Title: Breathing.

Rating: PG-13.

Pairing: Ban/Fiona and Thomas/Fiona.

Notes: 'Nya nya' is the Japanese equivalent of a cat's mew. *puts on her cat ears and gloves* Nya~~ ^_^

Nyo. I have a feeling this chapter is really bad. Whaddya think? Oh, and there's a guest appearance by… * drool* Karl! Wheeee!

- - - -

She was still crying, or at least heaving, as her tears ran dry after a number of hours, even after the men had decided to retreat. She cried even harder when she had disentangled her arms from Thomas, allowing him to call the base, though only to receive a perpetually busy signal. She found herself unable to move, even in the slightest, as he seemingly vanished from her plain view and, after a few minutes of utter silence, she realized he was making tea. A gentle whistling was ensuing from some room to the left of her and soon the comforting, familiar scent of green tea wafted into the room.

She sighed.

"Ban." She whispered lightly, though was positive it came out inaudible, and turned her misty gaze toward the door. Gentle torrents of light streamed through, casting a blue hued contrast over everything. Thomas hadn't yet removed the shield, in fear of another assault. Though, the shield would only stay up for so long – two, maybe three hours more.

Quiet clanking and the sound of a throat being cleared came from ahead of her. She looked in the direction of the noise, her gaze falling upon the lieutenant in a clashing, bright pink apron. The large, smiling cat upon it with, 'NYA NYA*~~~!' beside it immediately brought a sad smile to her face and she would have giggled, if her throat wasn't so incredibly dry from crying.

"Would you – Do you want to remain there, or would you rather sit in here?" He was blushing mildly as he removed matching kitten gloves. He motioned between both her and the couch, which was just out of her view in the opposite room. "I assure you – nothing wrong will happen from here on out."

"I –" She squeezed her eyes closed, her eyes sore from crying. Though it hardly stopped her from moving – he had just made a promise and it was him, after all. He wouldn't break a promise to her if his own life were to depend upon it. She wobbled, though did move forward slowly and steadily. He helped her only when she stumbled, leading her to the couch, allowing her to sit.

While it didn't surprise him in the slightest, she started crying once more.

"I left Ban at the base, Thomas," She wept and hugged herself tightly, bowing her head to hide her face. "He – I think he –"

"No," His voice was still reassuring, kind and gentle, as he sat down beside her, stripping himself of the apron and setting it aside. She looked at him, startled. "There were explosions at the base?"

"Yes," She nodded and wiped her face once more. Her voice was coarse and she probably looked horrible.. He offered her a handkerchief, which came out of nowhere, and she accepted it wordlessly, dabbling at her eyes, clearing her throat to hopefully allow herself to at least sound better. "It was almost in ruins.."

"The lines are down for that reason; most likely, the lines were knocked out during an explosion." He scooped up a saucer and teacup, filled to the brim with tea and offered it to her, as well. "They probably didn't know you would end up here, of all places, so it may take any number of hours, or days, for them to contact you."

"But.."

"You're alright and he's alright." He smiled and pushed himself from the seat, skirting out the room just as swiftly as he came in. She kneaded at her eyes gently before watching him retreat. She wanted to cry still; she hadn't seen this specific male in several years – two, maybe three – and for the most part, she treated him wrongly. She knew of his previous infatuation with her, though it was obvious at the time that she wouldn't and couldn't show the same affection back, as Ban stood in the way…

She sniffed and bit at her lip to block away the new onslaught of tears. Ban.. I hope you're right, Thomas..

He returned with yet another plate, this one lathered in numerous different fruits and numerous other foods she couldn't identify through the haze of unreleased tears. He beamed and lowered himself into a seat across from her, unknowingly treating the situation as though she were simply visiting, instead of taking refuge within his home. She forced a small smile, though found herself unable to eat the proffered food, even unable to drink the tea which radiated searing heat, stinging her hands furiously.

"I – I'm sorry." She apologized quietly and leaned forward, setting the cup and saucer back down upon the tray. He canted his head in confusion.

"There is no need to be, Fiona," He held his hands out before him, fingers spread, and shrugged lightly. He looked almost – hurt by her apology, the corner of his lips tipping downward into a half frown. "I'm glad I could be of some assistance to you."

"I shouldn't be dumping this upon you – I should be trying to find Ban." She folded one of her hands over her mouth and sighed heavily, her face growing red with her still feeble attempt to keep herself from sobbing once more. He ignored the food and drink as she did, focusing intently upon her – he looked almost dazed.

"Finding Ban in that shape wouldn't be right," He concluded after a moment of staring, possibly thinking, and folded his arms over his stomach. She eyed him momentarily, as though wondering what he was insinuating with the word 'that' – she was in fine shape! "Honestly, Fiona, you should eat – sleep, as well."

"I can't just leave them!" She blurted, eyes widening in disbelief. He was normally so apt to helping – but, then again, she could have been thinking a mite illogically. Leaving after running for nearly an entire night would be lacking any thought at all. She sighed loudly and he still smiled away. "I guess I should."

"Just tell me when."

- - - -

"Commander." He spoke quietly as he held the phone to his ear, his gaze tipped back toward the staircase.

"Lieutenant Schwarz." A response came, jumbled and crackling, though it was a response, nonetheless. Thomas frowned, hearing her stir, and looked from the stairs, to a window which was no longer shielded with blue.

"What is the condition of the West Creek base, sir?"

"We have yet to get through to them, though we're supposing it has been destroyed." The response was forlorn and the one whom he had labeled as 'commander' sighed gently. Thomas closed his eyes and cupped the side of his face in his free hand. "We have yet to receive any contact from our troupes which were dispatched to that area, so another group is being sent off to check as soon as we can get the Pteras squad ready."

"Alright, sir." He didn't sigh, though he did feel a pang of guilt within himself. "I – would it be alright if I were to head over and check?"

"I – suppose it wouldn't do any harm," The man paused, lamenting. "Report back immediately, Lieutenant."

"Yessir."

- - - -

Even lying amidst the thick, downy piles of goose feathers, snugly tucked beneath a blanket of the same solidity, she couldn't lull herself to sleep. Falsities and fantasies couldn't bring her into the thing she needed the second most, either – nothing worked!

So she just lay still, unresponsive to the world around her and intently focused upon the blandly decorated ceiling.

She made several vain attempts to reach out, to possibly connect with the mind of Zeek. Though, this connection she held with him – it was much like a cheap cell phone service contract. They had to be just so close, until that connection was severed. Thomas did tell her sometime between her first onslaught of tears and the time he had helped her into the comfortable bed that they were, at least, a couple of hundred meters from the base. And, while that may have seemed like a small distance, it surely was an awful lot for her! She frowned and tugged the edges of the blankets up toward her chin, refusing to cry – she didn't want to ruin his sheets, or something.

She heard Thomas tinkering with something down the steep flight of stairs. Maybe not actually tinkering – possibly just toying with something metallic. Possibly a walkie-talkie, or a phone, or some other way to establish a connection with the base.

Yeah..

Her mind began to drift at the thought and, deciding that blinking would be nice, she closed her eyes for a brief moment.

That was it..

She slept.

- - - -

She probably wouldn't notice if he left; when he had checked on her, she was sleeping rather soundlessly and carelessly, sans the few typical twitches and incoherent mumbles. So he did.

The jeep moved along the path quickly and quietly, bee lining for the most part, in the direction of the base. He, of course, kept an eye out for the rebels, as he went, though found nothing – not even a single person in sight! – on his long drive there.

He pulled to a gentle stop, just before the base. Just around the bend. Sighing gently, he pulled the keys from the ignition and undid his buckle. Did he really want to go? She may have been in pain, but seeing her again was so nice. Even if she probably hated every minute of it.

He shook his head and got out of the car. The walk around the bend was short, though he regretted it entirely once he got there. The base itself was in shambles. If it weren't for the fact that all of the bases were heavily reinforced to withstand even a Genosaurer attack, the building itself would have probably collapsed upon itself already.

He frowned and bit his tongue, immediately retreating to the car. Afterward, immediately heading home to phone his knowledgeable sibling.

- - - -

Sleeping, unsurprisingly, didn't make her feel better in the slightest.

When she did wake, it happened only because of a nightmare. The ruins which she had been found in was the base location of it; she found her dream-self wandering hopelessly through the tremble-inducing cold corridors, somehow winding her way before a fallen panel which shielded a 'secret' door.

Her dream self hardly hesitated, pushing the panel away and continuing on down the short path, which would lead her toward the light.

Ban was waiting there for her. She smiled and hurried towards him, though only to stop in mid step, watching with wide eyes as ammunition tore out of no where to pierce the unprotected ribcage, just below the left shoulder, another following in suit with a number of equally sized hunks of metal barreling after it. The remaining burrowed into his stomach. He choked, tipping backwards, his eyes growing wide, growing blank..

She shivered and looked about the room.

It was just as it had been when she had nodded off, only shaded by a light that looked more sunset than sunrise. She circled her arms about herself and frowned, sparing a glance toward the door. A number of lights were on down there, signaling that, possibly, Thomas was as well.

She didn't want to bug him, though…

Forcing herself to believe that it was 'visiting,' rather than 'burdening,' she gently nudged the blankets aside and lowered her feet down toward the ground. He had taken her shoes, though not the socks – and there definitely weren't going to be slippers waiting for her anywhere around here..

Sighing gently, she heaved herself upright and ambled slowly from the room and toward the top of the stairs. He was chatting quietly with someone. Who this 'someone' was, she wasn't entirely sure. Maybe Ban? She couldn't hear the responses of the other person over an indistinctive clanking.

She ran her fingers along the intricately carved railing and held her breath, attempting to hear the words. They were, most likely, in a room far off, as the words kept slipping right out of her grasp and fading into tomorrow playfully. Or, maybe not. Maybe her attention span was faltering as she worried endlessly.. She found herself wanting to cry out in disbelief and hit her head against the wall, as she found herself awed by the décor.

.. Without realizing it, maybe she did cry out, because moments later, Thomas was galloping up the stairs as though supposing she was being attacked. The elder brother followed up behind him, his pace steady though he looked as though he were ready to jump and attack – that was no different from any other time during the day, though. That worried her; what, possibly, could Karl be doing in this specific region? She knew the brothers were close, but she doubted the commander of the Panzer squad would cross the continent just for a bit of bonding.

"Fiona – Miss –" Thomas panted – maybe they were in a room far off, after all – and used the railing for a form of support. He leaned toward her, intent at focusing upon her face. "What's the matter?"

"I – I –" She squeezed her eyes shut and clasped her hands together, squeezing tightly. Get it together. She gulped, sighed and shook her head. "Nothing. I was – thinking."

"I hope thinking doesn't always induce screams." Karl commented quietly from his position behind the two. What really worried her about this was that he was wearing his uniform. He could have been investigating the base and – he lacked Ban, if he was..

"General Schwarz." The words came out shaky though she still bowed her head in greeting. While informalities weren't something she always used, she simply felt – awkward in the home of, maybe, the parents of these two.

"There is no need for that." He was smiling faintly when she rightened her head, though she was not set at ease by the gesture. She returned it wearily.

"Are you alright?" Thomas frowned at her and remained focused, resisting the urge to take her hand or – anything else, at that.

"Ye –" She began with an air of absolution, though paused, her lips molding into an identical frown. She sighed and shook her head. "No. Have you –?"

"We were discussing that." Karl interrupted and shot a look at his sibling. Thomas immediately stifled, though the worry still remained. "Would you like to come downstairs? It would be far more pleasant to talk down there than it is up here."

"Yes." She bowed her head once more and removed her hands from the railing, clasping them together tightly. If they were any tighter, she probably would have broken a number of fingers. "I apologize – it wasn't my intention to worry any of you."

"That isn't necessary, either." Thomas chided cheerfully and clasped her shoulder lightly, and reassuringly. Karl's smile faltered a little, though he still turned upon his heel and retreated back down the stairs. Thomas looked back when he heard the stairs creak and scrunched his nose up, rightening once more. "Don't mind him, miss Fiona. He's a bit grumpy today."

"I didn't notice." She forced a weak smile up as she lifted her head, peering over the edge to watch the elder brother leave the staircase completely and turn towards the right. Then he was out of sight. "I want to go to the base today, Thomas."

"We're considering that – Ah, here. Watch your step," He nodded and stepped down a few steps, offering her a hand, just in case. He was mentally kicking himself for running to her; Karl knew what he saw at the base. What if – She took it and kept the other clasped around the railing, allowing herself to be wordlessly lead to whichever room they previously bolted from.