Three days. Agnes had not left Rebecca’s side for three days since her ex (now current girlfriend again) was rescued from some mutant with strange abilities. Agnes had not yet been able to learn anything about the person who did this and her inqueries to Detective Cervantes were met with a ”It’s better you don’t know” attitude. She respected the man but she was slightly annoyed that during those three days she couldn’t get a straight answer concerning who had done this to Rebecca.

But she couldn’t spend too long being annoyed about that. In truth her mind was completely preoccupied with Rebecca and her current state of mind. It seemed that even with Agnes’ presence, Rebecca was far from being okay. She was suspicious, shaky, and made sure that Agnes was never gone for more than a few moments tops. Agnes didn’t mind indulging the redhead since she could only imagine the hell she came out of. But at the same time, she didn’t want to be a crutch to her. It was a dilemma but one that she tackled one day at a time.

Finally, though, the day came when Rebecca was allowed to be released. Though testimony estimated that she may have felt like she had been gone for a year or longer, physically it had only been a week. On top of which, it didn’t take long for her body to recover from whatever the ragged man did to her.

Physically she was a specimen of perfection again.

Mentally…that was another story.

The trip from the hospital bed to the cab and back to the mansion was a trip that Agnes didn’t tell anyone. In truth, it was such a heartbreaking scene to see her traumatized girlfriend reacting to the world that Agnes didn’t relish thinking about it. It took all her soothing and calm energy she could produce to keep Rebecca calm but, eventually, the pair made it back to the mansion.

After a little bit more trouble, Agnes finally managed to coax Rebecca out of the cab and back into the mansion. A new environment, though, meant more calming. But, slowly but surely, she managed to get the shy, timid redhead inside and back to her old room.

“Okay, honey,” Agnes said calmly, stopping in front of Rebecca’s door. “We’re here. See? Safe and sound. Just like I promised…”

The world outside was so scary! But it was muted; the people at the hospital, (who Agnes and the nice Police Person continuously reminded would not hurt her,) put something in her with a needle and it made her calm.

It was not really being calm, but more like being tired and not able to notice what was outside the cab car. Things moved blurry, but time passed by quick.

Crossing past the big intimidating Gate, the vast unprotected courtyard, and the tight, claustrophobic hallways became more difficult as the sedatives wore off, but thankfully they made it to her room.

>> “Okay, honey. We’re here. See? Safe and sound. Just like I promised…”

It was like returning to a childhood home, except everything was just as she left it. It took some time to recognize that the objects were hers and they were in places she put them in, but knowing that gave her a sense of security.

It helped that Agnes was there.

"My room, yeah?" It took her some time to regain proper control of speech, but she was getting there. "It's... big." After being somewhere spaceless, Rebecca forgot just how much space places had, or how many details. "So many corners..."

With big eyes filled with a cautious level of terror, Rebecca turned to Agnes. "You promise it's safe here, right? And..."

Agnes had a life and things to do. She knew that, (after being reminded.) But at least for a short time, she needed to be selfish. "And you'll stay? Like, for some time? Not all the time. Well, all the time like no breaking away again coz Ah'll cry forever." Rambling honesty persisted through any condition. "Bit... here with me for a while? To make sure it's all okay?" How could anything be okay without Agnes?

Agnes stepped aside to allow Rebecca to look into her room. She didn’t want to crowd her, even though she knew that she was really one of the only people right now who could keep her calm. The issue was, though, that the sedatives were wearing off so Rebecca would be far more alert now. She really didn’t want her to relapse by feeling stressed or forced into this situation so Agnes did her best to give Rebecca her space, but to try to stay by her side as much as possible too.

It was going to be difficult though. With the holidays over, she would be going back to both work and school very soon. She doubted that Rebecca was going to be 100% cured by that point, but hopefully she could at least keep her calm when those times come.

But for now she would simply do her best to be there for the sweet redhead.

>> "My room, yeah? It's... big…So many corners..."[/color]

Agnes nodded that this room was indeed Rebecca’s and softly closed the door behind her. Visibly keeping out the “scary world” should at least help Rebecca cope somewhat. The room now closed off, Agnes stepped in further and set her bag of clothes nearby. Thankfully she had managed to bring the redhead a couple of her own outfits during the three days she was at the hospital.

But just as she set them down, she turned when she felt Rebecca’s gaze on her. Looking up, she stared at those large, slightly scared eyes and felt her heart pang painfully.

>> “You promise it's safe here, right? And... And you'll stay? Like, for some time? Not all the time. Well, all the time like no breaking away again coz Ah'll cry forever… Bit... here with me for a while? To make sure it's all okay?"[/color]

The smile upon her lips was a comforting as she could muster. Though it killed her to see Rebecca like this, she did love her and knew that she couldn’t leave her side. Despite the crippling fear that was clearly invading Rebecca’s mind, Agnes would have to do what she could to keep her calm.

She nodded, still smiling sweetly as she slowly approached Rebecca. She had learned that sudden moves could startle Rebecca far more than she was sure she liked.

“It’s safe, Becca,” she whispered. “This is the safest place you can be. And…I’m not going anywhere.” She reached out and carefully took Rebecca’s hands. “I do have work and school, but not for another week. I’ll spend as long as I can with you. I swear.”

>> “It’s safe, Becca. This is the safest place you can be. And…I’m not going anywhere. I do have work and school, but not for another week. I’ll spend as long as I can with you. I swear.”

It was what Rebecca was hoping to hear, and she knew Agnes was telling the truth. She could rely on the black haired love of her life because she was always the one around when Rebecca needed her. Well... minus a very bad, very dark period.

But things were better now. Agnes set aside a whole week for her, which Rebecca could not be more thankful for. Obviously Agnes could not put aside everyday life things forever, but seven whole days were important. She would just have to get better after seven days. It was not too hard to imagine. Sure, things had been rough, but now that she was safe in her room, hopefully she could start on the right foot and get better in no--

bzzzzzzt!

"AAH!"

In a fit of panic, Rebecca's hand plunged into her pocket and tossed the item within across the room at a wall.

Thankfully, Rebecca's phone was encased and pretty durable, but even still, the battery cover and battery flipped through the air after contact with the wall.

Rebecca was wibbling and shaking, but slowly she started to catch her breath. It was just her phone. She had used it to text people at the hospital. It was probably someone from work like Akshay or Lexi wishing her well.

The girl felt terrible, like a scared child. Embarrassed, she pointed her eyes to the ground like it was the one appropriate place. "Jist my phone... right. Nae scary."

Okay, so maybe she had some work to do...

grwwllllllll.

Rebecca jumped, still not used to the behaviors of her own working body. Her stomach was growling, but her first worry was that she was not as healthy as the doctors said. "Aggie, am Ah okay?" She pressed her hands against her waist, hoping to keep whatever was in her from moving.

Rebecca looked relieved. That made Agnes happy. Though she couldn’t really understand what hellish time Rebecca had, she knew that she didn’t want to cause her an undue stress so she wanted to do everything possible to try and make her happy. Obviously the idea of the two of them spending more time together did well for the young redhead’s mental state. Agnes only hoped that by the time a week was up, Rebecca was more calm and could more easily handle being without her--

>> "AAH! Jist my phone... right. Nae scary."[/color]

Agnes jumped as Rebecca hurled her phone across the gap of the room and sent it flying into one of the walls. Thankfully the phone’s case managed to keep the phone itself from breaking rather badly, but still managed to pop the battery out. It was obvious that there was still a lot of work for them to have to get Rebecca to a stable state.

But Agnes was more than willing to try.

Giving Rebecca a comforting smile, Agnes reached over and carefully squeezed her arm to assure her that everything was okay. They needed to take things one step at a time.

Carefully she moved away, just to reclaim the phone. As she began to piece it back together, she returned to Rebecca’s side, offering her another warm smile as she slipped the battery cover back into place. Her thoughts were interrupted though when a loud rumbling produced from somewhere within the room. It was enough to even more Agnes take attention of it. But when her eyes fell upon the petite redhead, she had a feeling she knew what it was.

Rebecca was holding her stomach. Agnes then realized that she really hadn’t seen the young woman eat that day.

>> "Aggie, am Ah okay?"[/color]

Again, she nodded, trying to look as comforting as possible.

“Of course you are,” she said gently. “That was just your stomach telling you you are hungry. You haven’t eaten today.” She thought for second before she continued. “Do you want to come with me to the kitchen? Or do you want to stay here? I promise I will be back very quickly.”

>> “Of course you are. That was just your stomach telling you you are hungry. You haven’t eaten today. Do you want to come with me to the kitchen? Or do you want to stay here? I promise I will be back very quickly.”

It was a difficult choice; she needed food, but her only two choices were for Agnes to go away and get food, or for her to stay beside Agns and leave the relatively safe room.

Not being with Agnes sounded like the worst of all options, but in a week, it would be reality for Rebecca, so she had to learn how to accept that in little pieces. "You gae and Ah'll stay. Bit jist dinnae gae for too long."

Rebecca moved close to Agnes and kissed her girlfriend on the lips. She was out of practice, but she at least managed to get her lips squarely on Agnes's. "Hurry back, Aggie."

Agnes waited for Rebecca to decide. She didn’t want to force anything on her traumatized girlfriend and only wanted her to make the decisions for herself. She would do whatever the young redhead wanted but it had to be what Rebecca was comfortable with, nothing more. Above all else, she wanted Rebecca to get better, no matter the cost.

Rebecca looked to be musing her options over and while Agnes knew that the redhead didn’t want to be alone, school would be starting up again. While Rebecca could afford to take time off to heal after her experience, Agnes, sadly, couldn’t. She needed to go back to Juilliard, she needed to go back to the dorms. Of course she would spend every spare second possible with Rebecca (maybe even set up some video chat between them so they could always see one another’s faces) but that still meant that Rebecca needed to get used to being alone.

She couldn’t have a sitter twenty-four-seven. As much as Agnes wanted to protect her, Rebecca needed to heal.

After a few more seconds of thought, Rebecca finally seemed to come to a decision.

>> "You gae and Ah'll stay. Bit jist dinnae gae for too long."[/color]

Agnes smiled and nodded. That was her girl. Despite everything that Rebecca had gone through, Agnes knew that some part of her still realized these things.

She turned to go but paused when she saw Rebecca walking up to her out of the corner of her eye…

>> "Hurry back, Aggie."[/color]

The kiss was soft and just a little awkward. Agnes gratefully returned it. It was moments like this that Agnes began to feel the rekindling of the Rebecca Grey that she knew and loved. They gave her hope that one day she would see her sweet redhead again. She smiled softly as she pressed her forehead against Rebecca’s and sighed. She really did miss this; far too much.

“Faster than you can say my name,” she promised, kissed Rebecca once more and exited.

Once the was sure that the door was secure, Agnes took her leave and headed for the mansion kitchen as quickly as he two little feet could carry her. Though she wasn’t paranoid that Rebecca would just vanish from sight again the second she turned away, there was still a little inkling in her head that wanted her to be swift. In what had to be a school record, Agnes found herself in the school’s kitchen, racking her brain to think what to bring the redhead for lunch.

Moments later, she was half leaning in the fridge, looking over things. Maybe something simple? A sandwich? Chips? Something sweet? Her eyes roaming over the items, she suddenly caught sight of a large container that seemed to contain something good…spaghetti! Rebecca loved pasta! And, with no one’s name on it, it was up for grabs.

Minutes in the microwave took forever but eventually Agnes managed to heat up a pair of bowls of spaghetti, as well as garlic bread! Bread was always good! Setting them on a tray (along with a fresh piece of fruit and a soda and bottle of water) Agnes made her way back to the room. She hoped that Rebecca wouldn’t think she was gone too long.

Stopping at the door, she lightly knocked on it with her toe, waiting for Rebecca to answer…

>> “Faster than you can say my name.”

It was a silly phrase, but an adorable one. Rebecca nodded as Agnes hurried her way out of the room, leaving Rebecca to survive on her own for a few minutes.

There was not much going on in the room; the longer she was there, the more comfortable she felt in the familiar surroundings. If she ever spent time living away at college, it would probably be the feeling that came along with returning home; awkward accustomization to something once familiar until everything felt like it fit once more.

The only real problem was how quiet the room was. The more the silence of the room sank in, the more Rebecca started thinking to herself, and when she did that, there was still the latent habit of creating a dialogue.

Hearing the second voice in her head was upsetting because she knew that was not progress. It was explained to her very clearly that, out of desperation for interaction, Rebecca tried becoming her own companion. The voice was not real.

But not being real did not stop the voice from talking. Nothing important was being said, but she did all she could to drown out whatever conversation starters were entering her head. Quietly, she muttered, "Shush, shush, shush, no, no, Ah'm alone, it's jist the quiet."

The quiet was not good. Rebecca sought to fix the problem while waiting for Agnes's return. Picking up the phone Agnes so kindly pieced together, she scanned through the app icons until she found the one shaped like a boombox.

The last station she listened to before the Ragman booted up, and a soft, almost ominous set of string notes came from the phone. She was happy it was not a very loud or very active song, but the words only made her longing for Agnes's return more pronounced.

She placed the phone on the nightstand.

...Just close your eyes
The sun is going down...

The song was actually fairly accurate; New York was reaching the end of its sunset, and the world outside the window was fading from purple and red to dark blue. Feeling loneliness on the rise, Rebecca went for what logically seemed to be the safest place: her bed.

...You'll be alright
No one can hurt you now...

Pulling away the covers, Rebecca burrowed herself underneath the warm fabrics, laying her head on the pillow and pulling her body in close until she was hidden and balled up beneath the comforter. She was shivering, not because she was cold, but because she knew her fears were still creeping into her mind. She needed to toughen up and relearn her independence.

...Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound...

But for now, she just wanted Agnes to be back. Ah'm gorna be okay. Ah'm safe and sound. Safe and sound.

Of course we are.

...shut it, you're nae real...

Agnes was still waiting outside the door. She had knocked on it with her toe but Rebecca didn’t answer. It was only a few seconds that had passed but she was beginning to worry that maybe something had befallen the young Scot again. She knew that it was highly unlikely since the mansion was the best place in the world to feel safe. But that didn’t help the young insect queen’s paranoia at all. After losing Rebecca for as long as she did, thinking of the hell she must have endured, Agnes couldn’t imagine her going through any of that again.

“Rebecca?” Agnes asked as she listened closer to the door. Was that…music?

Suddenly Agnes was feeling like maybe it was a mistake. Maybe she should have made her come with her to the kitchen! But she couldn’t treat her like a child. She knew that she couldn’t do that. As much as she loved and wanted to protect Rebecca, that wouldn’t be fair towards her. Especially since they needed to start learning how to spend time apart again.

God, it was going to be so terrible. But…they had to keep trying.

Swallowing her fears, trying to keep them in the pits of her stomach for now, Agnes knocked again with her good. All she heard in response though was more of whatever music was playing from inside. Where was it coming from? Did Rebecca turn on her stereo? Maybe her phone? But why? Just to hear some? There was too many questions for her to focus. No, she needed to breath and remain calm.

After she set the food tray aside on a table, Agnes took a deep breath and stayed calm. She could do this. Both of them could do this.

Returning to the door, Agnes tapped the doorknob. Thank goodness Rebecca didn’t lock it after she had left.

“Rebecca? Honey?” she called out. “I’m coming back in.” Opening the door, she pushed it open slowly, just enough so that it was no longer sealed shut. Afterward she plucked up the tray of foodstuffs and maneuvered herself back inside, nudging the door opening slowly with her posterior.

She hoped Rebecca was okay...

>> “Rebecca? Honey? I’m coming back in.”

Rebecca's brief internal conflict was interrupted by the soft sound of her girlfriend's voice moving into the room. There must have been knocking, but she was too absorbed in her music to differentiate the sound. Thinking back, there was probably a moment in the song when there was a knocking she just assumed to be background noise, like the recorded thunder sounds.

Rebecca rolled off her side, sitting up and holding the blankets up with her body, still enjoying their warmth. "Welcome back, Aggie," she greeted, very happy to not be the only one in the room again.

"Sorry, Ah wanted tae make it less quiet. And more cozy." She pushed over, hoping to give room on the bed for Agnes to sit next to her.

Taking a big whiff, Rebecca caught a delicious scent. It took her a moment to call back the smell of tomatoes and garlic from a distant memory. "Pasta!" Her smile brightened. "Ah forgot how good things smell." Scent was definitely a sense people took for granted.

Agnes peeked into the room…and was thankful to indeed find Rebecca within. The young Scot was sitting on her bed, listening to the music that filled the room, shooing away any bit of silence that had once taken over. To most that would not be something big. After all, people listened to music all the time in their rooms while they were alone. There was nothing wrong with that, right?

But maybe there was something more. Was Rebecca afraid of the silence? That could very well be possible. After all, from the little she understood about Rebecca’s experience, she had been alone and in a kind of waking coma for what felt like a year. Just the idea of it startled and scared Agnes no small degree. She could only imagine what it would be like trying to get back to the real world, only to be scared of an length of silence that seemed too long.

No. She needed to stop overthinking it. There was no telling that was actually the problem here. It could very well be that Rebecca just wanted to listen to music.

They were both going to have to work on trusting the world again.

>> "Welcome back, Aggie…Sorry, Ah wanted tae make it less quiet. And more cozy."[/color]

She smiled and nodded, still balancing the tray of food and drink in her hands.

“Sounds like a plan,” she beamed and set the food down on a nearby table. Once she had she turned to close the door again. Immediately the scent of the hot food had wafted into the air, filling in the empty corners and tantalizing the cute nose of the petite redhead.

>> "Pasta! Ah forgot how good things smell." [/color]

Agnes’ grin widened with relief. Success! She had managed to get something for her girlfriend that seemed good! One step at a time towards healing.

She grinned as she carried the tray of food over to the bed and sat across from Rebecca, leaving the tray between the two of them. The scent of marinara sauce curl up and around their noses, mixing in with the cheesy smell of garlic bread, it was need a mouth watering aroma to be sitting nearby. She really did hope that Rebecca would like it.

“How’re you feeling?” she asked, but then nodded to the food. “Be careful, it still might be a little hot,” she warned as she offered the redhead a cold can of soda, waiting for her to answer her first question.

Rebecca was quick to grab the fork that accompanied her delicious food, sticking the utensil into the intertwining noodles and spinning it around until it caught several strands until the prongs were wrapped in a ball of red-tinted pasta. The famished young woman pulled the reaped harvest to her mouth.

>> “How’re you feeling? Be careful, it still might be a little hot.”

"YAH!" Agnes's very valid warning went unheeded as Rebecca choked back the pasta, leaving a scorched feeling from her tongue to her throat. "Ow... th' pastha burnth."

The sensation was not pleasant, but it was temporary. With the next forkful of food, Rebecca spent fifteen seconds blowing away some of the heat and by the time it made it to her mouth (cautiously,) it was just about lukewarm. "Mmm, better," she confirmed with a smile. She took a bite of the garlic bread, enjoying the melty cheesy bread, following up with a careful sip from the soda so as not to spill any on herself or the bed.

As Rebecca took another careful bite of the pasta that was finally cooling down, she held a forkful up to Agnes. "Want some, Aggie?"

>> "YAH! Ow... th' pastha burnth." [/color]

A look of compassion filled Agnes’ eyes as she reached over and carefully began to stroke the young redhead’s hair. She had warned her that it was hot but apparently hunger took the place of reason. Not that she could blame her, poor thing. She sighed as she just smiled and patted the young woman’s cheek. It seemed that it was going to be a bit harder than she originally thought to get Rebecca back into the shape that she used to be.

Agnes was willing, though. She loved her. She just hoped that her help was going to work.

She smiled again, though, when she saw Rebecca actually take the time to blow onto the hot pasta. A few seconds was all it required to cool enough to eat. Rebecca at least was learning that.

>> "Mmm, bette,”

“Good, I’m glad you like it,” Agnes said brightly as she grabbed one of the extra soda’s, gently popped the top and took a sip. The fizzy bubbles tickled her tongue briefly and the carbonation burned a little going down her throat but it was still pretty refreshing.

She looked up, though, when a forkful of pasta was offered to her.

>> "Want some, Aggie?"[/color]

Agnes held up her hand and gave a soft shake of her head. She had plucked up one of the extra pieces of cheesy bread.

“No thank you,” she said with a smile. “Not too hungry. Just the bread will do.” She then leaned over and carefully kissed Rebecca on her forehead. “Eat up, okay? You need to get your strength back.”

>> “No thank you, Not too hungry. Just the bread will do. Eat up, okay? You need to get your strength back.”

Feeling Agnes's lips pressed against her forehead was still the most welcome sensation of normalcy in Rebecca's life now. The offered coil of noodled was brought to the brink of Rebecca's mouth before she stopped it. She wanted to say something, gathering her thoughts into words for a moment before quietly speaking.

"Ah love you sae much. Ah waited a year tae be able tae say that, and it was still worth it."

Pleased with herself, Rebecca smiled and ate her pasta with a sense of accomplishment.

And with the pasta now no longer the temperature of the sun, Rebecca made quick work of all the food presented to her. Her stomach was no longer growling, and her natural order of needs pressed forward with a mighty yawn.

Sheepishly, Rebecca instinctively began curling up under the covers. "Thank you sae much, Aggie. So... bedtime now?"

Looking at the light switch on the wall, Rebecca felt another looming worry. "Is there... can we have a way tae keep a wee bit of light? Dark is... nae good yet." She would handle her fears one at a time, but the dark... would need time.

>> "Ah love you sae much. Ah waited a year tae be able tae say that, and it was still worth it."[/color]

Suddenly the smile on Agnes’ face brightened even more. It had been such a long time since she heard that from Rebecca that it sounded like sweet music to her ears. She loved the redhead so much that it seemed like every bit of that horrible time they were separated melted away. The anger, the sadness, the discomfort, it was moving on. It seemed as if they finally had the time to just love one another.

She nodded in response.

“It was,” she whispered as she gently squeezed Rebecca’s knee. "And I love you..."

She had tried making Rebecca understand that it had only been a week that she was gone, but Rebecca was convinced that it was much longer. She shouldn’t be surprised by that. Truth was that Agnes didn’t know what it was like in that place at all. But, from what she heard, it could have very well felt like a year. Poor thing. She let the matter drop as she just patted the redhead’s knee again and urged her to continue eating. Again, there would be time to think about such stuff later on.

Rebecca was apparently very hungry. Before Agnes knew it, all of her pasta she had brought her girlfriend had vanished and there was a supreme look of satisfaction on the redhead’s face. Agnes was glad she had a healthy appetite. She was saddened, though, that it seemed as if Rebecca was going to have to learn all this stuff all over again. She loved her but to see the aftermath of her hellish time was almost too much to bear.

If only she could make that man in rags pay for this. He deserved it. But that is something she needed to bury right now. Rebecca still needed the majority of her attention.

>> "Thank you sae much, Aggie. So... bedtime now? Is there... can we have a way tae keep a wee bit of light? Dark is... nae good yet."[/color]

Agnes nodded. “Of course, love,” she whispered.

Standing from the bed, Agnes moved over to the nearest desk lamp and flicked on the light. It should be bright enough to shoo away the dark, but still dim enough to allow Rebecca to sleep. After this, she grabbed a chair and pulled it over so that she was situated directly next to Rebecca’s bed. Agnes herself wasn’t sleepy yet, but she could keep watch.

“How’s that?” she asked, referencing the now dimmish light in the bedroom. “Do you want more lights on?’