A/N: Hopefully this makes sense to everyone, if it doesn't then maybe you should leave a review and I might continue the story to elaborate on the details. I planned to give it an ending that was open to interpretation but I'm not sure if I have or haven't achieved that. I still have a few ideas for the story but its continuation depends on the feedback I get. Whatever the outcome, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Storm Hawks, they are property of Nerd Corps.
Piper stared out at the colours of the sky as the sun began to sink below the horizon. She flinched, ever so slightly, when a hand touched hers on the railing but even that miniscule movement didn't go unnoticed by the presence beside her.
The young man sighed inwardly as he squeezed her hand gently, just to tell her that it was all right. She'd been jumpy ever since her encounter with the Dark Ace but Aerrow was determined to show her that life goes on.
He moved to hug her when he noticed that a single tear was rolling down her cheek but she pushed him away. She didn't want comfort, she didn't want sympathy; she just wanted to be left alone to deal with it by herself.
It had been a week since the Storm Hawks rescued her and since then she had immersed herself in work: studying maps and books, learning and experimenting with crystals. Anything to keep her mind busy – anything to avoid the memories. The team had tried to make her rest and relax but they just didn't seem to understand that allowing her mind to wander from a task would make everything worse, but she just couldn't find the words to tell them.
If they knew exactly what had happened to her and what she had seen and heard, then maybe they wouldn't act like everything was okay. If only they knew.
Piper sighed as she leaned her back on the cold metal of her closed bedroom door before moving over to her bed to lay down. She sighed again, sadly this time, as she closed her eyes and repositioned her hand across her stomach.
A/N: Cyber cookies to all who review :)