moved, but then, no one knows for sure where they are right now, and I know the island is safe, it was bought and donated by Queen Industries back when the Titans first formed, so we own it outright, its in effect, a tiny country, but I don't know how long that will hold up in court..."


He looked over his shoulder out the window and sighed yet again, the weight of this situation weighing him down.


Oh the burdens of leadership....

[William Talbot]

All he could do was feel her...

At his last thoughts to her, he could feel a stirring someplace, but as to if it was within, or without himself, he could not tell.


And then... He was elsewhere...

"Again?!?? Dad! C'mon!" He panted, sweat pouring down his young nubile body, the definition of his young lean musculature wasn't even half that of his fathers impressive physique, the taller, wider, and more powerful frame of his father, of whom Will was the spitting image of, save his fuller lips, and softer set, paler shaded eyes.


"Will, what's the first and foremost resource you will always have at you're command?" The elder Talbot asked as he stretched his arms out, the curves, and shapes of powerful thick meat under ruddy tough skin glowed with a thin layer of sweat as his arms moved side to side and around.


William took a deep breath and held it for a few rapid heartbeats then answered; "Myself, my heart, my body, and my spirit." he replied with a hint of pride as he leaned on the large rock, the trees surrounding them shaded them from most of the summer sunlight, the gentle breeze cooled by the leaves, now cooled the two Lycan off-shoots as they faced each other in the small clearing.

"Right, and as you grow and mature, you'll find that working yourself, pushing yourself, harder and harder, is what will make you, and keep you, the best you can be. In everything, be the best you can be, even if it's not something you're very good at, push, and never stop pushing, be it your body, your mind, or your spirit, and always...” The elder male stepped closer and rested an kind strong hand on his sons shoulder as he spoke, his dark blue eyes locked on the faded steely blue eyes of his son, “Always your heart Will... Trust it, push it to grow, to learn, to love, to guide you, you are blessed with so many gifts, and such a good heart, I can't help but think you're here to do something great, and that destiny in its fullest, has yet to see what you might could be, and what you can become… Never stop growing yourself Will. Now do it again. Then we’ll go swimming.”


Will nodded with a smile and then turned to grip the large stone, a grunt of effort sounding from him as he pushed it back up the hill he had just backed it down, his feet digging into the earth as he grunted with new found energies, until it was at the top, his father smiling proudly as he walked up, and clapped Will on the back; "Good , good! Will that was great!"

Will smiled up at his father, and then realized, he wasn't looking up, but down slightly, his body as he suddenly remembered it, his father looking older, yet just as fit and strong as Will could ever remember him, his dark blue eyes kind and shimmering as he reached down and took his sons hand into his own, and then spoke with that kind rattly bass; "Heart... The Heart Will, that's what makes us who we are, gives us the strength we need, and the power to endure, anything, and the heart that loves... The heart that loves, is stronger than anything... Anyone who would die for love, would give their all, give their heart for it... They are the ones who truly live, and they change the world..."


Suddenly there was a hand in his, and he followed it up from his grip, along a slender, yet strong arm, to a graceful set of shoulders and the form of a lovely young woman, a porcelain skinned girl who smiled to him, and whispered “Don’t worry. I’m not letting go,” before he registered who it was, and he smiled brightly, as everything faded to black.

Life was funny like that...

[Violet Schultz]

She could remember the last time she'd been here, in this labyrinth of walls, deep at the core of her own consciousness. But last time, it had looked a lot different. It had been a whitewashed gray consisting of bricks, with a pale blue sky that could alter color when she was in distress. This time, her emotions were no where to be found, undetectable from the corner from which she was approaching. The walls were worn away, as if they'd been weathered by time, but how could that be the case? It hadn't been long since she'd been here last. The thin cracks in the walls were unsettling, as if the very fabric of the place had been through a war, with battle scars littering the road and the walls, even leaving smoke in the sky.

She wandered, wondering where the other emotions had gone... Despite how far she was walking in this seemingly infinite wasteland, there was absolutely no one to be found. The smoke drifted through the air, obscuring her path while it slowly cleared, but Violet wouldn't have cared either way. While she was wandering she wasn't looking for anything, just watching the sky as the sun slowly but surely found its way out from the fog. The emotions couldn't be gone though, could they? Didn't seem likely. No one could be entirely without emotions.

She paused as she finally arrived at something strange. It was something the like of which she hadn't seen in her own mind for a while, but it had to be there if she was to survive the battles that periodically shook this place. A hatch was in the edge of a wall, and as she opened it, she sensed the entities that had been missing, and she climbed down the ladder slowly, her eyebrows drawn together in wary curiosity. Though it was absolutely dark down there, her glowing eyes lit it just enough that she could make out a number of forms in the dim lighting.

"Is...Is it safe?" a small voice asked, and as Violet looked down, she spotted her six-year-old self, her happiness, looking up in fear. "Can we come out now?"

Violet bent down and placed her hand on the entity's head, the barest of smiles on her lips. A murmur broke out in the crowd as she answered.

"It's safe," she promised. "It's all over now."

Happiness matched her smile and slowly headed for the ladder, climbing uncertainly to the surface at the head of the line. It was impossible for Violet to keep track of all of the entities that shuffled past, and their silence as they left the shelter told her everything that she really needed to know. They were all so subdued after remaining in hiding for the ferocious battle, but they trusted her experience enough to feel secure in going back to the surface, if perhaps with a lack of enthusiasm that Violet completely understood. As she followed the last one up, she came back into the daylight and looked at the sky again. The smoke was all but gone.

"It's torn up, but look," Will's soft voice said, as if floating on the wind.

She couldn't see anyone around, though she could sense that they were back out there. She turned to look at the wall, trying to figure out what Will's voice was trying to tell her. Her eyes widened as she saw the cracks slowly receding, the bricks rebuilding themselves before her eyes. It would just take some time before it was stable again, despite the damage it had taken. She smiled and closed her eyes, satisfied. That place had strong bones. It wouldn't crumble quite so easily.

When she reopened her eyes, she had to blink several times before her sight was clear, and she realized what she was staring at. This was, without a doubt, the medical wing of Titans Tower. Was she awake, or still dreaming? Her mind still felt vague and tired, but the minor pain lingering from her injuries were enough for her to realize that she was, in fact, awake. How long had she been out? She felt many times better than when she had lost consciousness, when she had thought that she wouldn't wake up again. How on earth had they survived? There was no way that they could've gotten back to Jump with Will badly hurt, and herself so close to death.

She turned her eyes onto her arm, where she could feel a needle still penetrating the soft flesh of her hand. Her eyesight was still a bit blurry, but she focused long enough to read the bag. Just water. Yeah, she had probably been in need of some of that, with how little she had been able to stomach back at... that place... She closed her eyes, her mind shying away from thinking of it. The memories were not something she cared to carry, but she knew all too well that she would have to deal with it, or it would manifest in some other way. Just... not yet. It was still too soon.

[William Talbot]

He had waken up slowly, the room being far to cool for his tastes at first, until he realized that he was still feeding off of Violet's senses through the link, so he gently pulled himself back, but didn't even come close to removing himself from it, knowing she was drawing strength from him through it, so he stayed in the room, sitting by her bed, sleeping in the bed next to hers, standing in the room, sitting in the room, for four days straight, he waited, eating his meals in the medical lab, until her eyes fluttered open and she gazed about hazily for a moment then closed her eyes again, clearly in discomfort that was more than physical.

Leaning in from the edge of his seat, William reached his hand to hers and gently took it, and whispered her name to her, as he then clasped her hand firmly, but still gently, as his joints still where somewhat stiff, which was gladly the last of the things he was recovering from

"Violet?" What else could he say? There was so much he wanted to say, so much he felt he should say, so much that couldn't yet be said, and yet... He needed to hear her voice, to see her eyes look into his and feel the link again flow both ways, to feel her warmth press into his, even from this short distance, he needed to know that it was all worth it, that he had indeed made the right choice in going after her, that she wasn't just some broken girl now, some used up play thing from a mad persons nightmarish playground, that she was still alive inside, that she was still strong, that she was still... Violet, inside, and out, no matter the damage that had been done, or undone to her, he needed to know that she was still herself, and that... She still loved him...

"... Violet..."


But honestly, what else could he say?

[Violet Schultz]

At hearing her name, she opened her eyes again, realizing for the first time that Will was there at her bedside. She turned her head slowly to look at him, the vague discomfort she felt in the back of her head and neck not bothersome enough to impede her. He was looking at her with worried eyes, looking as if he was at a loss, though the reason wasn't entirely clear to her just yet. Why so nervous, and why look at her as if he didn't know what he'd find? ...Oh. The barest of smiles was on her lips, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. It would probably take some time before she was in a smiling kind of mood.

"Will," she said, her voice still tired and soft. "You look tired, love. Are you okay?"

Her irises illuminated near the edges, glowing softly as she reached out to him with her powers, finding the link in the overlap and welcoming him back into her mind with a soft wave of warmth. Through the link, he would probably be able to sense the general state of her mind, which was a little fuzzy and confused, but still intact. There were parts that were blocked off, even from herself, the barriers sub-conscious and slowly receding. They'd been build to protect herself in that place, and when she was recovering. It kept her from thinking to hard about it, which was probably the healthy thing so soon after.

She lowered her gaze for a moment, but the emotion was clear in her eyes as they raised again to his eyes. There was a hint of a half-dozen emotions playing across them, from a bleak sadness to profound affection.

"Thank you," she said softly. "Thank you for getting me out of that place. I don't know if I could've... I wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for you."

She didn't know exactly what all had happened to him when he'd been caught by those people, but she could still hear his agonized howl in the back of her mind, pricking her with pain, sadness, and maybe even a little guilt. He wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for her. Wouldn't have suffered as he had. It was far from her fault that it had happened, but she couldn't completely suppress the fact that she felt somehow responsible for it. Maybe if she hadn't fought it, they wouldn't have hurt him like that. They would never have gotten the chance if she hadn't been caught in the first place.

[William Talbot]

Gently gripping her hand, Will nodded slowly, his own face hinting at a smile as he moved closer to the bed, right up to the side in fact, before he nodded with a whisper; "I am tired... But I'll be okay... You're safe, and you're getting better, that's all that matters."


He gingerly held her hand in his before he bent his face down and kissed it softly a sad heavy sigh slipping past his lips before he sniffed and whispered again; "I'm so sorry I wasn't faster... I... I could feel the pain, and suffering through the link, see the cruel joy they took in hurting you... It was... I'm sorry love..." he looked up at her with tired, tear filled eyes before he leaned in and kissed her cheek softly, a few tears spilling over onto her face before he rasped; "I know... I wouldn't have made it out if not for you either... You fought them so hard, with all you where... That gave me hope Violet, it really did. They can't stop us when we're together Violet... You are so strong, stronger than you know, and you make me stronger..."

He sat back into his seat, and closed his eyes, laying his head next to her, his hands wrapped around hers as the monitors softly beeped along, telling everyone that Darkbrand was yet again, back on the road to recovery, as she should be, because after all, she was a Titan.



Deep down however, Will realized that Violet wasn't aware that he knew practically every detail, of her captivity from day two onward, but then, she also had no clue that, he also had been subjected to the exact same treatment, at a far more accelerated pace, and with far more brutality, all things being equal.



Not that they where or anything...

[Violet Schultz]

"Hey," she said, her thumb rubbing along his hand. "There is no doubt in my mind that there was nothing more that you could have done. You may not agree, but I know what's in your heart. I don't blame you for anything, and neither should you."

Her eyes held a hint of pain when she spoke, and she knew he would probably realize it. What was hurting the most was that she knew that loving her was what had inspired him to come after the lab as he had, and as a result, he'd been through hell as well. Of course, she still didn't know what all had happened to him, and she didn't want to come right out and ask. The memories were causing nothing but pain for her, and she didn't doubt that it was the same for him. It was all she could do not to flinch when he spoke of it. She could hardly fathom the idea that Aria had lived in one of those places for years. How had she survived that?

She didn't want Will to find out all that had happened to her. She still felt the most irrational emotion of all about her captivity: shame. She'd never felt so ashamed in her life. It felt as if she was dirty, defiled. Like she was damaged somehow, like she was less than she had been before. At her core, it angered her, in the way that Violet's anger had manifested for years. It wasn't a wildfire raging out of control. It was hard and cold, concentrated and deadly. God help those men if she ever ran into them again. She wouldn't kill them. No, death was far from the worst thing that could happen to a person. They'd made sure that she knew that.

She tore her mind from the subject quickly, knowing that if she dwelt on what had happened, nothing good could come of it. She had to let her mind protect itself before she drudged back through those memories. She had to let the lingering horror fade.

She closed her eyes again, still tired and sore. She still had questions, but Will was exhausted, so she could wait for them to be answered. He was more resilient than she was, but the brutal treatment they had undergone wasn't something that anyone could recover from overnight. It could wait.

[William Talbot]

Will shifted his head there next to her side on the bed, looking up at her with the first real smile he'd had in days slowly forming on his face, faint yes, but the gravity, and the warmth behind it could not be missed, especially by someone as good at reading people as Violet.

"Maybe... I don't know honestly, but I do know that I love you, and that I'm glad we didn't die in there... We've got to shut them down, for good Vi... The things they did to us... Aria was right, it's a hell on earth nightmare, and so many of them enjoy doing such things, to other people... Human or not, it's mean, it's wrong and..." he stifled a yawn then blinked tiredly again before he finished his sentence ; "To violate a person, a sentient being... To treat someone like that... Is evil..."


Will yawned again then shifted himself, once more before he sat up and stretched his arms out, a few random pops and creaks sounding, as he groaned softly, then looked to her and smiled lovingly, and then moved around the foot of the bed to the other bed in the room, this one moved much closer to hers so that when he laid down in it, he was well within arms reach of her, his hand finding hers, his fingers slipping into the spaces between before he murmured; "So much... To talk about... Later... Rest now... My lovely... One... zzzzzzz..."


Softly snoring, Will fell into a dim, quiet place, without dreams or reason, just rest, slumber, and recovery.

And the warmth of Violet being so close, as he knew it should be.

[Martin Christopher Taylor]

~That same night~

Ironically, it was the failure of Red X that had enabled him to pull this off.


Months ago, Vorac had contracted the infamous thief to steal a key piece of technology from the Wayne Enterprises Computer hardware R&D labs in Jump.

Despite his fancy transporter and cloaking suit, he had failed, for some unknown reason.

Vorac never failed.


It was in fact so childishly easy, Martin was shocked someone else hadn't tried it before, as it was something straight out of a heist movie; Get inside, via disguise, find the needed access information, steal and or copy said info, hide out inside the building until it was empty of all but the security detail, sneak into the proper area, VERY carefully gain access, take what one wanted, and then quietly leave.


The actuality of the night, was far more complex, but at its core, that was what had happened, and amazingly, Vorac had come away with a bonus he could never have possibly passed up, and wary as he was of such an item being tagged as part of a bigger trap, he felt given the recent failure of his partnership with Lex Luthor, and the labs they had a joint interest in, this was worth the risk, and besides, there where no strange or suspect readings from his hand held scanner.



Now back in a special hide away, Martin smiled slightly, almost gloatingly at the quantum duality processor, a small black cube with blue and green glowing circuitry that pulsed and flowed like blood in a mammals veins, awe inspiring really.

It had the same computing power as a warehouse full of Cray super-computers, yet was only the size of a small web book on each side, it was backwards compatible with civilian or military grade hardware all the way to stuff that was fifteen years old, something Martin had plenty of thanks to Jermaine, so with a little effort, Martin could have the single most powerful computer known to man, and with it...


His mind went back to the suit of armor, and all of the lovely trinkets and powerful alien devices he had been collecting, and attaching to it, the sleek bulk of it was like a work of art, and everything was carefully fitted to it, to be flush with the surface.

When done, he would rival superman for brute power, and yet have more of it, due to the wide array of power he would have at his finger tips. With little opposition, he could do as he pleased, and it pleased him to consolidate the wold into a single powerful entity.


Still, the trick lay in figuring out the Metas, the Mutants, and the other powerful beings that called earth home, and Lex Luthor's henchmen had cost him what they all felt, knew really, one of their best shots at doing so...


But there where ways of fixing that oversight...

[Violet Schultz]

It had been nearly a week since she'd gotten back to the Tower, and in that week, she could tell that the others wanted to know what all had happened, but no one had asked. It was an unspoken question that was always hovering over their conversations, one that no one had yet dared to ask. She knew what the doctor knew, since he could sense everything about her body, but she had no idea what Will knew, and that worried her. She hadn't been able to sense the link at all during that time, but if he could, then there was no question that he knew at least part of what had been happening. She could only wonder what he would think if he found out... that is, if he didn't know already.

But if he didn't know, there was someone in the Tower who certainly did, though she wasn't one to say anything to the others about it. She'd been to a place like it before, and she knew what kinds of things the scientists did to people. It would've been surprising to Aria if Violet hadn't been through what Aria suspected she had. But still she said nothing. She knew exactly what it felt like to be a victim that way. If Violet wasn't telling, it was her decision, and no one else's. It was also not surprising that Violet hadn't looked Aria in the eyes the entire time that she'd been back, as if Violet was just waiting for Aria to tell the others. She'd started to just avoid the room, knowing that she had to do anything she could to make Violet comfortable while she recovered.

By that day, Violet was almost fully recovered from the ordeal, physically, at least. The infection was finally gone, and her inner flame was almost back to its usual strength. All that remained to be healed were her ribs. The doctor hadn't fully healed them, because he knew that broken bones mended twice as strong, and his healing powers would just restore them to their former strength. Even so, she remained tender in the area, and Violet's frustration at the difficulty she was having in moving around was obvious in the irritated cast of her eyes when she tried. Sitting up, in and of itself, hurt her chest. Walking around was still difficult, but she had always been good at pushing through pain. It was mostly at the doctor's urging that she was taking it easy.

Violet couldn't help but feel frustrated, impatient with herself as she always was. So there she sat, reading a book on her bed while fighting the urge to get up and do something. She felt completely useless, and never had she wanted to be prove her worth to herself more than she did right then...

[William Talbot]

While most of their more debilitating physical wounds had healed, inside and out thankfully, there where still kinks and aches and pains that followed any recovery, no matter if one was human, or something else, and Will was now exception, but he always bounced back, every time, better than before, and, other than the barest of limps, he was pretty much back to normal.


Other than hardly talking, eating but one massive meal a day (rather than the four or five large meals he had been ingesting before) constantly staring in Violet's direction (the fact that most times it was just at a wall or door, where the others couldn't "see" her, was what was most unsettling) and otherwise just not quite acting like himself, unless within ten feet of Violet, in which case, his once constant small smile crept back, if only barely, and he seemed to relax, but then the time that Violet and William had spent close to each other since they both had gotten their feet under them again, had been... very little to be honest...


Tapping on her door, Will waited for the customary four long seconds before the door automatically slid open (while Violet valued her privacy, she had surprised Will by programing her door to automatically open for him if he knocked twice, at a speed only he could match) and he poked his head in and looked to her bed, the tiniest smile on his lips; "Hi Violet... Want some company?" he asked, unsure what else to say, or how else to get in here and be close to her, something he'd had the overpowering need to do since they had been rescued, and yet had not had as much in the way of opportunities as would have liked...

[Violet Schultz]

Violet looked up as she felt Will's approach, and heard his knock at the door. She could always feel him watching her, and although she wasn't quite sure of the reason for it, she was still glad to know that he was concerned. She knew that he would never resent her for needing his help, even if she resented herself for it sometimes. A small smile matched his own as she entered, and she answered with a small nod, shifting over slightly to give him room to sit. Marking her page with a small slip of paper, she set the book on the side table with a small sigh. She had been "reading" the book for an hour, but she couldn't have started to guess at what was going on in the story.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, her eyes meeting his for a moment.

She'd never been the most expressive of individuals, but over the last week, she'd barely said more than two words to anyone, especially not about what had happened. She wasn't moping; moping wasn't her way. She was just a little more withdrawn than usual, and she gave away very little to anyone, even Will, though with him it was more because she still wanted to protect him from the memories that she was hiding deep in her mind. Still, she didn't like keeping secrets from him, and it continued to weigh on her mind. Her eyes were tired, more than anything, tired of how complicated her life had become, and tired of trying to be strong.

So it remained the unspoken issue, still just hanging out there where no one was willing to look.

[William Talbot]

William paused for but a heartbeat before stepping into the room, and letting the door slid shut behind him he moved to the side of the bed and then sat down on the edge near her, his head tilting and his eyes meeting hers for that moment, which seemed far to fleeting, yet he hung on it for as long as it lasted before she spoke to him, and asked him how he was.


So how was he exactly anyways?


Will honestly wasn't all that sure how he was, in body he felt okay, but his heart and mind where troubled, both by what he had undergone, and by what Violet had endured, and the fact that he was carrying the weight of both, coupled with Violet's silence on the matter.

It troubled him.


"I'm still somewhat sore, but that will be over soon enough... But... I'm still bothered by everything that happened back there... Aria was right, the things they do... I'm know there was a lot she didn't tell us, or at least me, but..."
His shoulders sagged slightly and his eyes closed as his head shook slowly, as if in pain from the memories.

He looked back to her and tilted his head a bit more, his face almost mournful as he gazed at her, almost lost in the sight of her form; "You've been pretty quiet about it all, which... Isn't all that unusual, but you've hardly spoken to be in almost three days... Why?"