I hope you're all still enjoying this story.

"What's wrong, Magi?" Crysta asked. Her mentor appeared to be sad.

"Nothing for you to worry about," Magi said. She had heard rumblings about an old enemy returning, and it unnerved her. She checked every day, and all was well, but in her very bones she felt that the rumors were going to become true. She had to have Crysta ready when it did.

"But..." Crysta started.

"Enough. Now, let's talk about your progress," Magi said, getting into business. Crysta sighed. She wished Magi would trust her enough to tell her what was wrong.

...

Pips was doing his best to avoid Honey. He didn't feel up to the confrontation, and he also didn't know how to tell her he wasn't interested because his friend asked him not to, even if Crysta didn't realize he got her message loud and clear. Then he got thinking. Why was he not doing it? Because she didn't want him to? But why did that matter? She didn't even really want to be friends with him. He was pondering this when Wil appeared beside him.

"So?" Wil asked.

"What?"

"Are you gonna do it?" Wil blurted.

"I don't know," Pips answered truthfully.

"You don't know?! Come on. It's Honey," Wil added.

"I don't know all right? Leave it alone," Pips warned.

"Does she scare you?"

"Shut up!"

"Okay, okay. I was just wondering. Geez," Wil said, huffing and leaving him alone. Pips returned to his thoughts when he saw her go by. Did she honestly do it on purpose or did she really not know he was there? He followed. His intention was to give her a good scare like a friend would, but he couldn't do it when he saw her sit down near the bottom of the waterfalls and bury her face into her hands crying. Sighing to himself, he knew he was either going to confront her on her tears or leave her alone. Then, a slight movement caught his attention. He looked up to see a large piece of rock had broken free from above and was about to topple, and Crysta was right underneath it. He froze. She hadn't noticed. Without thinking, he burst forward just as the rock came off the ledge and started to fall. She looked up in time to see him coming at her, and he slammed into her, shoving them both out of the way and landing into the shallow water together. She looked past him to see the rock smash into pieces right where she had been sitting, sending small pieces hurtling everywhere. She felt one strike her face, and she cried out. He attempted to shield her better until it stopped. They were both breathing hard, and she noticed Pips was pretty much lying on top of her. Seeing her notice, he quickly got off and pulled her to her feet.

"Y-you just...you...how did you...?" she trailed off, still looking at the scene before her.

"I saw it..." he gestured, pausing as well. There was a new awkwardness between them now.

"Oh," she said. Her wet hair was dripping down her shoulders, making her almost cold. He avoided looking at her full on. Her wet clothes were a little revealing.

"Are you...?"

"Yea," she interjected. He nodded.

"You're bleeding," he said, touching her cheek.

"Right," she said, reaching up and finding it. Their fingers touched briefly. "I'll fix it."

"Hang on," he said, seeing a small piece of stone still in the wound. He held her head with one hand and pulled it out with the other.

"Ow!" she cried, gripping his arms with her hands.

"Got it," he said, showing her. She looked from the stone to his face and held his gaze. He took his hand back from behind her head slowly and turned to go. She held on to his arm, and he looked back at her.

"Thank you," she said.

"Of course," he replied. She didn't ask why he was there in the first place. She knew now that he had the tendency to follow her around. She felt very shaken that she had almost been killed. She felt even more shaken by the memory of how Pips felt on top of her. She shook her head hard. It was nothing. He saved her life. That was all. It meant nothing.

"See you around," he said, breaking into her thoughts. He had to get out of there. It was all he could do not to just grab her and kiss her and yank all those wet items off her. This surprised him in a way. He hadn't realized his feelings towards her were that real. He thought it was just an idea he toyed with in his mind for fun when he was bored and then teased her about it. He didn't realize he was beginning to fall for her that way. She usually just annoyed him if anything. Yea, he imagined them together sometimes, but who wouldn't? In these imaginings, it was never serious, only for fun, but now, now he was thinking he was fooling himself all along.

...

"There you are," Honey's voice said, making Pips cringe inside. He turned to see her smiling at him with her arms casually crossed.

"Here I am," he replied.

"I was beginning to think you were avoiding me," she said, stepping closer to him.

"What gave you that idea?" he asked, nervous suddenly.

"Because you're always 'just' gone when I get there," Honey said. "That is what someone does when they're avoiding someone."

"I disagree," he responded. He didn't like her being so close to him. He knew she knew it.

"So, have you thought about it?" she asked, reaching out and touching his arm lightly. He shivered.

"Who wouldn't?" he managed to say.

"Hmm well it just seemed that maybe you don't want to do it," Honey mused, looking at him directly. He squirmed. It didn't help that she was very, very attractive. Any guy would be lucky to lose himself in that body, but Pips wasn't so sure he wanted to.

"Why me?" he asked, trying to distract her.

"Because. You've got a way about you that I'm very interested in learning about," she breathed, leaning in and placing her lips next to his ear. "And I know you want it."

"N-no," he stuttered.

"No?" she asked, still in his ear. "I think you're lying."

"I'm not," he tried. She laughed.

"I'll see you later. My place. Dark," she added. She placed a kiss on his jaw for good measure before leaving. He released the air he had been holding. He had no idea how he was going to get out of this one when it seemed she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

...

Crysta had been in a daze much of the day. She felt odd after Pips had left so suddenly after rescuing her. She was curious as to why, but then again, why did it matter to her? Her thoughts were so conflicting, and it drove her crazy. Pips was a guy. Just a guy, who happened to not really be her friend but in a way kind of was, not that she'd admit that to him. She touched her cheek again, remembering his touch.

"Ugh," she muttered. Why did everything have to be so damn complicated?!

"You all right?" Honey asked, stopping beside her. Crysta felt paralyzed almost. This girl was radiant. How could Pips not want to sleep with her? It irked Crysta even more that Honey knew she was so beautiful and used it to her advantage.

"I'm fine," Crysta replied.

"Your cheek...?" Honey gestured. Crysta touched it again briefly.

"Just a scratch," she shrugged.

"Okay. Wish me luck," Honey added as she was leaving. "I snagged a gorgeous boy today." Crysta felt ice in her veins. She had?

"Who?" Crysta asked. She couldn't help it. She had to know.

"Pips of course," Honey laughed. "He can't resist me. I knew he wouldn't. Gosh, I hope he's as good as I've been hearing." Laughing, Honey drifted away. Crysta felt anger then. So he didn't get her message after all. She swiped at her tears furiously. How could she think for a second that he would listen to her? That he showed any interest in her? She was foolish, and she wasn't going to allow herself to feel anything for him again.

...

"You're doing this," Pips instructed himself. "Stay strong." He felt himself wavering as soon as he saw her.

"Well hello," she purred. She moved so he could come inside.

"I'm not here for that," he said. Oddly enough, he felt like Crysta when he said it. This reminded him of her night visit the other day. Now he knew how she felt.

"Right," she nodded sarcastically. "And you're here at dark when you could have just not come at all."

"I just wanted you to know for sure that I'm not interested," he said firmly. He could do this. He totally had this.

"Oh really?"

"Really," he nodded. She peered at him studiously. He felt nervous again.

"Why not?" she asked.

"I'm just...not," he answered. It wasn't her business. When she came closer, he used all his will power to not think of her that way, but it didn't matter. She kissed him deeply, and he tried not to respond. She stopped, leaving him almost gasping for air.

"Not interested," she repeated. "I find that hard to believe." She raised a brow at him.

"Really, really not," he said hoarsely. A part of him was screaming to just do it already. Do it and get it over with. The other part kept reminding him of why he didn't want to and shouldn't do it.

"It's hard to ignore chemistry, isn't it?" she asked casually.

"No chemistry here," he said tightly as she pressed against him again.

"Oh?" she said innocently. Then she shoved him down and straddled his waist, sliding her hands up his chest and forcing his arms over his head. She kissed the crook of his neck, making him groan. Then he snapped out of it.

"No," he said.

"When will you stop lying to me and just let go?" she whispered. He struggled, and she tightened her grip on his wrists.

"I'm not lying," he tried to say but she silenced him with her lips. He yanked his head away.

"A challenge," she murmured. "Okay."

"Let me up," he ordered.

"Why?" she asked. He could see this was the only way out. There wasn't another option.

"You know why," he said.

"So you can have all the power and fun?" she asked. "I don't think so."

"It's how I do it," he said. "Otherwise, no."

"What makes you think you're in any position to barter with me?" she asked, laughing. Her magic was holding him down, he realized that now because he felt like a thousand pounds and could barely lift his head. He wondered if she did this to all the guys she claimed she'd been with.

"Because I've accepted that this is happening, and I don't appreciate being immobilized like this," he said, giving her a stern look.

"Finally!" she crowed. She moved off him, and he seized his chance. He bolted.

"Hey!" she cried after him. He didn't care. There was no talking to her or reasoning with her, so he had to get out of there. He'd never felt so powerless in his life, and he did not like it at all. He didn't even go home because he knew she'd just find him there. For reasons he couldn't explain, he ended up at the last place he expected to go. He found her window easily enough and slipped inside. He didn't wake her. He just needed to be safe. He curled up on the floor beside her bed and tried so hard to not let his mind go to thinking about what could have happened if he hadn't escaped. He eventually fell asleep listening to the sound of Crysta's breathing.

A/N: I am an advocate for all victims of abuse. I work with a lot of women and men who have suffered at the hands of women and men and don't want to voice what happened because of fear of backlash, of not being believed. It is very heartbreaking. This chapter and the next few goes out to all victims in this world. I believe you.