Death…  It’s a word that is thrown around so very much in this thing of ours.  Sometimes flippantly, sometimes spoken in hushed and reverent tones.  Death is something that affects each of us at one time or another…  A death of a loved one, the death of an enemy…  At the end?  The death of yourself.  Forever people have wondered about death…  Does it hurt?  How will we die?  And even higher on some people’s list, where will we go when we do?  Heaven?  Hell?  Do we just blink out of existence?  Just cease…  Just sleep…  Honestly these questions can only be answered by those who have done it.  And at that point?  It’s a little hard to open communication lines.  To dwell on death is no way to live…  None at all.  No one can truly know, so why would one dwell? 

The evening was late and one little Napper was out of her bed.  She knew that Iretipill was off on business and wasn’t due to be back anytime soon.  But she had a gnawing sensation within her that everything was not…  As it should be.  Honestly she had no idea what might be amiss.  Things were going reasonably well for her family, and even better for her personally!  Her eyes slipped closed as she drove down the streets of Detroit.  It was quiet…  Serene…  Calm.  She only wished her thoughts were.  They were mixed.  Things were growing in Detroit, they were doing well…  Trevor…  She was getting to know him better by the day…  Meeting people, exploring places…  This was a good life.  A life she loved.  Detroit was home, she knew this place as well even if she had only been here a short time.

Scanning the road ahead of her as she drove, she found that she was almost home when- BLAM! BLAM BLAM BLAM!  Gunshot rang out from all around her and her car started moving out of control!  Swerving out of traffic onto a side alley, she whipped her car around so that it remained stationary and sideways in the narrow space.  Moving quickly, her heart pumping and her adrenaline flowing, Nessa moved quickly to the passenger side and threw herself against the door, throwing herself out into the alley.  “Go round the side street!  She’s one of theirs!”  She heard the voice ring out in a snarl.  What in the hell was going on?  BLAM!  BLAM BLAM BLAM! BLAM BLAM! BLAM!  Pain blossomed in her right side, and Glitter shrieked as she ran down the alley.  Thankfully she knew these streets better than they.  Right, left, right, right, and down some stairs and into the opening underneath. 

Panting heavily, she gave a soft whimper as a sharp pain assailed her with every breath.  It felt like she had a knife buried between those ribs and it was on fire!  Or…  Slipping her eyes closed, she whimpered softly as she touched the place.  A bullet…  Pressing her fingertips to the wound, she cringed as she tried to find the place on her back where…  No…  No exit wound.  Calm down Glitter.  You got this…

“Hey!  Did you see her?  Where’d she go?  Damn backstreets…” 

“I saw at least one of the shots get her good.  Let’s get out of here?”

“You mean you’re not even going to make sure she’s dead?!  The boss won’t like that, you know he don’t like loose ends!”

“Small fish!  We gotta get back anyway.  Doubt she’ll live through that one anyway, looked like a solid shot!”

“Whatever man, your funeral!”

Glitter held in her whimper, trying to hold back from even breathing.  They stood just at the top of the stairs she now hid under, but in seconds, she heard running footsteps moving rapidly away from her hiding place.  Ugh…  Now what…  Her head spun as she looked down.  The first one wasn’t the only one.  They had caught her twice.  The second one had grazed her shoulder, but not embedded.  As the adrenaline wore off, and the pain began to move into the forefront of her mind.  The blood loss in her wild run was substantial and even now, her lovely spring green dress was splashed by the vile liquid.  Whimpering softly she tore the sleeve of her dress to assess her shoulder wound.  It looked bad but there was no bullet hole.  That would be fine.  She would be fine.  She could survive this.  Where was Iretipill?  Intrigue?  Any of her beloved family?  Were they ok?  Were they home?  Were they dead…  Tears sprang to her eyes as she half lay curled under the dirty stairwell, trembling all over from pain, cold, and terror.  Was this the life she had signed up for?  She knew it was…  Trying to calm her breathing, she steeled herself.  She had to find her family.  Regroup, face this threat together…  Whatever it was.  She hadn’t recognized the voices of her assailants. Taking note of her wounds, she found two to her midsection, one had an exit, the other none, and the graze to her shoulder.  She could get through this.  She could.

Pushing herself to a crouching position, she hazarded a glance around.  The street was empty at this point and she heard sirens in the distance.  Good…  She would find Iretipill.  Trevor…  Oh goodness she had to find Trevor…  What if he was hurt?  What if he was…  No.  She would find her family and they would get through even this…  But heavens above why was she so tired…  One step…  Two…  Blood painted the cobblestones where she had rested as well as her tiny form.  A third…  Her leg buckled underneath her and down she fell to her knees.  A rest…  She just needed a rest…  Whimpering she withdrew back to her hiding place feeling her eyelids so heavy.  In a few minutes she would find them.

Trembling all over, she pulled back and curled herself up, pulling her knees tight against her chest as she tried to focus on shallow breaths.  Darkness began to creep in around her vision.  She heard footsteps, but they were hazy.  She couldn’t hardly focus on anything anymore.  She was so tired…  “Nessa…  Nessa…  Nessa…”  Her name was called out in the sweetest voice she could imagine. 

“M’here…”  She mumbled softly, but the darkness…  It invited her to rest…  To sleep…  And it was getting harder and harder to resist that invitation. 

The men who actually ran the business side of the Pacific Produce Company always made the joke that it was a good day for hay, but for Trevor... he preferred being outside on the farm.  He was much more comfortable working with the plants and animals than he was with his fellow human counter-parts.    Despite his socially awkward nature it seemed Wayne and his men had taken a liking to Trevor, and the hard work and intelligence he'd shown so far., and with the help of Nessa Pryde, Trevor was learning a lot of the "family business" as well as the world as a whole. 

It was a sunny day on the farm as Trevor wandered the orchards.   The day, however, was not like any others, in the break of the early morning, Trevor heard across the trees what he thought was the sound of the old pick up backfiring.  Trevor shook his head, and laughed at how the older farmhands refused to listen to the quiet kid about how to fix their truck.   He had a bit of lightness to his step as he walked up to where the sounds had come from. 

Simple things to check first air filter, spark plugs, distributor cap... but do they listen, no.  Because I'm a damn book worm kid, never worked on an engine in my life.  What would even hurt to look, I know it wouldn't take that much time to just LOOK.  Maybe then, the damn truck won't backfire and scare the horses all the damn time. 

Trevor's eyes went wide with terror as he saw, not old guys with a truck, but the corpse of his boss, Wayne, laying on the ground.

"Boss is down!" Mikhail called out to him. "TREVOR!  We need info on who did this, get your head out of your ass and think boy!"

Still in shock, Trevor shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts from seeing his boss dead. He racked his brain thinking of ways to figure out who, or where the attack came from. 

The target was Wayne.  They came in with fast cars, made the shot and took off.  The cars, we can look into the cars. He took a deep breath thinking that over.  No, they're probably rentals, paid with cash if they're smart. The hit was fast and clean, they're probably smart.  If it was fast they probably didn't drive in...

"Airports, we check the airport.  For a high influx from a certain city..." Trevor piped in, then another thought hit him. "Or, a high influx OUT of the Vegas to a specific city, an increase in private flights maybe?" 

Trevor may not have been a brawler or a skilled gunman, but the boy was damn smart.  Intelligence was one of the only things he was glad he inherited from his father.  After a few phone calls and what felt like hours on the phone, he got an answer, Detroit.   All information was pointing at the hit coming from Detroit, sports car rentals from Detroit folks, an influx in private flights heading back to Detroit.  He swallowed hard as he thought about what he'd learned.  In his mind, he was sure of it, but his lack of experience and self-confidence lead him to question himself.  The thought of the consequences if he's made a mistake, sent a cold shiver down his spine. 

Mikhail came back, "Trevor, what'd you learn? TREVOR!"

"Detroit sir. It came from Detroit!"  Trevor blurted out, trying to let volume make up for his lack of confidence.

The more experience mobster smiled at Trevor, "That's what I've learned too, let's go, kid. You're with me, I'm leaving you in charge of my safety, you think you can handle that?"

Nervously Trevor laughed, "I don't think I have a choice boss!"

Mikhail boldly laughed in response, "Right you are!  Now let's go."

They arrived in Detroit later that evening.  While his boss went to scout targets, Trevor worked on arrangements for his boss' and other hitter's safety.  In the calm of waiting for confirmation about their safety, Trevor was left to his own thoughts after his adrenaline dwindled.  

"Nessa" he whispered to the quiet room and as fear gripped his stomach, he got sick in the nearby trash can.  "My heart, she's out there, a possible target.  No, no no."

TREVOR!  Calm yourself.  Worrying like this isn't going to help her or you. Keep your senses about you, you're in enemy territory charged with keeping fellow Vegas family safe. 

He wasn't too deep into his thoughts when Mikhail and some of his other family started charging through the door.   Relief filled him as they came through safe and sound.  They needed to recover.  He'd take the time of their resting, and of himself scouting new safehouse locations, as a cover for going out to find his beloved Nessa. 

"Look, no one notices the shy quiet kid.  I'll blend in with civilians.  I will go find us a new place to go after you go start your next phase of attacks.  I'll be alright I'll phone in when I have something." 

With that, Trevor slipped into the Detroit night. He ran along the streets he knew he'd walked with Nessa. Happier times, brighter times... her words rang in his head once again, "You should get to proprosin' then mister..." words he thought she was joking about.  But words he felt in heart, for her. And, the thought of this world without her in it, was not something he could begin to conceive. 

He paused to catch his breath, letting his eyes look around at his current location.  These back alley's they looked, familiar to him.   His instinct told him he needed to go down them.  Perhaps if he paid closer attention to the chaos going on around him, he would have noticed he ran past her car having been riddled with bullets, but his mind was so focused and worried about if he could even emotionally survive without her. 

"NESSA!"  He called her name as he ran down the alleyways and back streets. "NESSA!"  

He stopped dead in his tracks as he heard a faint mumbling coming down one of the alleys.  He could have sworn it was her voice he heard, quiet and muffled.  Slowly, and carefully he made his way down the path in front of him, his eyes adjusted to the dim lights and he saw her and the faintest reflections from the dim light off the glitter in her hair. 

"Nessa," he whispered, as he knelt beside her. "I'm here, it's me Trevor."

It wasn't until he reached for her hand that he noticed the blood.  He shook his head, and the panic that started to set in he threw off quickly.  Glad for his brother's old journals describing his days in the mines and how they dealt with injuries there.   A gunshot was not the same as a mine injury, he knew, but the principles were the same. 

"Nessa, I need you to stay with me okay.  Talk to me."  He spoke as he pulled off his black T-shirt and pressed it against her wound. He could see what he thought was a wince. "I know it hurts, but it's to stop the bleeding.  You're going to be okay. I  just need you to stay awake, okay.  I can't get around to properly proposing if you don't stay awake and talk to me." 

He gave her a smile and weak laugh as he fought to hide the tears that had began to form in his eyes.  He nodded his head, telling her she was going to be alright, over and over.  Confirmation for himself as much as it was for her. 

"I'm going to get you out of here, I promise." He knew he probably shouldn't move her, but he also knew that keeping where she was, wasn't an option either.   He thought for only a brief moment about leaving her to keep the pressure on her wound, but there was no way he was leaving her side until he knew she was in good hands. 

"I'm sorry, my heart, I  need to pick you up, okay.  Hold the shirt there as tight as you can, I know it's going to hurt. But I'm going to find us a car, a cab, something... then get you to someone who can properly treat that wound okay.  Just, keep talking to me.  Tell me bout that orange Tabby... what's his name? His favorite toy?  Food?  Hell, tell me about your favorite food, color, season.  Do you like to dance?  Just keep talking to me, okay?

"Mmmmmnnmmm" She groaned softly as she heard his voice ringing in her ears.  All she wanted to do was to sleep.  And the pain...  If she held herself in a tight ball it was less...  Sort of.  It was hard to explain through her muddled brain.  But she shook her head gently as she pulled her knees in tighter.  "Nnngh Trevor I just want to sleep...  So tired..."  She whimpered softly as she tried to move wanting to be closer to him.  But as she moved toward him, the pain flared again like a flame within her.  Letting out a little yelp, she withdrew back into herself again.  Pressing her forehead against her knees, she trembled all over trying to listen intently to his words.  He wanted her to pay attention.  But pay attention to what?  Eyelids fluttered open again as those gentle green eyes tried to refocus upon him.  But her gaze swam.  She groaned softly as she felt his T-shirt pressed against her wound, it wasn't even certain to her if he had noticed the other as it was mostly shrouded and lower down on her form.  She shook her head a little and tried weakly to push away the shirt.  

"Trevor it hurts...  I-I think I got shot."  Pain was making her mildly delirious.  But her eyes widened a little as she heard what he said. "You're going to propose here?  And now? Mnh." She pressed her lips together as the shirt was held to her wound.  "You can't propose now...  I have to be wearing a pretty dress and-"  Her eyelids fluttered closed again.  Jumping a little as she heard his voice ring out assurances that it was going to be ok, she nodded biting her lip a bit hard.  But she forced those eyes open and looked up at Trevor once more.  The trust and the love that filled those eyes was near painful.  "It is now..."  She murmured softly trying to make her eyes stay open. 

As he stated that he was going to try and get her out of there, she shook her head a little.  "No...  There might be guys out there still a-and I can't move."  She spoke softly but nodded.  Even in her befuddled mind she knew that she couldn't stay here.  Carefully pushing against the wall behind her, she whimpered in pain, gasping softly and froze where she was, half up from the wall.  "No no no I can't-" But her objections were only half hearted. She gritted her teeth and pressed the shirt against the wound.  She trusted Trevor.  And if he was going to tell her to do something, she was going to try and do it.  "Orange Tabby?  Trevor-Ohhhhh...  Yes!  Rolin...  Or Truffle..."  Her head swam as she tried to move but froze again slowly inching her way out of the alcove.  "He likes yarn...  Green the best... I never got to play much with him but Nayelli said he goes crazy for-"  She whimpered and froze again as pain wracked her small form, but she was out of the enclosed area, but she collapsed back against the wall panting heavily, feeling those eyelids fluttering softly.  It was clear the the Glitter Goddess was spent.  "Pizza..."  She murmured in a delirious manner although if she was talking about her favorite food or the cat's, it wasn't certain.  

She tried hard to stay with him, but it was so hard...  Darkness crept in again and it was so comforting...  So lovely.  And yet...  So was his voice!  His voice was perfect.  She tried hard to focus intently upon him.  But those eyelids remained closed but her chest continued to rise and fall.  "Summer...  I think...  Warmth and sunlight..."  Forcing her eyes open again she looked into his eyes.  "I love to dance...  We should dance..."  She nodded but winced as the movement aggravated...  Well, everything. "Not now though..."  She whispered softly, still trying to keep pressure on her wounds as he told her.

Trevor noticed her collapse against the wall, and as gently as he could he lifted her into his arms.  He hated seeing in so much pain and it hurt him seeing like this, but for the moment he was quite happy he took a job on Wayne's farm in Vegas.  It helped him to build the physical strength he desperately needed to fully help Nessa at this moment.  

"I know this hurts, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I need to do this, to help you." His voice cracked and wavered, echoing the pain he felt in his heart. 

"When we get through this, and we will.  I promise Nessa, we're gonna go to the zoo, or the aquarium, both it doesn't matter.  You can wear that nice dress and I'll properly propose.  We'll go dancing and you can show me how. We can adopt Truffle.  I just need you to stay with me, and talk to me."

He took slow, intentional steps as he spoke to her.  Attempting to be as steady and gentle as possible with Nessa as he made his way to the main road. He gave a slowly exhaled in relief when he finally hit the main road out of town.  He spotted a man loading bags into a taxi, and Trevor called out to him. 

"SIR!   PLEASE, MY GIRLFRIEND'S BEEN SHOT, LET US SHARE YOUR CAB... PLEASE!"

The man gave the youth a slightly apologetic look, "Sorry kid, I'm getting the hell out of dodge, best of luck for your girl though."

"ASSHOLE!" He grunted to himself, cautiously he walked himself to a payphone.  Lightly he set Nessa to her feet, telling her to lean on his as much as she needed to, then he called the hospital. 

"Kid, all our ambulances are out, if you can get a cab it'll be faster..." The woman's voice on the other end said quietly before there was a gentle click of her hanging up.   Trevor fought his emotions to keep them in check, the panic, anger, frustration, and fear. He knew he had to keep himself calm, if they were both to survive this he had to remain as calm as possible.  And in the cool Detroit night, they waited for the cab to show up. 

"I know this hurts, but I need you to keep awake...." He winced just looking at her, he could tell just by looking how much she hurt.

"KID HURRY AND GET IN!"  the cabbie yelled at Trevor from the curb.

He walked as fast as he dared with his Glitter Goddess to the cab, then as quickly and gently as he could he helped her into the cab.  For the first time since he found her, he felt a little bit of relief, and he relaxed just a little bit in the back of the cab.   They had only driven a few blocks when he felt a shift in weight from Nessa.

"No, no no no you don't.  Look at me, Nessa." He lifted her head so her eyes looked at his. "Those eyes need to stay open..."

He was watching them flutter open and closed again, he didn't know what to do, so he just leaned in and gently pressed his lips to hers, kissing her for a brief few moments. 

"Stay.  Awake.  I need you to stay awake.  I can't lose you, I love you.  So stay with me.  You want to hear it again, start talking Ness.  Tell me about yourself, anything and everything that comes into your head.  I will tell you again after everything you tell me.  Just keep talking, no matter how silly you think what you're telling me is.  It's keeping you with me, that's all that matters.   I will get you the help you need, we will get you safe."

The cabbie glanced in the back at the youth in the back seat of his cab. He wasn't sure if it was their words, how clearly the young woman needed a doctor, or maybe both... but he pushed his cab ever faster towards the closest hospital. 

Nessa gasped softly as pain jolted her roughly awake.  No matter how careful and gentle Trevor had been, movement was still enough to jar her small form enough.  She nestled in against his chest, carefully curling in on herself.  Even though she was taller than the beautiful woman she called mom, she still often cursed her own tiny height of just over five feet and an inch.  At this point in time, her slight stature was definitely in her favor.  Biting back a cry as he moved, she had no doubt, even in her befuddled mind, that he was being just as careful as he could.  She listened intently to him, honing in on his voice as much as her swimming mind could manage.  She desperately just wanted to sleep...  To rest...  But his voice...  She needed to listen to his voice.  Why?  She could talk to him tomorrow after she rested...  He was apologizing?  Biting her lip a little as she pushed carefully against his chest again.  "M-getting blood on your shirt..."  She mumbled, gritting her teeth, but she couldn't bring herself to pull herself way from his chest as she more or less felt like she were holding herself together and if she held tightly enough against him, it kept the pain dimmed slightly.

She listened quietly to his voice, his response to her confusion on his proposal idea.  But she gave a soft laugh and nodded in a dazed manner.  "That sounds...  Wonderful."  There was a slight wistful sound to her voice.  "Truffle loves you..."  She felt herself drifting off again.  "I love you..."  She murmured softly, biting back a soft whimper once more. Nessa tried hard not to move around too much.  All she wanted was to remain curled against Trevor anyway so she remained just as still as she could.  

Suddenly Trevor yelled out.  She cringed against him, hiding her face against his chest as she hid the tears from her own sudden movement.  Heck if she was going to let Trevor see that.  As she was settled on her feet, she would nod trying carefully to hold herself up as much as possible only leaning against Trevor only minutely to steady herself.  Her other arm remained curled around her form as she hunched just a little as he made the phone calls.  Her head swam but she began to sing softly the words of some lullaby or other that her mother had sung her as a child.  The words were disjointed with her careful breathing, but it was clear she was doing what she could to keep herself awake, and maybe even attempt to help Trevor stay calm.  Honestly it was hard for her mind to keep a single thought in it long, but she tried.

Finally, a cab showed up for them.  Thankful for Trevor's help, she got into the cab and as soon as Trevor was in, she carefully leaned against him, laying her head gently upon his shoulder.  "S'ok Trevor...  Everything is going to be ok..."  She spoke in a fairly sleepy tone.  "It's all gonna work out..."  Warmth seeped into her mind and she nestled in against Trevor's side a bit too comfortable and the need for sleep hitting her even harder than before.  But suddenly his voice rang out with even more urgency and she slowly lifted her head, batting those gentle spring green eyes back open.  "Hmmmnh?  Oh...  Yea, no I'm good...  Everything's ok."  She nodded a bit.  "I got the most beautiful German Shepherd at the shelter the other day-!"  She started, but it was punctuated by a bump in the road that jarred her hard.  Whimpering, she curled against him again feeling those eyes heavy again.  "Just a few minutes while we drive...  I'll wake up after...  I'll..."  And she had drifted off once more.

But even as the darkness began to creep in again, she felt it suddenly driven back with force as his lips pressed against her own.  Her whole form tingled with an electricity that she hadn't yet known.  Those eyes opened again, meeting his own.  Feeling blood rush to her cheeks, she couldn't deny even in the state she was in, that was a good thing.  Hearing his pleading, she nodded with a grim determination.  "Her name.  It's Rainy.  I can't see why because her personality is..."  She drew a quick breath.  "Anything but..."  She looked up at him meeting his eyes again with all seriousness and lucidity in those eyes as could be at this moment.  "I love you too."  She nodded and drew another breath as she tried to soldier on.  "I love the color green...  Green like the grass in the middle of spring.  My favorite flower is the Calla Lily...  It's so simple but the most...  Beautiful."  She trembled as her body suddenly felt chilled even in the warmth of the cab.  "My favorite memory..."  She shivered a little.  "Was the day I met you."  She looked up at him ever so seriously biting her lip softly at this admittance.  Pausing in her words for a moment, she panted softly trying hard to think of anything and everything but the pain in her chest.  "What's you're favorite color?  Favorite season?"  She would focus intently upon him, remotely noticing the speeding up of the car they now rode in.  

He couldn't believe his ears, after hearing her quietly admit that she loved him too. He felt guilty feeing any sort of hope or happiness with the one he cared so much about, being in the sort of pain she was in. As they drove, Trevor kept his word to her, and between each new thing Nessa told him, he'd softly kiss her before whispering a soft "I love you." 

Then she asked him questions, questions he's never thought about.  Favorite anything really, he knew he needed to think fast, to keep Nessa talking as the cab sped through the streets of Detroit to the nearest hospital.  He took a deep nervous breath as he thought, and when he spoke, his mind didn't fully grasp the meaning behind the words, an issue he's been facing all-night.

"I think my favorite color,  is the green color of your eyes.  They're so beautiful.   I never thought about my favorite season, but I think I am going to really enjoy winter.  I like the idea of holding you close while sitting by a fire."  He cheeks blushed and when bright red, "I like the idea of kissing you more too..."

There was a brief moment of quiet but before Trevor could start speaking again, the cab came to a sudden halt. The back door flew open,  and the boy started at the driver as he grabbed at his pockets for cash, panicking as he didn't find any money.  The driver yelled at him, "DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE MONEY, GO GET YOUR GIRL THE HELP SHE NEEDS..."

"She's... no... we're just..." He mumbled as he refocused his brain back to helping Nessa.  "C'mon Nessa, we're almost there..."

Trevor slowly made it to the Emergency Room entrance, the driver walked slowly and quietly with him.   The cabby didn't say a word to the young man until Trevor walked passed him to enter into the hospital. 

"Kid, you're not fooling me, and stop trying to deny how you feel... Embrace those feelings you were expressing in that cab.  You only live once kid."

"Thank you sir, for everything."  Trevor quietly responded before disappearing into the busy emergency room. 

He made his way to the nurse's station before he could even say anything else a nurse ran up to him. "What is the emergency,"  The woman looked tired, the place was swarming with injuries, but none in the room looked nearly as dangerous as Nessa's.   He felt bad for other's misery, but he couldn't help hoping that would push his heart to the front of the line. 

"She's been shot, please help her."  Trevor looked down to the tiny form curled up in his arms, and whispered.  "You're going to be okay Nessa."

The nurse didn't need to ask how bad the wounds were, she could tell it was bad just by looking at the girl in Trevor's arms.  "GURNEY STAT!" The words were barely out of the caretaker's mouth and one was in front of them, Trevor placed her on to the stretcher and watched with tears in his eyes as they wheeled the young woman away from him. 

"Please, let me go with..." Trevor pleaded with the nurse.

"Only family kid."  She looked calmly said to him.

"C'mon, she's my..." Trevor hesitated before he spilled his lie, "my fiance.  You'd let me in if we were actually married, don't deny me just because we haven't spoken some words to each other in a ceremony."

The nurse could clearly see the desperate look over his face, "Look, when she's out of surgery and resting... we'll come get you. Until then there really isn't anything you can do but sit here and wait." 

Trevor nodded slowly as he took a seat in a quiet corner of the waiting room, and stared at his hands stained with the blood of the woman he loved.  He loved.   Those words they spoke in the car, the lie he told the nurse to gain access to her while she begins her recovery... What did they all me for him... for them.   He leaned his head back against the wall, and the exhaustion of everything finally took its toll on him and he dozed off

Nessa would respond favorably to his soft attentions.  With the rewards of his words and little kisses, she would try and keep talking.  She was so tired, and yet at this moment, it seemed that much more important to just keep talking to him.  The more she talked to him, the more the darkness was kept at bay.  And yet she couldn't tell for sure if she wanted the darkness to stay away or just to succumb to it and to sleep...  No.  He wanted her to talk to him, so she would do her best.  Shifting a little, she gave a soft yelp and whimper as she brushed right over the worse of her wounds.  Her skin paled as she breathed fairly raggedly, her brain trying hard to keep going so she would ask him questions too, trying to latch onto the answers.  But in her mind, the words felt like sand.  If she held on too tightly it slipped through her fingers...  But if she relaxed too much, same situation.  It was a balancing act more than anything.  

His voice rolled over her like warm waves of a tropical beach.  Each answer made her smile in her fairly dream-like manner.  She felt her pale cheeks color a tad as she tried to focus all her attention upon those answers.  Sleep...  It once again beckoned her as she remained carefully leaned against the young man beside her.  "Green and winter- You...  Me..."  She murmured softly, making less and less sense as the car trip went on.  She felt herself nodding off again.  "What kind- Glitter...  Like beavers?  They have funny tails..."  It was clear that the girl was somewhat delirious but still making an effort to say something...  Pretty much anything that came to her mind.  "Love you..."  She nodded again.  But just then the door of the cab flew open and Nessa jerked awake, looking around in confusion.  She blinked in bewilderment.  "Whassappening..."  But Trevor was in conversation with the cab driver who had just been yelling.  Refocusing upon Trevor, she nodded in response.  "Kay...  Just want to sleep..."  She admitted softly but found herself once again picked up in Trevor's arms.  

A delicate tremor ran through her tiny frame as she curled against his chest.  If she just held herself together, she'd make it through, this much she was sure of.  But before she knew it, she felt herself drifting once again.  She didn't so much as struggle in the least as Trevor carried her right into the insanity that was the hospital.  She was so still in his arms...  The slight rise and fall of her chest betraying her breath was the only thing that would let one know she was even still attached to this world.  She had finally began to give into the desire to sleep and rested against his chest, fairly oblivious to the outside world.  The darkness crept in again, a comfort, a barrier...  She hardly heard what went on around her as the battle raged within her.  The battle for her very life and whether Trevor knew or not, he was fighting it.  

Before she could so much as take another breath, her form was being placed upon a gurney.  She whimpered as the removal of Trevor's warmth against her jolted her back into the cruel reality.  She shifted just a little.  "Nnngh...  Trevor?  No-Trevor..."  She passed her tongue carefully over dry lips, gulping as she tried to give her dry throat some reprieve.  "I need him..."  She whimpered out softly, but already she was hurtling along a corridor toward the nearest operating room not in use.  They weren't messing around.  Nessa's head swam as blurred forms swam in and out of her vision as she now mentally batted back at the darkness.  "Where's Trevor..."  She repeated hazily.  

The nurse pushing her gurney looked down upon the tiny restless form.  "Easy honey...  Everything's going to be alright.  You need to lie still.  We're going to take care of you."

"No...  No no, where's Trevor?"

"He'll be here just as soon as you're stable."  The nurse tried hard to placate the traumatized girl.  The trip was mercifully short and before long she was being rapidly examined and then prepped for emergency surgery.  Most of the words went right over her without making a lick of sense to the girl.  She was terrified, but before too long, she felt the blessed pain numbing lull that came with the anesthesia.  Not even having to count, Nessa's tiny mind finally let go and her form relaxed to allow the doctors to do just what they needed to do to save her life.

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Hours passed on at an agonizing pace until a nurse walked from the depths of the operating area.  She was silent, her face looking fairly unreadable as she searched the fairly bustling waiting room.  There...  Her eyes locked with Trevor's and she moved toward him with precise steps.  She gave a small smile and nodded.  It was the same nurse that had received Nessa.  "Your girl's a fighter...  And you did admirably to get her here just in time...  She was lucky.  The bullet broke a rib on it's way through but missed most things that are vital...  She's going to have to be careful for quite a while... Her wounds were numerous but we have no reason to doubt she'll recover.  You can see her now...  She's waking up but has already been asking after you..."  She smiled softly to Trevor, a look in her eye that bespoke a fondness for what she saw.  It was hard to see beauty when you were surrounded so often by pain.  And the obvious care the two had for each other was something rare these days.

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Back in the recovery room, Nessa groaned softly.  "Trevor...  Trevor?"  Her eyes slowly opened but her limbs felt so heavy.  She didn't dare to try to move just yet anyway, but still she quietly sought after the only one she really wanted to see right then.

Trevor blinked a few times, trying to figure out where he was at.  The sun was out, it was a bright and warm summer day. He was on a busy city street, and not an ounce of anxiety was gripping him at all.   He closed his eyes, taking in the warmth of the sun and the sounds of the streets around him.  'This is what life can be like, calm peaceful, without fear and anxiety... it's nice.'  he thought to himself before a voice from behind him grabbed his attention.

"TREVOR!" 

He smiled as he knew the voice, the sweet angelic voice of his Nessa.  He opened his eyes as he turned around.  She was absolutely beautiful, with her red hair, green eyes, and the prettiest little dress that fit her perfectly.  He picked her up and twirled her around in a circle as he hugged her tightly.

"Nessa you look... absolutely beautiful." 

He held her hand and took a small step back, an uncharacteristically cocky grin spread across his face. 

"Tell me, my sweet Nessa... how am I to know when the dress is pretty enough for it to be okay for me to propose to you?" 

The young woman let out a loud and boisterous laugh. 

"My dear sweet Trevor" She spoke in an almost mocking voice, very much unlike the girl he had fallen in love with. "Why would I want you to propose to me?  You're a shy, cowardly little boy. There is no girl or woman on this earth who would want to marry you."

Trevor looked down towards the ground.  All the hope, and confidence he one felt left him like air from a popped balloon. 

"Come now Trevor, you're sweet and cute enough... but a girl wants strength, bravery, and her man to not be afraid of his own shadow..."

The loud crash of a young boy toppling over the chair he was leaning back in, jolted Trevor out of his slumber.  His heart still raced in the fear he was feeling in his dream.  It quickly dissipated in hearing the laughter from the boy, begging his mom to let him do it again.  

"It was just a dream" Trevor lightly laughed as he quietly spoke to himself. "Man, even my unconscious mind is cruel to me. She's not though, she is everything right with the world." 

Trevor would sit and quietly watch as people came in and out of the business emergency room.  He was amazed at how well the nurses and aides were able to keep things flowing so smoothly.  The nurse that took Nessa started walking towards him, and he stood as he locked eyes with her.

"How is she? Is she going to be alright? Can I go see her?" He flew through his questions.

"Your girl's a fighter...  And you did admirably to get her here just in time...  She was lucky.  The bullet broke a rib on its way through but missed most things that are vital...  She's going to have to be careful for quite a while... Her wounds were numerous but we have no reason to doubt she'll recover.  You can see her now...  She's waking up but has already been asking after you..."   

He sighed in relief as the nurse smiled back at him. She handed him the top of one of their nurses' scrubs as she did. 

"You're gonna need this, doctors might frown at a shirtless young man walking through the hospital... though..." She looked at his form, "I don't think the nurses would mind much."

Trevor cocked his head to the side, the meaning behind her words went right over his head.  He stood for a moment, utterly confused before he just thanked the nurse for the shirt as he put it on. The walk to Nessa's room was a quiet one, that felt like it took forever.  Each step seemed slower than the previous one. The short 4-minute walk, felt to Trevor like it was a year, all he wanted was to see her.  The nurse stood at a door, and nodded to Trevor.

"She's in here, resting..."

Trevor looked at the nurse, "Thank you..." it's all the words he could muster, but the look in his eyes and the tone of his voice spoke volumes about the depth he felt in those two little words. 

He made his way to her bedside and stared down onto her tiny form. He heard her groan in a voice that was barely audible, calling for him. His heart felt light, hearing her call his name, knowing she was going to be alright. He reached for Nessa's hand, and lightly gave it a squeeze.

"I'm here, my goddess.  You're going to be okay.  Best part... You can sleep when you feel like it, no need to be forced to stay awake, telling me random things."

Trevor smiled and laughed as he spoke, but there were tears coming to his eyes as well.  Tears of happiness and relief after so much stress and worry.

"I'm here, you're going to be aright.  We're going to be aright." He knew he was repeating himself, but he didn't care. "You can sleep all you want now, I promise, I will be here every time you wake."

He leaned down and softly kissed her forehead before whispering, "I love you."

He let go of her hand only long enough to grab a chair and pull it up as close as comfortable for him next to her. He took her hand back in his, and sat at the side of the woman he knew he was falling for. 

Drifting in and out of consciousness Nessa heard snippets of the conversation between the nurses.  As far as she could hear, her chances were fairly good, but goodness if she didn't feel like she'd been hit by a truck.  But that blessed pain medicine now flowed through her tiny form.  It didn't take much to numb the pain and they'd certainly given her enough for her tiny form.  Her head swam every time she tried to open her eyes, so for the moment she would just close them again and keep them closed.  She groaned as a strange nausea wave overcame her giving her quite the feeling of seasickness.  Yup.  She needed to keep those eyes closed.  So she would just murmur Trevor's name hoping he would hear her and come to her side.  Silly, but it's what she wanted more than anything right then.  Fear sent her heart to pounding, and the nurse beside her murmured something about her needing to stay calm.  She couldn't stay calm, her Trevor was not here...  He was her anchor, her safety...  Even if he himself didn't always feel it.  To the young red head, he was.  He was quickly becoming her everything and she didn't even know how.  All she knew is she cared deeply for him and with him by their side they could accomplish great things.  

Just as she gave a soft whimper, she felt a warm hand take her own.  She felt her breath hitch softly. She knew that touch...  Even if they hadn't known each other for a long time, she felt he was one of the few that she knew best.  His heart was her own.  Latching onto his voice, she still didn't open her eyes as she dreaded the sick feeling rising again, but she felt her fear ebb away at his every word.  She laughed in a bit of a drunken manner.  "My Trevor...  I would  lay here and tell you every random thing I can think of...  But I'm sorry if I don't have a lot in my head...  I feel..."  She paused for a moment.  "I feel like it's full of dandelion fluff..."  There came a soft chuckle from somewhere to the right as her statement tickled one of the nurses.  "I'm happy you're here..."  She whispered softly to him as she finally allowed her eyes to slide open just a little to take in the sight of him.  Her heart beat fast, but there he was standing there beside her through even this.  Gently squeezing his hand, she gave the minutest nod.  She was thankful for what he said.  She only wished she weren't so dang tired...  Sleep tugged at the edges of her consciousness but still she fought it.  She didn't want it now, not now that she knew that he was near.  

Yet his words permeated her determination.  She could sleep and it was ok...  He would be here when she woke...  She felt the warm darkness continue to beckon to her and yet this time it was different.  Less final...  Nessa smiled at his words and even the scrape of the chair as he settled in close.  Her hand again sought his and mind latched onto those words as he spoke them, just as they had in their mad race against time and odds.  They were here now, she was stable, he was with her.  All would be well and right in the world.  Finally allowing the fight to seep from her mind, she allowed it to drift a little, nodding into a peaceful sleep as the painkillers worked their magic. and she curled up onto her side as near to him as she could manage there on the hospital bed.  She needed him...  Perhaps more than he needed her.  But then again who could say that together they had walked so close to death and come back out again?  They could...  Together.  "I love you too..."  She whispered softly as she finally gave in and allowed this darkness to envelop her, but this time the chances were high that those eyes would once again open.