You guys have every right to be mad at me. I haven't posted in so long and all I have to offer today is a short chapter. I am really, really sorry.

But, on the good side, I have this story all planned out. Now, all is left is to write it. Just remember this - I will never give up on this story. One way or another, I will finish it.

Anyway, enjoy the chapter. :)


Love is when the other person's happiness

is more important than your own.

-H. Jackson Brown, Jr.


Sly muttered under her breath as she walked, something about pain-in-the-neck self-sacrificing idiots and psychotic men that kidnapped families. Her gait was fast and impatient, and for a few seconds she broke into a rapid jog as she crossed a street. Ducking into an old apartment building, she ascended two flights of stairs, her frustration propelling her forward.

Still ranting quietly, she stopped in front of a door and jammed her key into the lock, swinging the door open. She entered the dark room, but it didn't stay dark for long. Light revealed what lay in the room, which was concealed from any curious eyes when Sly shut the door behind her. Several computers were set up as a control center in the living room, with one swivel computer chair to glide back and forth between them.

Flinging the keys on a counter, she plopped down in the chair with an angry huff and began typing rapidly on a keyboard, just one of many.

"'I have an assignment for you,' he says. 'You'll be helping me,' he says," growled Sly, furiously tapping down on the keys. "Stupid idiot, going out there and getting himself killed while I'm held up in this dump."

It wasn't that she doubted his abilities - quite the contrary. In fact, she admired him. But it was this hero worship that led her to be considerably worried about him.

She wasn't blind; she saw how much he hurt inside. She would watch him out of the corner of her eyes and sometimes catch a glimpse of his faraway look or glance over to see him absently rub his left knee, which she knew still bothered him at times (even if he never actually said that).

They'd been friends for almost two years, and he still hadn't told her what happened that had damaged him so much. Sure, she knew all about his family, all his quirks, all his likes and dislikes, all his pet peeves... but she knew he was keeping a secret from her. It frustrated her to no end, because she felt that by keeping something from her, he was preventing her from knowing him, really knowing him.

He suffered from nightmares, every night. Sometimes they were so terrible he woke up screaming. He never told her what they were about.

He watched the world around him with dark eyes that had seen too much. He never told her what.

He never told her the reason why he never tells her anything.

When she tries to comfort him after a particularly hard night, he brushes her off with a dazzling smile and a light, "I'm okay," that were betrayed by his haunted eyes and his hair that was plastered to his head by sweat.

But despite all this, she still admired him. He kept going, never let anything slow him down. Yet, his eyes were permanently shadowed by the dark rings from the lack of sleep. And she saw it, no matter how hard he tried to hide it from her.

It pained her to see him in so much agony, tortured by something he wouldn't let her see. It was eating him from the inside out, and all she wanted to do was heal him before it was too late. She wanted to save him from it - the darkness he tried to hide from her.

She knew it was there though, had known for a while. She saw how it was slowly changing him, no matter how much he was fighting it. After fights they were sometimes forced to partake in so they could survive, she would glance over at him once the last man dropped. And she would see it, in his eyes - a sick, twisted glint, as if he enjoyed inflicting pain - as he surveyed the unconscious bodies around him. Then he would meet her gaze, and the scary light in his eyes would fade away, replaced by surprise, then regret.

She hated it.

She wanted to save him from the dark she was afraid would someday completely take over. She didn't want to lose her friend.

But she couldn't save him if he wouldn't let her in. She knew he was trying to protect her from something and she knew he knew that the cost of protecting her was at the expense of his own health, his own sanity. Yet he still did it!

Sly typed harder on her keyboard in anger as she broke through another firewall of the FBI database.

He was so stupid because he didn't see that she was willing to bear his suffering, his burden. He was afraid that the poison infecting his heart would infect hers, too. What he didn't realize was that she could be the antidote to his poison.

He didn't realize a lot of things.

With a humorless snort, Sly punched a key extra hard in her frustration.

He didn't see how much she adored him, how much she looked up to him. He didn't see the way she was always by his side when he needed her to be, even if he didn't ask for her help. He never noticed how many times she looked at him with a hopeful expression, silently pleading with him to see... to see that she felt stronger feelings for him than if he was just her friend. But... But he never did.

She knew that seeing him suffer hurt more than even if she were being tortured. She reveled in every breath he took, and melted at every laugh he made. So wasn't it reasonable that her greatest mission was to save him?

One of these days, he would see. He would see that she was strong enough to shoulder his troubles, his fears.

Someday, he would see her.

Someday, she would be the light in his darkness, more than just his friend. Someday, he would open up to her, and they would share his burden. She would gladly take his nightmares if it meant he got at least one peaceful night of sleep.

Sly broke through the FBI's last defense and began searching for the files he asked her to find and destroy. When she finally found them, she furrowed her brow in confusion.

"This can't be right," she murmured, but as she continued to scroll down the files, the less confused and more shocked she became. This... this isn't- Her thoughts were cut off when her screen suddenly went black. Startled, she froze.

This won't be good...


Chapter soundtrack: Give Unto Me by Evanescene.

I tried really hard to match this chapter to the song, so please let me know how I did.

And please let me know how this chapter was. Feedback is always appreciated.