"How many times do I have to tell you that you cannot go out when it rains?!" One roared angrily.

"Shut your damned mouth!" Seven shrieked. "I can go out whenever the hell I want!"

"Get back here! You stupid, ridiculous, asinine, female! Oh, I'm so very glad there's only one of you!"

That last one pierced her soul. She was soon out in the pouring rain, trudging sullenly to her destination. There was a grinding noise and she tensed, bringing her spear around. The Cat Beast trotted up to her. She hesitantly placed a hand on the front of the white bone.

"Take me home, Skull. Please?" she whispered.

Skull purred, which had been the grinding noise, and knelt down. She swung her leg over and settled on his neck. He looked back at her and tilted his head.

"Rodeo me."

Skull let out a piercing yowl and gave her a wild, harrowing ride. She laughed as she held on, twisting her body expertly. That cat hadn't thrown her in months, and this was just what she needed to forget One and her other companions. He calmed as he slipped into a hole cut into the side of a house before going up a flight of stairs. She dropped off him onto the floor, smiling when she heard water running.

After petting Skull gently and bidding him to go to dry off by the fire, Seven walked into the bathroom and climbed up to the sink. Nine was calmly washing his burlap out and the female smiled at the sight of her friend…her rather naked fried. It always amused her to see her companion without his burlap, and she wasn't sure why. She eased down into the water. Nine looked up and frowned at the muddy state of his female soul mate.

~You are filthy.~

"Yeah. I need a bath…Know anybody who will give me one?" she asked slyly.

Nine finished up washing his burlap then teleported it to dry in front of the fire in the parlor. He then turned his attention to Seven. He gestured for her to come closer. She took a small step forward, deciding to play coy. He smirked and gestured again. She took another small step. Again he gestured, again she took a small step forward. She was just out of reach. One more gesture, and she would be his, but she shook her head, feigning a yawn.

"Oh, no, I couldn't possibly! I'm just so very tired!"

Nine shook in laughter and lunged. She laughed herself and he chased her around the sink. She gasped when he caught her; it always surprised her, but it no longer scared her. Nine pressed a kiss to her cheek then examined his prize. From the waist down, she was covered in muck. He shook his head.

~You're a mess, Seven.~ He said, smiling softly.

"I know," she muttered.

Nine's smile disappeared. ~One again?~

"Yeah. He said…"

~Tell me, darling.~ Nine cooed as he stripped her burlap off of her.

"Just look, Nine. I know you can," Seven muttered, hugging herself.

~You know how I feel about that, Seven.~

"I don't see how it matters."

~I want to hear it from you. It's more personal than going to flip through the pages of the past. Do you not trust me?~

"Nine, I can trust you with everything from my thoughts to my very soul." She nuzzled into him.

~Yet when I ask you to trust me with what you feel, you still act so shy, so hesitant. It's okay to cry Seven. You're allowed to hurt.~

Seven felt her soul spasm in pain, and she jerked away from Nine. "No, I'm not! I have to be strong! I have to, Nine! I have to because…be-because…"

She trailed off and hugged herself. Nine tugged the shaking female toward himself.

~Because you're the only female.~ He whispered softly then began to clean her gears. ~But that makes you so special, Seven. You're so sensitive.~ He tickled her neck with a feather-light touch, making her shiver. ~You think of things that the others never would have on their own.~ A vision appeared around them of her building the lift system that got them off the ground and up into the steeple. ~You are so very beautiful. Your smile lights up any room your in.~

"I'm usually not in a room," Seven muttered, leaning back into his warm embrace.

~Then you make the flowers bloom, the rain dance, and the rainbows beam bright all at the same time.~

Seven relaxed completely. "You know something? It's quite obvious that you're a writer."

~Thank you. Now, what did One say?~

She cringed, shaking again. Her voice, when it came back, was a soft, grating whisper. "'You stupid, ridiculous, asinine, female. Oh, I'm so very glad there's only one of you….'"

~Oh, Seven…~ Nine murmured, kissing her cheek. She turned and buried her face in his neck. ~It's okay to cry, dear one. It is. Relax. Let it out. You're still one of the strongest people I've ever seen.~

Seven broke, sobbing softly. He stroked her spine and hushed her through their link, raining kisses on her face and head. She calmed after five minutes, relaxing into her best friend.

"Make me forget. Please?"

~Anything for my darling.~

In a flash of green, they were standing beside the bed Nine had made in front of the fireplace. He traced her bare form with his optics. Though being 'naked' wasn't that big of a deal with Stitchpunks, it revealed how the Scientist had made them, so they were very pleased with it. They were proud of their bare forms, except for One and Two, who were very roughly designed. And Seven was no exception, but to hear that Nine thought she was beautiful, down to her most basic parts…It made her shy.

~So very beautiful…~ He whispered softly. She blushed over the link.

"Nine…stop it…" she muttered.

~No. I will say it until you believe me, then I'll say it some more. You're absolutely gorgeous. You make the day brighter and the night more mysterious. You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, human or Stitchpunk. Even the flower fields don't compare to the splendor that is Seven.~

Seven purred in delight, something she rarely did because she thought it was weak. But she didn't have to prove her strength to Nine. He knew how strong she was. She always felt so safe and secure with her secret companion. He didn't insult her or say how stupid she was as a female. Because she was female. He listened when she was upset, he didn't yell unless she was in danger (even then only mentally), and most of all, he loved her for who she was. He didn't demand that she conform to his standards. He was the complete opposite of One.

She cringed at the thought of her leader, and her enjoyment of what Nine was currently saying diminished. And it wasn't just One. The others never stood up for her. They never reassured her that she wasn't a monster for being herself. They never…cared. At least, that was how she felt. Not that she could tell them that. In front of them, she had to be tough and unmoved by anything, totally unfeeling or they would think she was weak and pathetic. But with Nine, she could be sweet and sensitive, she could feel safe and secure enough to share her feelings, even though he usually had to pry them out of her anyway. Oh, she knew Nine wasn't perfect, but she just felt so loved when he was with her. It made her feel warm tingles and butterflies, like the ones that fluttered above the rose bushes and blue bells that he'd planted. She suddenly yawned.

~My, my, my. Looks like you're tired out.~

"Sorry…"

~Don't be, dear one. Just sleep. I'm rather tired myself. I rebuilt three houses today.~

"Wow. You have to be exhausted. So let's sleep. Even if it isn't my bedtime yet."

Nine snickered and pulled the blankets up around them. He kissed Seven one more time then slowly relaxed and fell asleep. She sat up quietly to stare at him. She loved him. She really did. And there was nothing the others could do about it.