Rebecca's dream was incoherent, like the dreams she had under the influence of fevers as a kid. Agnes showed up several times, sometimes with her normal bug wings, other times surrounded by bees and butterflies, and once or twice with angelic wings and a halo. There was also Malachi, though more often than not, he was in the form of a beast, or a whirling inferno. There was a noble knight, who spoke in a deep, dignified voice but had no face. There was even a beautiful woman with an angry face who glared at Rebecca. She did not recognize her, but she knew it was Jasmine.

There was a voice speaking to her, asking her if she was okay. At first, Rebecca thought it was Agnes's voice, but slowly she regained consciousness and realized it was the Mansion's Healer.

Rebecca's eyes fluttered open and she looked down at her hands; the burns were just about completely gone. Rebecca moved her left hand, but the right arm did not want to move. She cringed at the feeling-- a familiar one from football. She most likely had a small fracture in her elbow. "Ah feel better," she thanked quietly. "Ah think Ah'll jist need a sling if ye dornt mind." It was probably rude to diagnose herself, but she wanted to be helpful.

From outside her room, she could hear Agnes and the voice of the knight from her dream. While she was curious who this man was, her main concern was knowing Agnes was alright. Her voice still weak, it cracked as she called out, "Ag-nes!"

DocProf sighed as he closed his eyes, placing his hands once more onto Rebecca’s own hands. A golden light warmly issued off from his own digits as he felt his abilities pour into the wounds. In doing so, DocProf relived exactly what had happened when she received those scars. The abandoned house, the fiery man, the way Rebecca defended Agnes, all wounds received in the act of bravery. Not lessons needed to be learned here but it was going to take a session or two to fully heal the girl.

He had already cleared the bruises on her back from the fall and was nearly done with healing her hands. Bones took a bit more energy to heal so he would have to do that tomorrow. Once he had a good rest. In the mean time, he focused entirely on clearing her hands. He was in the middle of doing such when he felt the girl stir.

A warm, fatherly smile appeared on his face, wrinkling around his eyes as he watched the girl awaken from her exhausted sleep.

“Morning child. How are you feeling?” he asked calmly.

>> "Ah feel better…Ah think Ah'll jist need a sling if ye dornt mind."

He smirked as he tilted his head. Every day he ran into students who tried to diagnose themselves but the difference was that they wanted everything healed right then and there. Half the time the good doctor had to deny them certain healings just so they could learn a lesson. But this girl apparently was different.

“We’ll see,” he said calmly. But before he could say anything else…

>> "Ag-nes!"[/color]

Agnes was still standing outside of the door, talking to the detective when she heard the voice ring in her ears. Instantly she turned away from Jorge and peeked into the room. Rebecca was sitting up, looking better but still like she had gone through hell in a handbasket. Instantly her eyes grew misty as she excused herself from the detective and dashed into the room. She didn’t run through, since she did not want to disturb DocProf or Rebecca too much, but she did walk a bit briskly. Everyone else melted away as Agnes moved over to Rebecca’s bed, smiling a little sadly. She took a shaky breath as she sat on the edge of the bed next to Rebecca.

“R-Rebecca, you’re awake,” she smiled happily, tears still stinging her eyes. “H-How do you feel? A-Are you okay?”

DocProf smiled as he stood up and moved away from the girls to give them space. As he did so, he looked up to see Jorge now standing inside the room. He nodded respectfully as he stepped out.

Jorge nodded to the Doc and looked up to see Agnes sitting next to the girl she had identified as Rebecca. He was relieved that she was alright as well. He gave them both a warm smile.

“I’ll be waiting outside, Agnes. Ms. Grey, I’m happy to see you’re alright,” he said gentleness that did not seem possible for such a gruff voice. Turning on his heel, he too left the room, leaving Agnes once again alone with Rebecca.

Rebecca nodded in thanks to the kind old man taking care of her. Her back was no longer hurting her, so he had apparently done a lot for her. Despite his kindness, she was happy he was leaving the room to give her time with Agnes. The knight (who, judging by the badge on his belt was a police officer) also spoke kindly, and she meekly replied, "Thank ye..." It was apparent he must have helped Agnes get Rebecca back to the Mansion.

When they were alone, and Rebecca might have heard Agnes ask how she was doing, but you would not have known it. Instead of replying, Rebecca threw her working arm around her thin friend. "Ah'm sae happy tae see yoo're alright! Ah cannae believe Ah passed out!"

Rebecca cringed when she realized that various parts of her body were still sore. She pulled away slightly to look in the striking blue eyes in front of her. "Ah wouldae forgave maself if they got ye."

>> "Thank ye...”

Agnes watched as Jorge disappeared through the door. She had nodded that she indeed would meet him and give her statement about what had happened. She had told the man but it needed to be officially recorded. Besides most of what she said didn’t make sense or was jabbering because she was more preoccupied with whether or not Rebecca was okay. Now that she knew though, she could probably deliver a more focused account on what happened.

She turned her attention back to Rebecca but just as she did she felt that one thin arm quickly wrap around her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. Agnes smiled and complied as she hugged Rebecca back, just as thankful to see her friend alive.

>> "Ah'm sae happy tae see yoo're alright! Ah cannae believe Ah passed out!"

“I’m fine, I’m fine! I’m more worried about you,” she said through a teary-eyed grin.

Agnes laughed. Rebecca couldn’t believe that she passed out? Agnes was not at all surprised. After all considering the amount of metal that she moved and manipulated in a short amount of time it was no surprise that she pushed her powers to the limit. She could literally punch Rebecca for having pushed herself so dangerously far. But Agnes also knew that if the pretty Scot hadn’t, they probably would not be sitting here talking right now.

Rebecca saved the both of them. She was the hero of this story…

>> "Ah wouldae forgave maself if they got ye."

Agnes shook her head, tears starting to dot her cheeks. But through her blurry blue eyes she paused in her happy tears just long enough to lock eyes with the strawberry blond. Her odd colored eyes stared back into hers and, of all things, Agnes found herself remembering that instant from back in the closet. She remembered the “accident”, the brushing of lips. Had Rebecca really kissed her? Or was it as the young Scot had said, that she had simply slipped?

A meek smile, she found herself staring into the girl’s eyes and just the thought that she had nearly been the cause for their dimming made the young runaway’s heart sink. Gently she reached up and took Rebecca’s hand, squeezing it softly.

“T-They nearly killed you, Rebecca. I…I would have never forgiven myself if they had,” she sniffled and shook her head “It’s m-my fault. I shouldn’t…I shouldn’t have asked you to come with me. I-I’m sorry…”

>> "I’m fine, I’m fine! I’m more worried about you."

Rebecca wanted to argue against Agnes's worries, but that was hard to do as she laid in a bed riddled with injuries. Now that the event had passed, the fact that she almost died was sinking in. She had made her choice though; she would protect Agnes, and if she really wanted to be an X-Man, she had to take selfless risks.

>> “T-They nearly killed you, Rebecca. I…I would have never forgiven myself if they had... it’s m-my fault. I shouldn’t…I shouldn’t have asked you to come with me. I-I’m sorry…”

Agnes cared about her so much, Rebecca's could feel a pang in her heart. She shook her head despite her still sore neck. "Nae... if Ah didnae go, ye coulds have been taken. If that happened, Ah never woulds 'ave forgiven maself."

Rebecca rested her hand on Agnes's and smiled. "Ah was happy tae protect ye." And she was. She would rather have a busted arm than a lost Agnes.

Rebecca yawned, covering her mouth with her good hand. "Ah think Ah still need tae rest... coulds ye..." she hesitated to ask her favor, but was too tired not to ask, "coulds ye stay wi' meh? Til Ah sleep?"

Agnes really did feel horrible. It was not a life or death situation that drove her back to that house, it was a simple and selfish need to gather things that should have been long forgotten. Rebecca nearly died simply so that she could claim a few old comics, books, trinkets and a photograph. That was definitely not fair, at least in her eyes it wasn’t. But judging by the look on Rebecca’s face, the redheaded Scot already seemed to disagree with her.

>> "Nae... if Ah didnae go, ye coulds have been taken. If that happened, Ah never woulds 'ave forgiven maself…Ah was happy tae protect ye."

The runaway sighed. That really was one of the most sweetest things that anyone had ever told her. She had only heard such a thing a couple of times before from people she cared about: Gina, Emerald, Sveta, she knew that each and every one of them cared about her and her safety very much. Now she could add Rebecca to that list? It was sweet, but Agnes did not want people always risking their lives for her.

No, Agnes needed to end that cycle before someone did actually end up dying in trying to keep her safe. There had to be a way to safeguard herself and those she cared about from her parents and their fanatical church.

Maybe she should talk to Sebastian about that…

>> “Ah think Ah still need tae rest... coulds ye... coulds ye stay wi' meh? Til Ah sleep?"

She felt the hand on her own and Agnes smiled a bit weakly at Rebecca. How could she really deny her friend anything after everything she had done today? Warmly, she squeezed her hand and nodded.

“I hadn’t planned on going anywhere,” she said with a nod. Removing herself from the bed, Agnes grabbed the chair that DocProf had been sitting it and pulled it closer to the bed. She gently took a seat, leaned over and brushed some of Rebecca’s strawberry locks off her of her forehead. “You get some sleep, okay? I’ll be here when you wake up. I promise.”

>> “I hadn’t planned on going anywhere. You get some sleep, okay? I’ll be here when you wake up. I promise.”

Rebecca was comforted by Agnes's words; she knew anything from those lips could be trusted.

Those lips... the lips she stole a kiss from. She should feel horrible now that it was said and done; she committed an act of adultery, which was wrong. Just like she said in her poem, her duty was to protect her princess, but never to have her. That privilege belonged to Jasmine and Jasmine alone.

She was wrong, and she was rude and unfair, but she was not sorry; at least not just yet. Agnes was Jasmine's all the time and she could enjoy the blue eyes and the soft lips any day she wanted. As for today, even if it was just for one day-- even just moments of one day... Agnes belonged to Rebecca.

Rebecca felt a thin hand brush strands of hair from out of her face, taking it in her own hand and holding it close to her heart. She yawned softly, allowing her eyes to flutter close.

As selfish as it was, she would keep Agnes. The princess would be hers... if only until her eyes opened, awaking her from her perfect dream.