He saw her on the street every so often. It was still jarring each time it happened. He was out getting milk one day, still his least favorite errand, when he spotted her across the street. He probably wouldn't have noticed her had she not been slugging a man. John watched as she told the man to get lost, putting a protective arm around a young woman. The man complied with a sneer, scurrying down the street. John watched as Sebastia coaxed the woman into a café, then took off in the direction the man had gone. That would certainly be a conversation for later.
It was three days before he saw her again. He came home to find her on his couch, holding a bag of vegetables to her head. He sat in his chair, gazing at her thoughtfully. She eyed him raising an eyebrow.
"What are you looking at?"
"Nothing, I just- When did you start saving people?"
Sebastia frowned at him, looking down at her lap. "That girl?"
"Yeah."
"The guy was a dirtbag. He had it coming."
"I didn't know you were the hero type."
Her eyes locked on his with a ferocity that startled him. There was a quiver that was barely audible in her voice, and she let the veggies fall to the couch, still clutched in her fist. "I am not a hero. The moment you start expecting greatness from me is the moment you are going to be catastrophically disappointed. Helping that girl, that was a fluke. It doesn't make me a good person."
John moved next to her, peering down at her with concern etched on his face. "Sebastia, why does this bother you so much? You did a good thing. You should be proud."
"I don't do good things, John! I kill people!" The room went silent. Sebastia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I kill people, John. Why do you let me stay?"
"Because you need me," John replied softly. "And believe it or not, I think I might need you." He put a finger on her chin, bringing her gaze back to his. She opened her eyes, revealing the tears that were threatening to spill over.
"Why would you need me?"
"You keep me from going insane."
John pulled her close, running his fingers through her hair. She kept him sane, so he'd try to return the favor and make her whole.
A/N: Fix You by Coldplay is a wonderful companion to this piece.