He found her on a hillside, staring out at a raging ocean. The sea breeze whipped her hair and dress into a mad dance, swirling around her. For her part, she didn't seem to notice.
"Sapphire?" Her head turned slightly. He was slightly breathless from his hike up the hill. "I have been looking for you for quite some time."
"And you have found me."
"What is wrong?" He watched her shoulders rise and fall as she sighed. "You can tell me anything." She looked at him with such a mixture of sadness and exhaustion that he took an involuntary step towards her. "Tell me?"
"Do you know how many historic events took place in September?"
"No."
"On September 1, 1715 King Louis XIV died. On the same day, Hitler's army invaded Poland in 1939. In 1969 the military overthrew the Libyan government. The next day we saw Ho Chi Minh declare independence for Vietnam in 1945, and in 1783 the Treaty of Paris was signed, marking the end of the war between Britain and the United States. In Britain, the second of September 1752 saw the end of their use of the Julian calendar. In 1864, Atlanta was captured by General Sherman, Napoleon III surrendered to the Prussians in 1870 and the first elections were held in the Irish Free State in 1923. Those are just the highlights, but not the entirety."
"Busy couple of days." He was beside her now. The wind caught his hair and tossed it.
"The entire month is like that, Steel." She brought a hand to touch her forehead. "And it's all in my head. Events that could change to course of history and even the existence of planet Earth if Time decided to try its hand at something." She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. "I'm so tired."
Steel took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. It was a silly gesture as either of them could morph into something warmer in a heartbeat. Still, she was touched and pulled it tightly around her. He smiled at her. He remembered being in her shoes not that long ago – overwhelmed, discouraged, and weary of the fight.
"I know this probably doesn't help, but it does get better."
"Don't you ever get tired?"
"It's not in my makeup, Sapphire. I was designed to not tire, but, yes, there are times when I do admit to it." He brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Part of the handicap by taking this form is that it open us to human foibles. It gives us a greater understand of humans, but it also makes us aware of their limitations."
She tipped her head back and stared up at the sky. "I just want it to stop."
That triggered a panic mode in Steel and he was sure she picked up on it. "You want to resign?"
"Not permanently, I just want to be free of it for a short period, and for my head to be my own. You can't understand, can you?"
"Not entirely, but again, my makeup is different than yours." He moved to come up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "With so many events happening in September, I very much doubt that anyone would notice another one. Let's go somewhere, just the two of us."
"We can do that? They would let us?"
"I think in view of the very real aspect of losing one of their best agents, yes."
"That would be wonderful."
"Where will we go?"
"Some place quiet with no outside distractions or problems." She relaxed into his embrace. "Were you this understanding with Jet?" she asked, a teasing tone to her question.
"Jet has different properties. She is good at healing and protection, but she shatters easily. She could not do this job. It was too much for her, but They insisted to less than stellar results."
"Yes, I remember hearing about her breakdown."
"You are stronger and better, but we have to remember that even the strongest element can be broken." He kissed her head and nestled his face against her hair. "I do not want you broken, Sapphire, and I will do everything in my power to keep you safe and whole."
She turned in his embrace to rest her head on his shoulder. "Just as I will do whatever I can to keep you from harm's way."
"Then it is to our mutual benefit that we establish a new event in September. Our vacation." He released her and held out his hand. "Shall we?"
Suddenly energized and excited at the prospect, she took his hand and they left, complete and whole again.