It was supposed to be a normal day today.

The kids would start off bleary-eyed during the first few hours of class at first. They'd have recess. Then more classes, then lunch, the more classes again. Anya would certainly fall asleep at some point and the teacher would scold her since she was at the very front of the class. She'd order her usual 'omurice 'for lunch and gladly talk to Charles and Becky about whatever they wanted. Then during recess, they'd play tag or hide and seek or anything, really. Then when class ended, she'd run home and meet with her beloved family.

Nothing out of the ordinary was supposed to happen. Certainly not anything dangerous.

However, in the case of one Anya Forger, 'something very dangerous was about to happen to her.

In hindsight, she should have sensed that today was going to be difficult, as it had started off pretty badly. Becky was sick with a cold and it was the first time that Anya was left on her own.

It was lucky that she was friends with Charles, who sat next to her.

"Hello, Anya." He greeted, "Are you feeling better after yesterday?"

"Hi, Charles! And yeah, I'm okay." She promised, then looking at the empty seat sadly. "Becky's sick today."

"Well, at least we can play together!" Charles decided to look on the bright side.

This caused Anya to giggle and from a distance, Damian Desmond watched and scoffed. This again? 'Ever since yesterday, he hated Charles even more than usual. Suggesting that he was jealous of him because of Anya? How absurd.

Still, a small part of Damian was glad to see that Anya wouldn't be sitting alone, even if it was with the Stupid Prince.

"So, Boss, what did you do yesterday? I bet you celebrated with your Father, right?" Emile asked excitedly.

"Oh, did you ask him for that horse you always wanted?!"

Damian's eyes fell as he looked at his empty notebook.

He tried to tell his father about it. But as predicted, when he tried to call him, he didn't answer. It was embarrassing for him to admit that, though, so instead, he lied and said, "Yeah, we're getting a horse picked at the end of the month."

"Awesome!" They exclaimed, none the wiser.

At this rate, Damian wondered that even if he did become an Imperial Scholar, would his father even care?

As per usual 'everytime 'he thought of a sad thought, he could feel Anya's eyes on him. Every single time, he never failed to look away, embarrassed.

So, Sy-On Boy wasn't even able to celebrate with his Papa?

That was so sad...

"Anya? Are you okay?" Charles asked, noting how her smile seemed to drop.

"Yep! Yep, I'm fine!" She insisted with a wide forced smile on her face.

"Oh, I think I know why you're sad." Charles quipped.

"You do?" No way! Did he figure out she could read minds? Could he read minds, too?

"It's because Becky's not here. Well, don't worry! We'll have loads of fun today! What do you want to do at recess? We can do anything you want!" He promised.

Oh, that sounded like fun!

Anya thought about it carefully, mulling over her options. Well, there is one thing she's always wanted to try. Becky always said it was too dangerous, but hey, Becky wasn't here, was she?

"I wanna to swing by the creek!" She decided.

She was referring to the creek behind the big oak tree. The gap under the creek was pretty wide and there was a small channel of water under it, but there was a rope that you could use to swing to the other side, avoiding the waters between them.

"Hmm...Okay!" Charles agreed. Why not? It could be fun, after all.

But by the time recess came, the winds were harsher that date. It wasn't the fun, fair snow under the sun that the kids enjoyed. It was the kind of cold that even their mink coats couldn't shield them from.

The cold slapped her cheeks almost instantly and most of the kids suddenly wished that they could go back inside the school. But they weren't allowed to during recess, so instead 'they all tried to make the most of it and kept warm.

Damian opted to stay near the school steps, ready to rush back into the school the second he heard the bell. His friends huddled around him, all shaking.

That's when Emile noticed behind Damian, "Hey, where are the Prince and Forger going?"

Damian turned around. Unsurprisingly, Anya did not care about the cold. Don't get her wrong, she was freezing. But this was probably her only chance to go over that creek and she could never pass up the opportunity for adventure!

So, she was determined to have fun that day. Cold or not.

Still, Damian kept an eye out.

"Think they're headed for the creek?" Ewen asked.

"They better not, unless they want to end up like that one kid." Emile mentioned.

Raising his brow, Damian turned to him. "What kid?"

They all blinked, surprised at him. "You don't know?"

"No...what are you talking about?"

Being an Elman, Emile in particular was privy to information that was meant to be kept a secret. "You should ask your brother, it happened when he was a student in Eden. Before, there was a kid in class who died trying to cross that creek. See that rope on the big tree? He tried to swing to the other side, but he didn't hold on properly and he fell."

"What?!" Damian exclaimed.

"Yeah! Don't you know that's why the teachers always tell us never to go past the oak tree?" Ewen said, "It was horrible! The kid cracked his head on the rocks and he died like instantly."

"No way. You're just making that up. It's just one of those dumb rumors, like the four-leaf clovers being magic."

"First, they

are

magic." Ewen insisted, "And second, it's true! There was a huge cover up because the boy who died was just a commoner. The school gave the parents some 'hush' money to never talk about it."

"But why didn't they fence off the creek then?" Damian asked.

"Why would they? That was the only time it ever happened and they made the parents go away. If they fenced it off when a student disappeared, it would have looked suspicious." Emile said, "I know about it because Daddy was part of the cover-up! He told me never to cross that creek because of that!"

"But then Anya..." Damian began and slowly all three boys' heads began to turn towards the two kids who were already getting too close to the creek.

Oh, no.

They yelled out their names, but with the harsh wind howling in their ears, neither Charles nor Anya could hear them.

As he walked behind Anya, Charles wasn't exactly a fan of the cold but he didn't want to look like a wimp in front of Anya.

When they reached the creek, it was hard not to notice how the waters seemed to flow faster and harsher than it usually did. The blanket of snow was still untouched on the other side, save for a few footprints of birds and even that was hard to see. Icicles covered the trees like a crystal forest.

Both kids shivered, but as Anya saw the forest on the other side, it wasn't just any old forest. It had to be amazing, with secrets and something special hidden! Maybe fairies? Maybe a snow monster? Who knows!

Either way, her eyes immediately locked on the rope hung on the tall tree. With her tiny hands she wrapped around it, shaking off the layer of snow on it.

From afar, as he and his friends struggled to run through the powdery snow, Damian's eyes widened in panic as he saw her holding the rope.

'Forger, what the hell are you doing?!'

"Go for it, Anya!" Charles encouraged.

But as Anya looked down, she began to feel a bit nervous. The creek was quite high and the water rushing under was so loud that it was almost deafening. Charles had to shout for Anya to hear and she gulped. Was now really the best time to do this? When everything was slippery and freezing? Not to mention all the kids were far so no one would notice anything if something went wrong...

"Um, Charles...do you think Anya can reach the other side?" She asked nervously.

Deep down, Charles wasn't too sure. Actually, he was kind of afraid and he was dreading when it was his turn to swing and cross. At the same time, he couldn't find it in himself to stand up to Anya and tell her that it might not be the best idea.

Besides, after yesterday, he felt like he had to prove himself somehow. Stupid Damian won and Stella and for what! It was so unfair! He also saw how happy Anya was for Damian, something that Charles wouldn't care about but he knew now that Damian had a crush on Anya, too.

So, he decided that he'd rather appear brave than a scaredy-cat. "It'll be fine!"

"A-Are you sure?" Anya asked.

But Charles completely missed the look on Anya's face, which was practically begging him to tell her it was a bad idea and not to do it.

"Definitely sure!" He nodded and gave a thumbs up.

Anya gulped, but she didn't see a choice in the matter. They were already here and she really did want to see what was on the other side. "Okay, well, on the count of three. One, two...three!

"ANYA, STOP!" She heard someone scream, but by the time she did, her feet were already in the air and she was already swinging across the creek.

For a second, everything seemed fine. They'd seen a hundred kids doing this in the summer and they always came out okay. Anya wasn't so sure what she was scared of. Everything was perfectly fine!

Until it wasn't.

Her heart dropped as she heard the rope snap.

And faster than she could think about what was happening, she was falling.

She heard everyone screaming, but she wasn't sure if she could hear herself scream, either.

All she knew was that being under that water felt like the snow and wind slapping her, only now it was everywhere.

As best as she could, she tried to swim back to the surface, but by the time her head was above water, she saw that the water was quickly carrying her away.

She could see Charles, frozen in fear, and to her surprise, Damian was there alongside Emile and Ewen, yelling after her.

Without even thinking twice, Damian quickly ran, trying to catch up to Anya but the water was washing her away far too quickly.

"Hold on!" He yelled.

"I-" she tried to say, only to accidentally swallow a mouthful of water, "I can't!"

Damian looked ahead and he couldn't see if the water ended and if it did, where would it go?! Either way, Anya was in huge danger right now!

It was then that she accidentally collided with a stone that was 'peaking 'out of the waters. Luckily, it wasn't that painful (at least not compared to being in freezing ice cold waters), but then as she saw the multiple huge rocks and branches that were sticking out in odd places, she had an idea.

Her scarf!

She quickly removed her scarf, instantly feeling even colder. But this was her only chance of getting out! The water may be moving too fast and the branches were too far out of her reach, but this was her only shot before the worst could happen.

She swung her scarf, holding one end on the other like a sort of sail on a boat. She'd seen how the wind would blow against it in old pirate cartoons, so she decided to mimic it in hopes of catching on.

It was a long shot. But what else could she do?

She carefully looked around her and instantly she saw a rock that was large and pointy enough to use her scarf to hold herself.

But she only had a second! The water pushed her so fast that everything she saw seemed to last a second, her vision blurring, and the fact that she was constantly thrashing in the water didn't help either.

'Concentrate, Anya, you can't die here!'

She told herself,

'Not today!'

She took a deep breath, trying to shut out just how terrified she was. She pretended that she couldn't hear the harsh cries of the water, threatening to drown her at any second. She pretended that she wasn't freezing cold and that her hands didn't feel like icicles.

No, all she did was focus on a tunnel vision straight to that rock, which was the only thing keeping her from being washed away to God knows where.

She swung her scarf to her back and tried her best to swim toward the left, giving her a better chance at grabbing the rock.

Swiftly, as soon as she was close enough to the rock, she immediately swung her scarf over it with all her might, holding on for dear life. 'The current swept her, threatening to drag her away, but just as planned, her scarf around the rock and gave her something to hang onto.

But she knew she couldn't possibly keep up like this. 'Even now, she began to feel her scarf beginning to tear, a consequence of just how strong the waters were.

"

HELP!

" She screamed, wondering if anyone could hear her with the howling wind and the furious waters.

Was this how she would die? Drowning in freezing cold waters?

But...she wasn't ready to die...

She still had so much to do. She had to know what was next in Spy Wars tonight. She had to know if Becky would be alright from her cold. She had to make Sy-On Boy her best friend. She had to brush Bond's fur tonight. She had to help Mama and Papa realise they love each other. She had to tell them how much she loved them and how they made her life a dream come true.

She had so much to do...

It had never occurred to little Anya Forger that some people just didn't have the time to do what they wanted to do before they died.

The tears stung her face. She could feel her teeth chattering and her hope dwindling.

She felt herself getting swept away even further. As she looked at her scarf, she saw it was half torn already and that she was literally hanging on by a thread.

"

Somebody please help...

" She thinks in her mind as she felt her lips chattering too much for her to speak anymore.

She couldn't...she didn't want to die...

"You're not trying hard enough, 007." The Bad Man told her. "If you don't get this right, we'll leave you in there all night. Is that what you want?"

The little girl shook her head. She was crying, but being submerged in a tank full of water, no one could tell. She was screaming, begging for help, but with the odd mask around her mouth and nose that connected to those long tubes, she wondered if they could hear her.

After the first few times they did this, she quickly understood that they knew perfectly well how she felt about these 'swimming' sessions. She saw many men in coats with clipboards writing things down, studying her. Surely one of them noticed how scared she was. But it occurred to her that maybe they just didn't care.

"Dr. Gottlieb, perhaps we need to decrease the temperature even further. It seems that Subject 007 responds more when in great distress."

"Hmm. Cameron, decrease the water temperature." Dr Gottlieb ordered.

"By how much?" She could hear one of the Bad Men sitting on a chair behind them ask.

"Negative 2 degrees 'celsius." He answered.

She didn't know what 'celsius' meant, but she supposed it made freezing cold. Because suddenly, the waters turned unbearable. It felt like a thousand needles puncturing her skin.

"I'M SCARED. LET ANYA OUT. SAVE ANYA." She screamed in her head.

That's when the Bad Men all looked up from their clipboards. They looked at each other, shocked and smiling, "That's the first time any of our subjects had been able to do that, correct?"

Dr. Gottlieb nodded, "Gentlemen, we've finally reached a breakthrough."

So, they did know. They all heard her.

But they didn't care.

She whimpered as she closed her eyes, pretending she was somewhere else. Somewhere she was loved, where somebody cared, where somebody could hear her.

She could slowly feel herself getting light-headed and sleepy...

She didn't want to die...

"ANYA!" Somebody screamed, breaking Anya out of her trance. As she looked at the source of the scream, there was Damian, at the top of the creek, along Ewen and Emile, all holding a huge thick tree limb together. They slowly lowered it until it touched the water, moving it even further in an attempt to reach Anya.

"Boss, we can't go any further!" Ewen said and they were right. The tree limb they had wasn't long enough. If they tried to go any further, they would all fall into the waters with her and considering how there were so many more rocks, there's no telling if they would be lucky enough to survive.

Crap!

Damian panicked. There was no other way to save her! He saw how she held on using her scarf. It was a good idea, but he could already see how her scarf was being torn by the icy rock and there was no way she could hold onto the rock with her hands alone.

There was only one option.

"Anya, you have to let go!" Damian said.

"What?!" Anya panicked. Did Sy-On Boy want her to die?!

No. That wasn't it. He was scared. He was terrified. He wanted to cry. These were all the thoughts rushing through his mind, but he tried to concentrate on one thing: getting Anya out of the waters.

"We can't move this huge branch any more! But if you let go of the rock, you might be able to reach it if you try to jump towards it!" Damian explained. "Grab it and we can pull you out of there!"

Anya turned around and saw that the tree limb they held was indeed there, but only if she let go. It was just a bit further ahead and there was only a tiny length of the limb that she could hold onto towards the left.

But what if she couldn't reach it in time? What if she would get swept away even further before she could even go anywhere near it?

"Anya, I know you're scared..." Damian began, breathing heavily. 'Her eyes turned to his and never had she seen him that way. So scared, but so determined. If she didn't know any better, she'd think that he would jump into the waters if his plan did fail.

"But you'll be fine. You can reach the branch, I promise! You're 'gonna 'make it out alive!" Damian said.

Anya couldn't breathe. Between the water, her tears and her panicking, she could barely concentrate on breathing normally, "Promise?"

"Yes, I promise! Now let go, I'll catch you!" Damian ordered, "Come on, Starlight, you can do it!"

What other choice did she have?

And so, she felt her little fingers begin to let go of her scarf and all she could think was,

'D

on't

let me die, Sy-On Boy.'

With a deep breath, she felt herself getting swept away as she released her scarf, at the mercy of the waters once again.

But it was then with horror that a huge wave immediately slapped Anya back to the right side of the creek, forcing her as far as possible from the other side of the creek.

As far as possible from them and the huge tree limb they were carrying.

They all panicked as she tried to swim closer to the tree limb, but she was too far! At this right, she would miss it completely and be swept away.

"She's not 'gonna 'make it!" Ewen panicked.

"Oh, yes, she is!" Damian ordered, "Hold my back!"

It was a good thing that Emile and Ewen did it without hesitation, because Damian immediately pushed the tree limb so far that he was on the tip of his toes and at the edge of the creek. Had Emile and Ewen not hold him back, he would have fallen just like Anya did.

As the tree limb was pushed, instead of being just a tiny piece that Anya could hold onto towards the left, it practically slid across the entire creek and before Anya could be swept away, she easily grabbed hold of the limb, "Got it!"

"Pull!" Damian ordered and immediately, all three boys leaned back and pulled as much as they could.

Slowly, but surely, Anya could feel herself getting closer to the walls of the other side of the creek. Using the tree limb, she pulled herself and began walking on its muddy grounds, finally feeling the water leave her body.

Right before she could reach the ledge, she held her hand out. Damian quickly took it and pulled her back.

Finally, she was safe.

Exhausted, everyone fell backwards, sighing in relief and breathing so heavily, they felt like their chests could burst.

For the longest time, none of the children could speak or breathe. They were all too focused on understanding what had just happened.

It was only when Damian finally stood back up and looked at the ice-cold girl beside him that they all began to move again.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

But she couldn't answer. Her teeth were clattering too much.

She must have been freezing.

Quickly, Damian took off his own jacket and put it around her. He zipped it up as much as he could, then he took the dark green scarf around his neck and wrapped it around her neck.

"Let's go." He said as he put a hand on Anya's back, keeping her close. The boys followed closely behind their leader, still shocked from everything.

But before after a few steps, Anya stopped and looked at Damian, "D-D-Damian? Thank you..."

Damian sighed, just glad she was okay. She then turned around to face Emile and Ewen, '"Th-Thank you for saving Anya..."

The possibility of death really puts things into perspective, especially for young children. Despite their differences, Emile and Ewen couldn't bring themselves to be cruel to the girl who could have died before their eyes.

But still, they were awkward kids. So they replied by patting her head as a 'you're welcome'.

Damian sighed. Why did his friends have to be so uncool sometimes?

"Come on, let's get you to the nurse's." He encouraged as put a hand on her back and gently led her back to the school.

By the time they reached the school, recess was nearing its end. They could see many students chattering about, all keeping an eye out for them. Once they were spotted, the children immediately ran towards them, alongside a few adults.

"Goodness, what happened?!" One of the adults asked.

Before anyone of them could answer, Damian looked at the teachers furiously, '"She almost died because none of you were looking!"

Instead of berating Damian for shouting at a teacher, they all took one look at the shivering girl whose lips were turning blue and immediately took her.

"You shouldn't be working here! My Father will hear about this!" Damian threatened, then the adult in front of him immediately panicked, "Please, 'Mr 'Desmond, do not tell him anything!"

"I'll decide that." Damian said firmly, "Take her to the nurse's now."

"Yes, M-M-Mr 'Desmond." The adult agreed, eager to please the Desmond heir and make sure he doesn't lose his job.

As she was being led away, Anya turned her head towards Damian, wishing he could come with her. Of course, he couldn't, but still, she mouthed a 'thank you' once again. He did, after all, save her life. She couldn't say thank you enough times.

When she was gone, the three boys sighed. Everyone had crowded around them, asking for details and praising them for saving Anya.

They should have all boasted about their bravery. But they couldn't. They were all still shaken by what happened.

"Jeez, Boss." Emile pondered. "She really could have died, huh?"

"Yeah, she could have been like that boy last year." Ewen said.

They were all shaken by what just happened. There was no love lost between Anya and Emile and Ewen, but seeing her almost die made all of their petty squabbles look childish and stupid. Seeing her look so scared and weak, it was a far cry from the outspoken girl they knew who dared defy their Boss.

As for Damian, well, it affected him even worse. He kept thinking that if they had been just a second too late or if he didn't think about pushing the tree limb further or if Anya's scarf tore quicker, then she would have been gone in a blink of an eye and he would be powerless to stop it.

He imagined what it would be like for her parents. Seeing 'Mr 'Forger fall on his knees in shock. 'Mrs 'Forger would cry and scream into the world. How broken they would have been.

He imagined how Becky would react. She would be furious and blame everyone for not being there for her best friend. But really, she would blame herself for not being there on that faithful day.

He imagined going back to school had Anya died. Looking into the front seat and 'realising 'that she wasn't coming. Not having to see her smug 'heh' face ever again. He imagined going by the creek every recess from that day on, constantly staring and wondering if there was something he could have done.

The thought of it nearly made him cry.

But he refused to cry. Not here. Not in front of everyone.

So he closed his eyes and clenched his fists, trying to take a deep breath.

None of it mattered. She wasn't dead. She was alive. Alive and well and safe, all thanks to him and his friends.

His friends! Ewen and Emile! They helped him. Without them, he doubted that Anya could have been saved.

For that alone, he found himself turning around and hugging them both in each of his arms.

Emile and Ewen looked confused, as their Boss so rarely showed affection like this. But then again, after what just happened, they could all use some hugs, so they hugged him back.

"Thank you, guys. Seriously." Damian said as he began to let go of them.

Smiling, Ewen simply said, "We'll always have your back, Boss."

"Now and always!" Emile promised, "Besides, we were kinda like superheroes back there, right?"

Damian smiled. He was right to put them in the picture he drew the other day. They truly were the greatest friends a person could ask for.

But then his gaze darkened as he saw a flash of red hair a bit further in the back. He was surrounded by a couple of kids around him, asking him questions about what happened.

Without a word, Damian began to walk towards him, murder on his face.

"Charles, you must have been so scared!" One of the students said.

"I can't believe you're alive! You're so brave!" The other cried.

But Charles didn't feel so brave.

He just stood there and watched as Anya was swept away by the current. He was frozen in fear, unable to process what he was seeing. 'His legs gave way and he fell to the ground. By the time he finally got his legs to move again, Anya (as well as Damian and his friends) were far out of his sight.

Without 'realising 'it, his legs guided him back to the school, still in disbelief with what had just happened.

When he saw Anya's familiar pink hair, words couldn't describe just how relieved he was. He didn't even care that it was the Desmond boy holding her. He just cared that she was safe.

He wanted to approach her. Tell her he was sorry and he should have done something.

But all he could feel was shame.

So instead, he hid behind the sea of students, hoping Anya wouldn't see his cowardice.

Now, as a group of kids surrounded him and acted like he was some kind of hero, Charles knew he didn't deserve it.

"Actually-OOF!" Charles was interrupted before he could tell the truth as he felt a pair of hands push him harshly to the snow.

He faceplanted, the icy snow stinging his face. As he sputtered the snow out and turned around, there was Damian Desmond, looking angrier than anyone had ever seen anyone be.

"You could have killed her!" Damian said.

"Boss, do you really think you need to-"

Ewen elbowed Emile, "Shh! Boss seems

mad

-mad."

Damian began to walk towards Charles, who began to crawl in the back but unable to keep his eyes off the terrifying boy in front of him, "Why didn't you run after her?! Why didn't you scream for help?! Why did you just stand there?!"

"I-I panicked! I didn't know what to do!" Charles admitted.

"

Oh, you didn't

?" Damian mocked as he kicked snow into Charles' face, "I don't care! You should have done something! Don't you get that she could have died?!"

Tears fell from Charles' face. Yes, he knew. He knew that Anya could have died and he would have been responsible for it. It was something he could never forgive. "I never wanted her to get hurt!"

Some felt bad when Charles began to cry, but all Damian thought was 'good'. He

should

cry. He almost got Anya killed. As far as Damian's concerned, Charles can cry all day.

He grabbed Charles by his collar and pulled him back up, '"You think I was mean before? I'll be even

worse

if she gets hurt again. You better make sure there's not a next time."

He wanted to make sure Charles really understood what he was saying. He pulled him up so he can see the look in his hazel eyes. He wasn't messing around. Charles trembled with fear and still Damian wasn't satisfied, but what more could he do?

With that, he pushed Charles back into the snow and turned around, not wanting to see his stupid face anymore.

The kids parted as soon as Damian approached, not wanting to be in his way or receive the wrath of his anger.

The boys were shocked. They had seen Damian mad and upset before but never to this extent. Even during their argument the other day, they didn't think Damian was this mad before. It was the first time he laid hands on someone. Still, they ran after their Boss with awe and stars in their eyes.

"BOSS, THAT WAS SO COOL!" Emile immediately praised, taking his Boss by his shoulders and excitedly shaking him.

"You should have seen the look on Charles' face! He was like, 'oh, no, Damian, please don't hurt me', 'wah, 'wah, 'wah!" Ewen said as he pretended to wipe tears off his face.

With his friends' antics, he couldn't help but smile a bit. Why wouldn't he? He had put Charles in his place and Anya was going to be okay.

As far as he was concerned, everything was going to be alright.

In the west wing of Eden, Anya was given a new pair of clothes and a warm blanket wrapped around her.

"You'll be okay, sweetie." The nurse promised, "I think you should take a day off tomorrow and rest. Hey, that'll be fun, right? You can skip school tomorrow

and

have the weekend to yourself!"

Anya gave a gentle smile, "Yeah...yeah, that would be fun."

"Alright. You skipped a few classes, but it's fine, the teacher knows what happened. It's lunchtime now, though. Would you like to go and see your friends?" The nurse suggests.

Anya nodded, leaving her soaked dress behind. But she took Sy-On Boy's coat and scarf, making a note to bring it back to him.

As she walked towards the cafeteria, she felt like a ghost and wondered if perhaps she did actually die in that creek. None of it seemed real anymore.

Tonight, she would go home to her family. She'd be safe and happy. It was so easy to forget that only a year and a half ago, she had been surrounded by people who didn't care about her at all. She could have died and she's sure those Bad Men in coats would have just tossed her like she was nothing.

At the time, though she was scared, she's not sure that she would miss being alive if it meant being constantly tested. But now, she knew she would miss it. She would miss everyone and everything she ever had.

These were the thoughts that plagued her mind during what seemed like the longest walk ever to the cafeteria. But the close she got there, the more she heard the chatter of kids, to which she found relief. It was a reminder that she wasn't a ghost. She was there. She was really there and she was alive.

The second she stepped into the cafeteria, it went quiet and all eyes were on her.

Her replacement dress had obviously been too big for her. She still looked a bit pale and her hair had still been a little stringy and wet. To be honest, everyone could still see the fear in the girl's eyes, as if she was still stuck in that creek.

And in a way, she still was.

She gulped, trying to pretend like she couldn't hear everyone's thoughts.

'She looks like a ghost.'

'Do you think she's diseased from the water?'

'Better not touch her. I hear she's cursed and if we touch her, we'll all drown in the creek!'

From afar, she spotted Charles. But he wasn't at their usual table. He was sitting in another table, far at the back, arms crossed and staring intensely at his food, refusing to look at her.

Several people sat next to Charles, to the point where there wasn't any room for Anya to even sit next to him.

"Charles, did you see? Anya's there." She hears the kid in his table say.

"I know." Charles says, but all he did was take the carrot off his food and kept eating.

'Don't look. Just don't look.'

Charles told himself.

So, that was it. She lost her only other friend.

Anya closed her eyes, trying hard not to listen anymore. It only made her feel weaker, like her legs were about to give away any minute. And she didn't want to cry. She was sick of crying.

'

She's okay!'

She heard a familiar voice say.

She turned to her right and there was Damian and his friends, looking at her.

But to her surprise, they were probably the only ones not thinking anything mean.

'Man, she's tough. Look at her, still standing fine.'

Ewen thought.

'I'd be so scared if I were her. How does she do it?'

Emile wondered.

'I have to go to her.'

As Damian began to stand up, Anya beat him to it by walking towards him.

He stopped moving, knowing she was going to talk to them. It 'kinda 'of reminded him of the second day of school, when she first approached him to 'apologise. He was surprised that she came up to him even after yesterday. After all, didn't she hate him?

Her small head peaked out from under the table, too short to see over it.

Carefully she approached them and held out her tiny hands, showing Damian's coat and his dark green scarf.

"Here you go. Thank you for sharing with Anya." She said in a small, raspy voice.

Truth was, she was still a little cold and Damian's scarf was a lot thicker and felt softer than hers did. But it's not like she could keep it forever, right?

"You keep it." Damian said, "I never liked that scarf anyway."

'Liar. That's your favorite scarf.

' Damian told himself.

"B-But!" Anya began. She didn't want to take it away from him if it was his favorite!

"God, you're so annoying." Damian said as he hopped off his seat. He faced Anya and took the scarf in his hands before wrapping it around her neck again.

Truth be told, it kind of dwarfed her. But then again, anything would. The girl was the size of a doll, after all.

Anya wasn't so sure what to say. She could say 'thank you', but were those words enough?

"You're actually a good guy, Sy-On Boy." She smiles at him.

Once again, it all felt like that day once again. The way he felt like his chest was about to explode. How warm his face got and all the questions he had about why he was acting that way around her.

Only this time, he wasn't going to run away.

That didn't mean he wasn't still embarrassed, though.

"Yeah, well...you can't keep the coat, though." He said, taking it from her hands, "It's too big on you anyway."

He quickly turned his back on her and sat back down, trying not to look at her so she wouldn't see his red face.

But she wasn't offended. She's just glad she got to keep the scarf.

She left to go get her lunch. Unlike the other times, she just wanted ramen. ' As the chef gave her 'her 'meal, she got excited staring at the warm noodles, the miso broth, the hard-boiled eggs, the fishcakes and pork on top.

'Anya's belly is 'gonna 'be happy!'

She sang to herself as she brought it to her table. 'But as she sat down, she 'realised 'just how empty it was.

Oh, right. Becky was out sick and Charles didn't want to be her friend anymore.

Eating all alone on her own at school. This never happened before. But then again, neither did her falling into a creek, so today was just a day of firsts, she guessed.

She tried to ignore how everyone stared at her or how they all called her a freak. Or now, a ghost and zombie, apparently. At least they were getting creative with their names.

As she took her first bite of the ramen, her eyes widened. It was probably the best she ever had! She opened her mouth, about to tell someone, but then she remembered she was alone.

Oh.

Sighing, she just began to eat in silence.

Then suddenly, she heard a tray being placed next to her.

"Scoot over, Forger." Damian ordered, sitting next to her and continued eating his Kobe beef fillet as if it was an everyday thing.

"Eh?" Anya blinked.

That's when she saw Emile slide into the seat in front of her, starting to eat his bluefin tuna, ' "Wow, this table really is better. Hey, how come our table is so dark?"

"That's cause you're so ugly, you suck the light out of the place." Ewen joked, hopping into the seat next to him with his truffle veal. Once he got settled, Emile smacked his arm.

"Hey!" He said.

"Knock it off, you two." Damian ordered. Reluctantly, they listened and muttered sorry to each other.

Anya waited for them to do something. To say 'sike!', throw their food at her, laugh at her and leave. But a minute passed, then two, then three, and they were still at her table, chatting like nothing was out of the ordinary.

"...Anya's confused." She said, turning to Damian and both Ewen and Emile were too busy chattering about something.

"About what?" Damian asked.

"Why are you sitting here?"

Damian's face turned a bit red, so he immediately took his serviette and put it around his mouth, "You were sitting alone."

"But you, I-"

"Don't ask dumb questions, Starlight." He said. Though his words were mean, when he turned to her, he gave a smile that didn't look so bad. "Just eat your peasant food."

"Hmph!" Anya said, crossing her arms. Despite it, she opened one eye to look at Sy-On Boy, who was still grinning at her.

So, okay. He had to admit. After today, not only could he no longer deny he had a certain fondness for Anya Forger, but he was starting to think of her as a friend.

Great. 'If she got him to do all sorts of things for her before, it wouldn't compare to what she could get him to do now.

Kill him now.

Today was supposed to be a normal day.

It started off ordinary enough. Yor had arrived to the castle, met up with William who graciously gave her the usual coffee she liked, along with a small plate with a butter croissant. She looked over the documents she had and organised them into neat piles depending on what she had planned to do for today. Then they would go to lunch and come back to work, and she would be off to see her family.

Nothing out of the ordinary was supposed to happen. Certainly nothing dangerous.

However, Yor Forger would not go home that night, because something very dangerous was about to happen to her.

"This document is a bit longer to read," she said, approaching William, "But I think it's best to deal with it now so you'll be finished by tomorrow. It's more important anyway and it'll let you go focus on the easier work by Monday."

"Excellent idea." William praised, taking the folder from her hands, "I apologise. I haven't been around much lately due to my meetings. Also, with the arrival of my uncle..."

"Oh, it's fine. After all, that's what I'm here for, right?" Yor said, not at all bothered by it.

"Of course. But I still can't help but feel guilty about leaving you on your own. I'd like to make it up to you." he suggested, his handsome angelic smile appearing once more, "Are you free Friday night?"

"What?" Yor uttered.

William smiled. You see, after his little meeting with Loid yesterday, something inside him told him that he needed to be bolder in his approach. "Friday. I'd love to take you out to dinner as a reward for your work."

"I-" Yor wasn't sure what to say! What could one say when your boss invited you to dinner?! She couldn't exactly say no, right? Not only was he her boss, but William had been so kind to her, giving her presents and letting her have more time off than she should.

But the idea of her going out to dinner with another man just didn't feel right. Not just because it felt improper. But because...well, dinners were her and Loid's thing. Though not as a romantic couple, as a pairing who spent time together at least and talked about their day. She wasn't exactly willing to give that up.

"My Fridays are usually reserved for family time." She admits, gently turning him down without actually saying 'no'.

"I see." He said with a look that Yor couldn't decipher, "Well, no matter. Let me know when you're free next week."

"I will." Yor said uncertainly.

Now, there was a slightly awkward tension in the air and Yor fully intended to go back to work.

But then she sensed something. Something that didn't feel right.

Something that felt like-

"William, look out!" She said as she immediately pushed the King out of the way.

As she expected, there he was, an assassin breaking through the large glass window: throwing knives in his hand that Yor knew were trademarks of a rival assassin 'organisation 'in 'Westalis.

They had come to kill the King.

But not on her watch.

Instead, she could feel the dagger that pierced her ribcage. She recognised the faint smell on the dagger, too: poison. One designed to kill almost instantly.

Good thing Garden assassins were trained to absorb poison like water. But had the blade even graze the King, he would have been dead by now.

"Guards!" William yelled, but Yor had a feeling that the guards outside were already dead. Mostly because if it were her, she would have made sure that this was the case before attacking the main target.

She cursed as she realised that she didn't have her usual daggers with her. She was wounded. She was caught off-guard. The assassin lunged at her with full force and although she could hear William shout her name, it didn't matter to her. She was trained for this: a 'no-win' scenario.

When she started Garden, there was an infamous test that they had to go through: one with a fake scenario that had no way out of it. In fact, the test was specifically designed to see how the trainee assassins would react to a 'no-win' situation. They would be surrounded by an army full of trained assassins: no weapons, no special gear, nothing but their bodies and the clothes on their back. Whether some would take the (fake) suicide pill, others would foolishly try to fight to their deaths, or simply run away.

The test was never intended for someone to win. It was supposed to teach the assassins that sometimes, there was simply no winning and you had to find a way out of it: either run away or face your death.

So, despite, at the time, wearing a simple dress, she got creative: she tore her long skirt and used it as a weapon. She had successfully jumped the ring of assassins in front of her, something some have done in the past to run. But using the torn cloth from the skirt, she wrapped it around one assassin, nearly suffocating him, and began to swiftly drag him into a rose bush nearby. Not just any bush, but one with spikey thorns. That was all it took for her to steal his dagger and use it against everybody else.

Some say she cheated. No weapons were allowed and she clearly used one. But Yor disagreed as she stated that her dress was not a weapon and no assassin would believe it to be one.

"You still don't understand, Yor." The Shopkeeper said. "This was not supposed to be a test that anyone could pass. We needed to see your reaction in a no-win scenario."

But Yor refused. "With all due respect," the tiny girl began, her eyes cold as the blood she could easily shed, "I have survived my parents' death. I have survived harsh winters that froze thousands to death. I am surviving a war all on my own."

The Shopkeeper stared at her. Despite being an older man and her being nothing but a scrawny little girl, he felt himself tremble in fear.

"You're the one who doesn't understand. There is no such thing as a 'no-win' situation. Not for me."

They didn't know what was more legendary: the fact that a young scrawny little girl put a trained assassin in a near-death experience during a test that was not intended to be successful for anyone, or the fact that a young scrawny little girl openly defined the Shopkeeper.

Either way, the next day, she would go on to become the youngest assassin under the moniker 'Thorn Princess'.

And if Yor could do that as a child, she can certainly do the same thing as a grown woman.

There was no such thing as a no-win scenario. Not now, not ever.

She unwrapped the ribbon headband around her head and as the assassin lunged towards her she jumped to the air and flipped. She landed on his back and wrapped the headband around his neck as tightly as she could.

The abrupt tightness of her chokehold caused the assassin to drop his weapon, instead trying to focus on getting Yor off his back. He did his best, slamming into the walls, hoping that would be enough to leave her unconscious and off him.

Instead, his last few thoughts were of the cracked hole in the wall and the unscathed woman on his back.

"H-How?!" The assassin choked out. How was he, a top agent, dying at the hands of an ordinary clerk and her headband?!

With a smirk, as Yor could feel his life depleting from his body, she leaned into his ear and whispered quietly. "The Thorn Princess sends her regards."

And those were the last word that the assassin heard before he dropped to the ground. Unfortunately for Yor, he just had to fall backwards and on top of her, causing him to put further pressure on her wounded ribcage.

Luckily, before she had a chance to, the King grabbed the assassin's body and quickly moved him away from Yor's.

Gratitude couldn't even begin to describe how he felt. Gratitude and shock over what just happened. How did a City Hall clerk beat an assassin who killed his guards?!

But any questions he had for now were put on hold when he saw the large amount of blood seeping out of Yor.

"Oh, God, Yor! We need to get you to the hospital!" William said. Though to his surprise, she didn't seem all that bothered about it.

Yor glanced at her ribcage and shrugged, "It's but a scratch."

"A scratch?! You're bleeding and you have a huge wound!"

Once again, she shrugged. For a second, Yor was perfectly content on going about her day. Just a quick trip to the bathroom with rubbing alcohol and some bandages would have done the trick.

But as she took her first step, her legs wobbled.

She was losing more blood than she expected. Before she could even process what was happening, she fell back to the ground, feeling weaker than she ever had before.

This was bad. This was very, very bad.

There was only one explanation: the poison in that dagger wasn't any ordinary one, not one that Garden assassins were trained to digest 'everyday. It was a variation. Something new.

Which meant that for the first time in her life, Yor's life truly was in danger.

"Don't worry, Yor, we'll get you to a hospital!"

She could feel herself being carried and the sounds of the King screaming erratically for help.

She wasn't so sure he'd find it in time.

"A...Anya..." She muttered. So sleepy, she felt so, so sleepy. "Loid..."

"Hey," the King quickly tapped her cheek, "Yor, stay with me, don't close your eyes! There's so much I still need to say!"

"Say..." She says absent-mindedly. "Tell them...Anya and Loid...I should have told them..."

"You'll tell them yourself." William pleaded, unable to stop the tears from his eyes, "Please, Yor, I'll do anything, just don't you dare leave me now."

"Tell them I love..."

Before she could say the last word, she shut her eyes and the last thing she thought was how lovely it would have been to see her family once last time.

At that exact moment, Loid Forger was driving hectically. A briefcase in the backseat of the car, people chasing after him, shots being fired into the tires, yet Loid never lost his cool and came out of it without a single scratch.

Unfortunately, poor Franky was not so fortunate.

"Oh, my face! My beautiful, beautiful face!" Franky cried.

"Okay, let's not exaggerate." Loid deadpanned.

"You're an ass." Franky retorted.

"It's just a little scar on your forehead. I think you need to worry more about the huge gash on your leg."

When Franky looked down to his leg, that's when he finally noticed the wound that covered his entire left leg. "Oh. Right. Good point."

Loid sighed, "Come on, let's get you to the hospital. If anyone asks, just say you got mugged."

"How're you going to lose them?" Franky asked.

"Easy." Loid shrugs. He reached into his blazer's pocket and found a hand grenade. Biting the pin off, he opened the car window and threw it in the back, barely looking at it before hearing the blast.

Franky watched. No matter how many times he's worked with Agent Twilight, he never failed to amaze him.

And so, Loid drove Franky to the hospital, with full intent on simply dropping him off and bringing to the briefcase to WISE HQ. At least, that was the original plan. Somehow, he ended up parking the car, walking Franky to the hospital, and waiting with him in the emergency room.

"Hehe, you've gone soft, Twilight." Franky teased.

"What do you mean?" Loid asked.

"A few months ago, you would have just stopped in front of the hospital, tell me to get out, and call it a day. Now you're coming in with me to make sure your good ole' friend is going to be okay, sitting here with me. Maybe your girls are a good influence on you." Franky said.

"Don't be ridiculous. You're a good partner, I'm here to make sure you don't die." Loid insisted.

"Uh-huh, sure. You 'looove 'me." Franky teased, "Although probably not as much as you love your daughter...or your wife."

"

I do not lo

-" Loid began to shout, but then cleared his throat, trying to compose himself. This wasn't just anyone, this was Franky, who also had a reputation of being somewhat of a gossip within the HQ. He couldn't risk Franky blabbering on about how Agent Twilight had an emotional reaction. "You're being ridiculous. Just hurry up and get your wound 'sterilised 'so we can go."

Franky scoffed, "Aye 'aye, Captain."

"Mr 'Franklin?" A nurse came out.

"That's me!" Franky said, tapping Loid's shoulder, "Also, take care of my friend, Dr Forger, here. He's going through a tough time."

"Right this way, please." The nurse smiled as she directed Franky to the hall. But then she stopped as she looked at Loid, "Wait, did you say Dr Forger? Oh, I'm so sorry, you must be so distraught. But I assure you, the doctors are doing everything they can.

It was the sudden concern that surprised Loid. To anyone, it would just be unusual and out of the ordinary. But to Loid, he suddenly felt his senses on high alert, standing up from his once relaxed pose.

"What? Nah, he's fine. I mean, I'll be perfectly okay, right?" Franky said.

"Oh, no, I meant your wife." The nurse clarified.

At that point, Loid's blood froze. But just to be sure, he needed confirmation, "Yor?"

"Yes...King William is in the waiting room of the West wing. He was with her when it hap-"

That's all he needed to hear.

Immediately, he turned around, making his way towards the West wing. He knew 'Berlint 'Hospital like the back of his hand, having been here so many times both by himself and with his colleagues. Unlike most people, he never feared hospitals. To him, it was just a place where you got stitched up and sent on your merry little way. There was no need for concern or fear.

Until now.

He didn't know what happened with Yor, but he could take a guess.

It was, after all, King William. As a high-profile person, royals were targets to all kinds of people. This could range anywhere from crazy violent fans to professional assassins. Whatever happened, Yor got injured and apparently, the King was perfectly fine.

But he wouldn't be after Loid was done with him.

'A spy must never fall victim to his emotions. He cannot afford to be invested. An emotional man was an illogical man, and an illogical man cannot complete a mission.'

This was the mantra that kept Agent Twilight alive for so long. It's what made him WISE's best spy and arguably what made him a success in everything he's ever tried to do.

But this mantra meant nothing to Loid Forger, who had just heard that his wife 'was being treated in the hospital. And judging from that nurse's expression, this was no simple wound, either. 'So when everyone in the hospital saw a man stomping around, obviously looking for someone, they were concerned but also too scared to say or do anything.

When Loid reached a corridor with a few guards surrounding a single man, he knew he had found the person he was looking for.

The man who had blood on him.

And he could take a guess that it wasn't his...

From his peripheral vision, the King spotted his rival. He couldn't tell if he was scared or relieved.

"Loid?" William called out.

But Loid could not say he was relieved. In fact, he was the exact opposite.

When was the last time he felt such murderous fury? Was it when the Eden examiners insulted his wife and made his daughter cry? No, this was far more. This was something else.

'Stay calm. Stay calm. She's not even your real wife.'

"What happened?" Loid asked, doing his absolute best to remain calm. He didn't notice how he clenched his fist so tight that his knuckles turned white. He knew he was a ticking time bomb, threatening to explode at any second.

Tick.

William's eyes were filled with terror and concern. He seemed completely shaken by whatever had happened, which made Loid all the more desperate to figure out the truth.

Tock.

"The doctors are looking after her now." William said.

Tick.

"What. Happened?" Loid repeated.

Tock.

"...An assassin broke into the palace. He slaughtered several of my guards, including the one posted outside the study where Yor and I work. He was aiming for me, but Yor-"

Probably swooped in to save him. Loid knew this because he knew Yor and what she was capable of and the kind of woman she was. But this was a trained assassin. One sent to slaughter a

king

...

Tick-tock.

"The knife was poisoned...The doctors say it's an unknown poison, the likes they've never seen before. 'They say they need to check her-"

Blood. Organs. Probably need to do surgery if the poison spread. Depending on what it was, amputation may be needed.

And that's

if

she survived.

But what were the chances that she would?

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock.

"I'm so sorry, Loid. You must believe me, the last thing I ever wanted was to put Yor in dang-"

The King never did get to finish his sentence, because that's when the bomb finally exploded.

The realisation hit Loid harder than any bullet ever could and he couldn't hold it in anymore. Faster than anyone could even realise, Loid's fist collided with William's face.

William instantly felt his jaw displaced, blood leaving his mouth, and the force knocking him back so far that he flew across the hall.

The King's men surrounded Loid, but they were like flies to him. He took the chair that William once sat on and swiftly smashed them against the men surrounding him. The force alone was enough to knock half of them back and as for the other half, he grabbed one of the rifles that fell on the floor and immediately used it to knock the other half out.

He didn't even need to look at them to do so. It didn't matter that those guards have been in training their whole lives. They were nothing compared to a man who may have just lost the woman he loves.

Loid's eyes were directed towards William, knocked back into the wall. He heard worried cries of nurses around him, people who scattered.

'A spy must not stand out. He must never fall victim to his emotions. He must always be in complete control of himself and everything around him.'

The mantra repeated in his head, a prayer that kept him alive all these years, but he chose to ignore. Right now, it meant nothing. They were meaningless words to him.

He took the King of Ostania by his collar, uncaring about the blood seeping out of his mouth and the bruise quickly forming on his cheek. He banged him once again across the wall, watching his head helplessly dawdle as if his neck was useless.

"If she dies today, I will

kill

you. You hear me? And if she survives and she gets hurt

again

, I will 'kill 'you

again

."

Loid Forger failed. He stood out. He was a victim to his emotions. He wasn't in control of himself, but most importantly, he had no control over what would happen to Yor Forger.

His hair was disheveled. His suit was crumpled. He was in complete disarray in a way that he never did even in his toughest mission.

"She won't die, I swear-" William sputtered, only to have Loid slam him to the wall once again.

"My wife is in the hospital

because

of you!" He screamed at his face, "Do you understand?! And none of this would have ever happened if you just left her alone!"

"'Left her alone'?" He repeated, "What are you-?"

"I swear, Charleton, if you play games with me and deny it, I will end your life right here, right now. I've seen the way you look at her. I know you want her and you don't even care what she wants or what it will do to the people she loves." Loid sneered at him, his fists tightening so hard around the King's collar that it was a miracle how he hadn't torn the fabric.

"I know, I know it's my fault and I 'apologise, Loid. But I swear to you, the best doctors are helping her right now and she will be fine, I swear to you-"

"'Fine'?! She's been stabbed

and

poisoned

,

you idiot! A poison that should have killed

you

instead!" He screamed at him. '"It should have been you in there, not her!"

"I know...I know it should have been me..." William breathed. 'He could have easily tried to fight back. He could have warned Loid the consequences of not only fighting the King's men, but literally punching the King himself

and

threatening him.

But he didn't. Because deep down, William knew he was right. He deserved this. It was all his fault and he knew it.

But there was nothing he could do. No spy, no king, no man could do anything right now but wait.

With this realisation, Loid's knuckles softened, letting go until William slipped away from his grasp and fell to the floor. Loid didn't even bother looking at him. He stared into nothingness, barely able to register anything anymore. He didn't want to see anyone. All he wanted was...

Well, what did he want? For Yor to miraculously survive a deadly poison meant to kill royalty?

Yes. It's what he wanted more than anything in the world.

But he also knew that you can't always get what you want. And in Loid's case, he rarely did.

He walked over in front of the door that the King stood by. He could only assume it was where Yor was. Ignoring the King or his men on the floor, he leaned against the wall and let himself slide down until he sat on the floor, patiently staring at the door.

It was a scary thing for Agent Twilight, to be so powerless. Unable to do anything. No one he could bribe. No one he could steal from. No one he could hurt.

But most of all, it scared him that he never felt this scared before. When was the last time he felt this dreadful fear? The kind that absolutely paralysed the great Agent Twilight? The kind that seemed the break his heart, gnaw at his stomach, and made him stare into nothing wishing that the reality he lived in wasn't true? It actually felt like hell. Shot, stabbed, punched, he'd take those any day and at the same time if he had to if it meant never feeling the way he was now.

They say that praying to a deity was every desperate man's final move. 'Loid wasn't much of a religious man, so when he bowed his head and closed his eyes, at first he didn't know who to speak to.

Then he decided, who better to speak to than Yor herself?

So he closed his eyes, imaging Yor could hear him somehow, and began to plead in his mind.

I'll do anything.

I'll tell you the truth. I'll tell you who I am. I'll leave you alone. I'll stay with you forever.

I'll do anything and everything you ask me to.

Just come back to me, please. Tell me what to do.

Hours had passed and he began to wonder what on earth he would tell Anya. That girl had already lost so much. He had no idea what happened to her real mother, but she didn't deserve to lose another one. She would be heartbroken.

He can't raise Anya on his own. She needed a mother. No, she needed Yor.

He needed Yor.

How would they live?

These were the thoughts that plagued his head as he waited those long agonising hours. The King's men had long recovered and were ready to arrest Loid, but William ordered them to stand down. None of them knew why, but William didn't want to explain it.

He simply waited alongside the broken man, careful not to get too close to him lest he decides to lash out again. Even if William knew he deserved it.

After what seemed like an eternity later, Loid's eyes rose as he heard the door open.

His legs quickly carried him up and as he stood up to look at the doctor, he could feel his dry throat asking the question he's been asking all day.

"How is she?"

Loid had told himself to prepare for the worst. What would happen if he was told that...that Yor didn't make it. He tried to plan out what his next move would be, but it kept coming up empty, never being able to bring himself to think about it.

That's when he saw the doctor's face. It was not one of relief, but not one of sadness either.

The doctor just looked puzzled.

"She's...alive?" The doctor said, still confused over what he just witnessed. "Sorry, she's very much alive, yes. Everything's fine and there doesn't seem to be any complications."

The weight on his chest lifted. A smile broke out of his face and whatever energy had left him in the past few hours immediately came back in his body.

He was seconds away from practically kissing this doctor.

Obviously, he wouldn't, be it didn't keep him from grinning at the doctor like a child on Christmas day. "Thank you, thank you so, so much."

"I'm so glad to hear it." William said behind him.

"Shut up, Charleton." Loid said, still smiling at the doctor and not looking at the King. Even the King of Morons couldn't ruin this moment for him.

"Forgive me for my reaction, gentlemen. She is alive, but none of us understand how."

Although he was still ecstatic, Loid had to admit, he wanted to know more, "What do you mean?

"It's quite miraculous, actually." The doctor said. "I've never seen this type of poison before. It should have killed your wife. It would have killed you, your Majesty."

It took William a bit to process that information. He knew it before but hearing it said out loud really shocked him: she had saved his life.

Loid, on the other hand, already knew this. The memory of her being here in the first place made him want to punch William all over again, but he decided to focus on the good news instead.

The good and surprising news. If this was some kind of medical marvel the Berlint's top doctors found surprising, then this truly was something. Loid made a mental note to steal some of the poison sample later if necessary, trying to figure out what this 'unknown poison' was.

"To be frank, it baffles the rest of us how she managed to survive. Fortunately, it seems that she'll only be a bit loopy and tired for the next few days. Or less, even. Given how she escaped death, I'm wondering if she can easily get better sooner than expected, too."

"Yes, well, that is my wife." Loid smiled proudly, "Could I see her?"

"Of course." The doctor said, gesturing towards the door.

William began to follow, but Loid quickly shut the door behind him without even turning back, "Family only."

"That was a bit mean." He heard a weak voice chuckle a bit.

There she was. The light had dimmed down as low as possible, helping her adjust. Hair loose, in a hospital gown, bandages around her torso, an IV drip hooked to her wrist. Her face was pale and she had just suffered a near death experience.

Despite it all, she smiled.

He struggled to find the right words to say. How relieved he was. How he had never felt so lucky in his entire life. He wanted to tell her just how he felt like the happiest man on earth just because he knew she hadn't left it.

But he didn't know what to say, so he just said...

"You are a miracle, Yor Forger."

She giggled, a bit weaker than usual, but still there, "What?"

Trying to play it cool, Loid chuckled, putting his hands into his pockets and walking towards her, "Do you want to know what the doctor told me? He said you shouldn't have survived. But here you are, proving science wrong."

Yor had to laugh. Her husband could be so ridiculous at times, "I think you're overestimating me, darling."

"And as usual, you underestimate yourself, my dear." He laughed along with her, leaning down and sitting on the chair next to her.

"If you say so." She finally agreed. Her eyes fell on Loid's and everything just suddenly felt so right. How on earth did she survive all these years without him by her side?

But after a few moments of just quietness, Yor frowned, remembering what had happened only a few hours ago.

"Everything okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, yeah, it's just..." No, it wasn't okay. It wasn't because she was so convinced that this was really the end for her.

She bit her lip, knowing that in a few seconds, she couldn't contain herself, "Loid? Could you...?"

She didn't need to finish, as Loid had already began walking towards her bed. Carefully, Yor moved a bit as she made space for Loid, squeezing in until he was on the bed which for a hospital bed was fortunately ample enough for two, even if it was a bit of a squeeze.

He gently pulled her up until they were both somewhat sitting and guided her head towards his chest. She could feel his heart race and his other arm wrapped around her shoulders, just like they were only a few nights ago.

But this wasn't for practice anymore, was it?

"This never happened before." Even as an assassin constantly exposed to dangerous situations, never had Yor actually feared for her life. "I've never almost died."

"I know." Loid said, his hand gently caressing her long hair. His warm body made her snuggle even closer, never wanting him to leave. But as he felt her breathe in his arms, a constant reassurance that she was alive, he didn't want to let her go, either. "It must have been scary, but you're here now."

"I am, but all I kept thinking of was what would happen to you and Anya." She confessed, "I was thinking, who was going to help you tuck Anya in and train her to fight boys when she grows up?"

He chuckled, knowing he'd never need to worry about boys and Anya as long as Yor was there to train her. Oh, he was still going to worry either way, but it was nice to have a reminder that someone was also going to be fighting in her corner.

"Who's going to make sure to mix water in Bond's food because he gets so fussy about eating otherwise?" He never noticed that before, but it is true now that he thought about it that Bond rarely ate when Loid was the one to pour the bowl.

"Who was going to tell you to relax and just remind you to be happy?" Yor continued, "That everything was going to be okay, no matter what happens."

Quietly, Loid could feel his heart race faster with every word she said. He knew that she cared, but he never thought she would care to the extent that they would be the last thoughts on her mind before she...

"You're fine now. You're going to be okay and that's all that matters." He told her and she nodded, knowing he was right.

But he could have easily been wrong. And the thought of leaving her family on their own in this world was more than Yor could bear. So she held him just a little bit tighter. Right now, he was the only thing holding her down to earth, reminding her that nothing had actually happened. At least, nothing permanent.

"But I have to admit, I really thought I was going to lose you..." He whispered as he inhaled the scent of her hair. The comfort he felt was a far cry from the distress he felt only ten minutes ago.

"Being close to death really does put things into perspective, doesn't it?" She said idly, her hand slowly tracing over Loid's.

He raised his hand up, their fingers lacing in and out of each other's, both playing around and just feeling the other's skin, "It really does..."

Slowly, but surely, their wandering fingers began to lock in as they intertwined. The palm of their hands followed until they held hands comfortably.

Their hands simply met and refused to let go. If truth be told, they both wanted so much more. After what had just happened, it felt like there was no such thing as too close anymore.

In fact, despite holding each other, they still felt worlds apart. Probably because there was so much left unsaid.

Realising that perhaps she should stop living with so many regrets and questions of 'what ifs', Yor's face tilted upwards as she looked at Loid.

She underestimated just how close she was, nearly kissing his cheek in the process. 'But curiously, neither of them had the instinct to jump away from each other anymore.

Loid only saw those rose 'colored 'eyes of hers and he knew that he was complete goner.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that both stopped thinking for a few seconds. His hand found the back of her neck, and her hands slid up to his shoulders, pulling herself up to him until she was practically on top of him.

His breath became shallow the closer she got to his face. This wasn't fair. She just got stabbed and she was in a hospital gown. How could someone still be that beautiful and practically hold him in a chokehold after all that?

"You know, this looks awfully familiar..." Loid thought out loud.

She knew exactly what he was talking about. It was back when her crazy brother was forcing them to kiss. They were almost in the same position.

"I know what you mean." She agreed, barely being able to breathe herself.

Was it just her imagination or were they both leaning in closer?

Was it just his imagination or did he need her to be a lot closer than she already was?

"You're not going to slap me again," he teased as he began to close his eyes, "are you, my dear?"

"Wouldn't dream of it, darling." She says huskily.

If she was trying to torture him by moving so slowly, then Agent Twilight would have been a goner.

He couldn't wait any longer.

This time, he put his hands around her waist and began the pull her slower...

But then the door burst open, the hospital lights outside blaring through and a tall figure in a uniform said, '"WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BELOVED SISTER?!"

Loid groaned. Just what he needed.

Kill him now.