Hello, and welcome to chapter 8! So, this one took a bit longer to do. I kinda wanted to get Arnold's perspective about whats going on, as well as Helga's thoughts on the situation. Also, since a friend mentioned this to me, I decided to add this here. I do not own any of these characters, all rights belong to Craig Bartlett. I feel so stupid for not adding that before. Also, I do not know when the next chapter will be uploaded, but I will do my best to get it up n a timely manner! So, enough from me, Happy Reading!

Arnold sat there for a long time, holding Helga while she cried into his chest. He was certain that he cried for a bit himself, but he made no effort to stem his own tears. He eventually had climbed into the bed with her, and sat legs crossed, pulling her onto his lap. Helga didn't protest. She just clung to him tighter, silently begging him to not let go. At some point, Phoebe and Gerald had returned, but upon seeing their two friends, they just quietly left the food they brought for Arnold on the bedside table and left again. Arnold silently thanked them as he continued to hold Helga, rocking her gently from side to side. He didn't say anything to her, and she didn't say anything either.

Later, much later, the door opened again. Arnold stiffened slightly, but it was only a nurse. She blinked at the sight of him on the bed, but she smiled kindly. Arnold visibly relaxed. He then noticed that Helga had stopped crying. Looking down at her, he noticed she was asleep. Her face was still wet, and her cheeks were splotchy. Her mouth was slightly open, drooling a bit on his shirt. It didn't matter though. In his eyes, she was the most beautiful thing in this world.

The nurse came closer to the bed, and Arnold noticed that she had a small cart with her. "Ms. Pataki has been cleared for antibiotics and some pain medication." She whispered. "I need to check her blood pressure first though," She added pointedly. Blushing, Arnold understood. He carefully got off the bed while laying Helga back down. She grumbled a bit, then opened her eyes.

"What-what's going on?" She said groggily. The nurse wrapped the blood pressure cuff to Helga's arm, leaving Arnold to answer. "She's got your antibiotics ready, and some painkillers." He said softly. He couldn't help but reach out to stroke her cheek with the back of his hand. To his immense relief, she didn't pull away.

"Ok, blood pressure is good," The nurse said, walking around to the IV stand. "I'm going to put the antibiotics in first. You'll feel a bit of pressure, but no pain." She inserted the needle into the IV line, and pushed the plunger. Helga grimaced. Once it was over, the nurse picked up the next syringe.

"Now, this is the Vicodin. It's going to make you sleepy, but it should knock the pain out for awhile. If you wake up feeling sick, press the call button ok"? Helga nodded. Before she put it in, she addressed Arnold. "You might as well go home young man. Once this enters her system she's gonna be dead to the world." The nurse chuckled at her own joke.

Arnold shook his head about to refuse, but Helga's voice stopped him. "Go. Go home." She said softly. Arnold looked at her face carefully. There was no hostility, no anger in her voice. She just looked tired. "Are...you sure?" He asked carefully.

Helga sat up a bit and looked at him. "Yeah, go home. You need to sleep too, you know. Plus you got school tomorrow. Can't miss the second day." She couldn't help but sound bitter at her last statement. Arnold sighed. He had completely forgotten about school. But would Helga be ok if he left her alone? He didn't like the idea at all.

As though sensing what he was feeling Helga spoke again. "It's fine. I'll be ok for more than a few hours. I'll probably sleep through most of the day anyway." She nodded to the nurse, who proceeded to insert the needle. Before she did however, she addressed the two teens.

"By the way, what was all the commotion outside a couple hours ago? It came from this room." She eyed Arnold in particular. Arnold glanced at Helga, who looked panic-stricken. "Should I tell her?" He thought. If he did, the nurse would tell the Dr. Crannell, who would in turn talk to Dr. Eve. Once they knew the truth, they would surely call the police. That was the right thing to do, wasn't it? Helga's parents would probably go to jail... but what about her? What would they do with Helga? That last thought left him uneasy. He was the type of guy who needed all the facts before making a decision. He needed to be absolutely sure that Helga would be safe from any harm. Making up his mind, he turned away from Helga and faced the nurse.

"It was... Helga's parents. They...got into some sort of argument, and...left." He finished lamely. It wasn't a total lie. And anyone who knew Bob and Miriam wouldn't doubt the story for a moment. He glanced at Helga again. Her eyes were wide in surprise. The nurse looked from one to the other, not sure if to believe him or not.

"Is that true, Ms. Pataki?" She said. Helga's head snapped over to the nurse. Without missing a beat, she casually replied; "Yeah, my parents were making a huge stink in here and I asked Arnold to throw them out. Happens all the time." The nurse looked a little taken aback at her response.

"Well... if they come back... make sure to tell them that that kind of behavior is not tolerated here. This is a hospital, not wrestling ring." Helga gave a short laugh. "Yeah, you got it toots." Helga relaxed finally, letting her head hit the pillows. "And you," She said, turning her head to look at Arnold. Go home and get some sleep. Its gotta be past midnight already."

"Ok...if your sure..." Arnold said, reluctant to leave. If truth be told, he would rather blow off school and stay by her side. But knowing Helga, she wouldn't allow that. "Yes, I'm sure. Someone has got to tell the rest of the gang I'm still alive." Helga said. "I'm sure Phoebe and Gerald will," Arnold said, smiling at her.

"Still... its the second day. Besides, someone has to go and get me all my homework. Phoebe is busy as it is. And I don't trust Tall Hair Boy. So, that leaves you, Arnoldo." She smirked then, knowing she had him trapped. Arnold sighed slightly, defeated.

"Whatever you say Helga," He said finally, standing up to leave. "Ill come by tomorrow, ok?" He said. "I'll be holding my breath." Was her reply. She nodded to the nurse, who then proceeded to insert the needle containing the pain medication. Almost immediately, Helga's eyelids began to droop. Grabbing the fast food bag and shake from the bedside table, Arnold looked back at her. She was already asleep, her face looking peaceful.

"Out like a light." The nurse said again, wheeling the cart to the door. Arnold opened it for her. She said her thanks, and left. After one last, long look at the sleeping girl, Arnold left as well.

Arnold munched his now cold cheeseburger on the way to the Packard. The shake in his other hand was no longer cold, but Arnold was so hungry he hardly noticed. On the drive home, his head was filled with thoughts of the past day.

So this is what she had been so desperate to hide... This was why she withdrew from people, and why...she pushed him away. Arnold understood now, or a little bit at least. But although he got some answers, questions still lingered in his mind.

"Why wouldn't she ask me for help?" He thought, reaching his street. "Why didn't she come to me, or Phoebe? We would have helped her in a heartbeat...so why?" He parked the Packard in front of the boarding house. There was no other sign of life in the streets, and every window was dark in the house. After locking the car, Arnold decided to go up the fire escape to his room, to avoid waking anyone up.

Once inside, Arnold changed into his pajamas and fell into bed. He was exhausted, but his brain was refusing to quiet down. He looked at his alarm clock. It was just past one in the morning. For the second day in a row, Arnold was not going to get much sleep. He turned onto his side, facing the photograph of him and Helga on the shelf. He wondered how long this had been going on... how long Helga had been...abused. Even thinking the word made his stomach churn and his heart burn with rage.

How could Miriam do this to her own flesh and blood? This was what Arnold really had trouble understanding. How could a parent do that to their child? Parents were supposed to love you, protect you... be there for you no matter what... Arnold sighed and covered his eyes with his arm. How was he supposed to know? He had never known his parents. They had left him when he was a baby to go save the Green-Eyed people. He suddenly felt angry again. They had abandoned him. There was no other way to say it. They had abandoned him to go on some reckless adventure, never thinking about what might happen if they never came back. He felt hot tears prick his eyes and he wiped them away, frustrated with himself. He knew he shouldn't be angry. But he was. Even if it were for different reasons, his parents had abandoned him just as Helga's had abandoned her. Feeling his eyelids start to betray him, Arnold had one, final thought go through his mind: "I will get Helga out of this. I will save her. No matter what..." With that promise, Arnold fell into an uneasy sleep.

Helga wasn't sure what time it was when she woke up. All she knew was that she was thirsty. And hungry. She reached over and paged the nurse. The pain in her chest had subsided into a small ache. It was still hard to breathe normally though. She reached and touched the new fresh bruise on her face. It was ironic really, how Miriam's actions had actually revealed her true colors. Helga let herself remember the events of last night:

"What have you told them? Miriam hissed, twisting her fingers through her hair, scratching her scalp. "Nothing! Nothing, I swear!" Helga rasped, her eyes clamped shut. Miriam reached back and slapped Helga across the face. Twice, three times. As Helga tried to move away from Miriam, her mother pushed her other hand hard into Helga's chest. The force Miriam put into it knocked over a small stool. Helga remembered gasping in pain, tears starting to spring into her eyes.

"Then explain why we have had people from Social Services calling our house," Miriam said, her hand pushing deeper into Helga's chest. "I-I don't know! Please..." Helga begged.

At that moment, the door to her room opened with a bang. Arnold stood there, his green eyes wide at the scene before him. Then his expression darkened, and he was at her side in moments. Helga remembered him tearing Miriam off of her. The sudden influx of air in her lungs made her sputter in pain. She heard Arnold yelling, while Miriam said something back, no doubt trying to deny what he saw. She chanced a peek at them through the tears.

She saw Arnold's back against her, his strong arms outstretched to protect her. She could feel the anger and tension radiating off him in waves. His broad shoulders were tense under his shirt, and although she couldn't hear what he was saying, loathing for the woman in front of him was laced with every word. He was angrier than she had ever, ever seen him. And...it was all...for her.

She remembered hearing the door slam shut again, and Arnold was in front of her face, looking at her with immense concern. "Are you ok?" He asked. His tone was much softer than before, showing his true nature. She nodded, unable to look at him.

"Here, let me see." She heard him say, and although she felt herself flinch, it had felt so good when his warm hand caressed her cheek. Feeling that warmth, that feeling that had crept into her heart again, was almost more than she could bear. She felt a single tear slide down her cheek, and Arnold's thumb wiped it away. In spite of herself, she looked up at him. The anger was still there, it was etched in the line of his jaw. Looking into the deep green pools of his eyes, she could see the shock of what he had just witnessed. There was also sadness, and the compassion he always displayed to people in need.

This was what she didn't want to see. She didn't want his pity. She didn't want him to see her at her weakest. All of sudden she was overcome by shame. The boy she had loved...still loved, had seen her absolute darkest secret. Now he knew just how rotten her life was. And if he had left her before, he was sure to run for the hills now. "But he only left you because you pushed him away," a small voice inside her said. Still, it didn't matter. Arnold had given up on her, and she wasn't sure she could handle it again. "Well...now you know," was all she could manage to say. Unable to take anymore, the dam burst, and she collapsed in tears.

Helga groaned in embarrassment. She remembered crying for a long, long time. At some point, she had felt Arnold wrap his arms around her, felt him pulling her onto his lap. She could hear his heart beating a steady rhythm in his chest. Her head wanted to push him away, to save herself from more pain that was sure to come. But her heart refused to let her, knowing that she would shatter if he did. So she cried. She cried for all the pain she'd had to endure, for the fear that was always bubbling up inside her, and she cried in shame. She never wanted Arnold to see this. But at the same time, she had felt an immense, cathartic relief at being found out. Helga punched her pillow into a more comfortable shape as the nurse came in.

"As, Ms. Pataki, your awake." She was wheeling in a covered lunch tray. After setting it in front of Helga, she checked Helga's blood pressure and turned to leave.

"What time is it?" Helga asked. "Just after two-thirty. You slept for a long time. Dr. Crannel will be here later this afternoon to discuss your breathing exercises. Enjoy your lunch, page me if you need more pain medication." The nurse left her alone, as Helga uncovered her lunch tray. Her nose wrinkled in disgust. It was some sort of brown, sludge like soup. There was also some crackers, a container of jello, and a glass of water. She gulped down the water hurriedly, savoring that it was nice and cold. She took a tiny sip of soup, but promptly spit it out. "Are they trying to poison me?" She muttered. What she wouldn't give for a double cheeseburger right now...Sighing, she grabbed the jello. At least that didn't look terrible. She almost had the spoon to her mouth when the smell reached her nostrils. Strawberry. Groaning loudly, she dropped the spoon and jello and pushed her tray away in disgust. Turning onto her side, she glared at the wall.

Ordinarily, she would have paged the nurse and demanded another tray of food. Right now however, she just didn't have the energy. She spied her phone on the bedside table. Someone had been kind enough to plug it in for her, so it had a full battery. Unplugging it, she turned it on to check for any messages.

There were ten missed calls, all from Bob. There were just as many voice mails, but Helga just deleted them. She didn't want to hear a tirade. She also noticed she had several texts, mostly from the gang wishing her a speedy recovery. She saw a couple of texts from Phoebe...and Arnold. Trying to control the rapid beating of her heart, she opened Phoebe's first.

Phoebe: Hi Helga. I hope you slept well. I just wanted to wish you a good morning before heading off to school. It will be lonely with out you. :-(

Helga paused. She and Phoebe had walked to school together since they had been children. Phoebe never missed a day of school. And although Helga ditched classes at times, she always walked Phoebe. It was their ritual. To know that Phoebe had to walk to school without her, alone...it made Helga feel immensely guilty. She read on:

Phoebe: Hi Helga. Everyone is wondering where you are. We didn't tell them much, just that you were ok and will recover soon.

Helga smiled a little bit. She was thankful that they didn't go into details. "I should remember to thank them." She thought. She went on and read the last message.

Phoebe: Hi again Helga. I was wondering, did something happen last night? Arnold looks really down, but he wont tell me anything. He looks really tired, but I assume he's going to visit you after school. I'll be over once my fencing lesson is over. I'll see you later Helga, get some rest.

Helga frowned at the last message. She didn't like the idea of Arnold getting upset over her...situation. It was one of the reasons she didn't want him to know in the first place. Maybe Arnold's messages would give more insight, She thought to herself. Tapping over to his messages, she began to read.

Arnold: Hi Helga! I just wanted to make sure you're ok. I'd be glad to hear from you if you get a chance.

Arnold: Lunchtime is definitely not the same without you Helga. Everyone is wondering where you are. Phoebe and I haven't said anything in detail. And I haven't told Phoebe either. About last night, I mean.

Helga sighed, relieved. She had been wondering if Arnold had given her away to Phoebe, but of course he wouldn't. He wasn't that kind of person. She continued to read.

Arnold: I don't like my Biology teacher. He's incredibly stiff and boring... wish you were in this class Helga. You'd make it more fun. I miss you.

Reading that made her heart clench. There it was, his blunt honesty. Knowing that he truly meant it, that he missed her, made her want to cry. It didn't change anything though. Things were how they were for a reason. With that sad fact in her head, she continued on to his last message.

Arnold: Thank God this day is almost over. I'm coming by as soon as the bell rings. I got all your homework like you asked. Let me know if I can bring you anything. I still miss you. 3

Helga frowned. What was with the heart emoji? As much as her heart melted to see that, it also confused her. They weren't back together. She wasn't sure if they even could. Him knowing about Miriam beating her wasn't going to solve anything. It wasn't going to repair the damage. So what was he trying to do?

As she thought, she heard the door to her room swing open. When she looked up, she saw Arnold in the doorway. She couldn't help but gawk at him a little. He was wearing his usual black jeans, paired with a dark blue t-shirt that clung to his body, showing off his toned muscles. His resident blue hat was covering his unruly blonde locks. He had a green jacket over one arm, his backpack over his shoulder. In his hands he held a plastic bag. He was smiling warmly at her, as though nothing and nobody else mattered. He looked amazing.

"Hey," Arnold said, coming over to the bed and sitting down beside her. Glancing at her phone in her hand, his smile got a little wider. "See you got my messages." He said with a slight chuckle. Helga crossed her arms, agitated. "I only just now got to reading them." She said. Arnold put his arms up in defense. "Sorry, I was only teasing." He said. Up close, Helga noticed he looked tired, like Phoebe had said. It made her heart twinge to think that he was losing sleep over her. But he was still smiling, as always.

"I see you've eaten," He said, spying the tray of food Helga had abandoned. "Hardly," She replied bitterly. "They gave me some sort of mud for soup, and then tried to poison me with strawberry jello." Arnold got up and walked over to where the food tray sat. Wrinkling his nose at the soup, he then picked up the container of jello and sighed.

"Jeez, you'd think they'd know to check before giving you this." He said, putting it back on the tray. He then picked it up and moved it to the chair on that side of the bed. Walking back around, he bent and picked up his plastic bag. "Good thing I had a sixth sense and got us this." Straightening up, he held two wrapped sandwiches in his hands. Handing one to Helga, he put his own on the bedside table and bent to retrieve something else.

Helga unwrapped her sandwich curiously. A tantalizing smell wafted up her nose, making her mouth water. "Is this-" She asked, unable to keep the awe from her voice.

"Pastrami on rye, Swiss cheese, light mayo, no pickles." Arnold said, smiling smugly at her expression. "Your favorite. Plus, curly fries and a large Yahoo soda." He put the items on the table as he named him. Plucking a fry from the container, he popped one in his mouth and chewed, still smiling at Helga.

"Th-thanks, Arnold." She said, still in a daze that he had remembered her favorite sandwich. Smiling slightly, she took a bite of her sandwich. She immediately sighed in content. Man that was some good stuff! She saw Arnold chuckle a little as he bit into his own. They sat in comfortable silence, eating their way through their sandwiches and fries. Once they were done, Arnold cleared away the trash and sat close to Helga again. Regardless of their current situation, she was glad her was here.

"Thanks again for the food Arnold." She said, breaking the silence. "Your welcome," Arnold replied, giving her another of his wonderful smiles. "I had a feeling that you either hadn't eaten yet or would be hungry, so I thought I'd bring you something. Oh," He reached down again and got his backpack. "I brought your homework too, from all your classes. The teachers said that you can take your time with it. They won't count it late or anything." He pulled out a blue folder, containing an array of papers, neatly piled inside. He put them on the bedside table for later.

"Thanks again for that, really." Helga said, looking at the blue folder. She kept her eyes on it as she carefully phrased her next words. "And...thank you. For not telling Phoebe about...last night." She looked down at her hands then, unable to meet his eyes. Then a larger, warmer hand covered hers, forcing her to look up.

Arnold was looking at her with a mixture of understanding and sadness on his face. "Of course. I didn't say anything because I'm hoping you will. She needs to know." He added in a much smaller voice. Helga nodded. She knew she had to come clean now, but she wanted to wait for the right time.

"I will. Just...not right now." She said. "Helga," Arnold began, but Helga shook her head to stop him. "I will. I promise. I just...want to recover a bit first. I...need to find the right way to tell her." Arnold looked satisfied with that, and Helga let out a breath. For a while, they said nothing. Then Arnold spoke up.

"Helga, can I ask you something?" Helga looked at him, hesitant. She slowly nodded her head, sure of what he was going to ask. Arnold took a deep breath, and started. "How long has this been gong on?" He asked first. Right on the money.

"Since our freshman year." She replied tonelessly. She knew that he was going to ask, that he wanted answers. As much as she didn't want to tell him she couldn't stop her lips from spilling all she had to tell.

"Why would she do this to you? Arnold continued. Helga shook her head. "I don't know," she said. Miriam had never said outright why she was doing this. At first it might have just been the booze, but Helga didn't think so now. She was always drunk, but she seemed so coherent whenever she struck her. She told Arnold as much when he didn't look satisfied with that answer.

"Ok, why did you start avoiding everyone?' he asked next. Helga realized then that he was still holding her hand. He must have noticed that she saw, because he squeezed it reassuringly. "I-I'm not really sure why I did.." She started. "I...I wasn't sure how to cope with what I was going through. I guess I just needed time to rebuild my walls... to protect myself. So I could face the world again." She finished, not sure if Arnold would be happy with that answer. She chanced a peek at his face. He looked like he understood, but his face betrayed what he was feeling; there was sorrow and hurt and regret etched into every feature of his face. Helga hated herself for it, but before she could say something, Arnold asked his last question.

"Was...was this...why you pushed me away?" He asked quietly. Helga couldn't bear to hear the pain in his voice. Unable to speak, she nodded. "Why?" He asked, in that same pained tone. She shook her head, incapable to answer him. "Helga, please." He said softly, letting go of her hand and placing both of his against her face, stilling her. "I need to know. Please Helga, look at me." He pleaded her. She opened her eyes and stared into his. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out at first. She closed it, swallowed, and tried again.

"I...I was afraid," She choked out, wanting so bad to break their gaze but found herself completely helpless to do so. "I...was afraid if you found out, you would do something stupid. I...was afraid...you would get hurt. I...didn't want you to get hurt...because of me!" There it was, Helga was crying all over again, and Arnold sat there and looked at her, speechless.

"I...thought that if I pushed you away... at least you would be safe. I never wanted...to drag you into this. T-this is my burden to bear. This is...my personal hell. I thought that if I could endure it long enough, I would be rid of it, and I could come back to you. But now," Helga gasped for air, and she reached up and took Arnold's hands off her face, and lowered them.

"But now...its too late. You found me out, and all this happened...all because I was too stupid and hung up on my pride!" She put her hands over her face and cried in anguish. A long moment passed. Helga was sure that Arnold had gotten tired and had left her by now. He must have. But she never heard the door open, never heard his footsteps. Instead, she felt his arms wrap around her again, holding her to him as best he could.

"Helga, I...I cant even describe how sorry I am." His voice was shaking, but his arms held her fast and strong. "I...I had no idea. I understand how you feel...but I still wish you had just told me." Helga shook her head at his words, denying what he said.

"I know you think that, but it isn't true." He said firmly, pulling away to make her look at him. "None of this is your fault Helga. None of it. There's no reason in this world that says you have to put up with this." He stopped speaking suddenly, as though a thought suddenly occurred to him. "

"Helga..." He said, carefully measuring his words. "Why exactly... do you put up with this? It isn't like you. You wouldn't take something even a tenth of this magnitude lying down. Why are you not stopping it?" Helga looked down again, shame filling her to her core. She knew if she told him, he would be angry. Maybe this would be his breaking point. Maybe this is where he draws the line. But she knew she had to tell him. She had told him everything else. Might as well add the cherry on freaking top.

Steeling herself, she spoke. "Because...because when Miriam does this to me...she is able to be a better person around Bob. They're happier together...and it seems like their relationship is getting better." She sighed, and looked back up at Arnold. He had frozen, his eyes staring at her, but looking like he didn't see her at all. Slowly, his hands reached out and grasped her shoulders, not hard, but firmly.

"Are you telling me," He said slowly, as though to understand what he was saying himself, "That you let your mother beat on you...do this-" He gestured at Helga's chest before continuing "-Because it is helping her marriage?!" His voice rose a few octaves in shock. He looked at Helga then, and when she gave a tiny nod, his mouth fell open.

"Your serious..." He whispered, his hands falling from her shoulders. He reached up to his own face and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers, his eyes squeezed shut. "Helga... you do realize that what your saying is completely insane right?" His voice rose again, making Helga lean back wearily.

"Those people...your parents... they need serious, serious help. And your solution is to be their personal punching bag?" "It beats them yelling at each other every night... and them harping on me for every move I make..." Helga said bitterly. "And this is better?" Arnold snapped. Helga shook her head. After a moment, she spoke again, her voice low.

"I...know this is stupid. I know that this doesn't really fix their problems... you don't understand, you've always had a loving family... people who care about you." She glanced at him, noticing that he had frozen again, waiting for her to continue. "I... I have never had that. All my life, I've seen them argue...throw things... say the most terrible things to one another. And to me. When I first noticed that things were starting to get better for them, I thought that maybe...just maybe... I could make it up to them. For having to be stuck with a kid like me all these years... I thought... this was my punishment, for all the things I've done wrong in this life. I thought I could handle it...it was just a few years... then I could leave, and let them do whatever they needed to do. I figured...I owed them that." She took a breath then, careful about how it hurt her chest. It felt good, so good, to let that all out. She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them to look at Arnold. She smiled at him, and he gave her a strange look, before throwing his arms around her. Again.

"Arnold, what are you-" "You don't owe them a thing Helga," He said firmly, hugging her to him. "Not one damn thing. You don't deserve this. They don't deserve you. You deserve to be loved, to be cared for..." Helga felt a dampness on her cheek. Arnold was crying. Crying for her. He looked at her then, his eyes shining like jewels. "I promise you Helga... I'm going to do whatever it takes...no matter what it is...to make you feel loved like you deserve to be." He put his hand on her head and pulled her closer to his chest. She could feel his heart beating against her cheek, her ears ringing with his words. She couldn't believe it. But she so wanted to. She knew that this wasn't going to be easy. She knew that this...his little confession... didn't change how things were. She knew she had a long road to go...but maybe, just maybe... this was the start down that road.

Hi, me again! So in case anyone is wondering...No, Arnold and Helga are NOT back together...yet. Arnold is trying to let Helga know that she is worthy of love, and that he still loves her. But she is a bit reluctant to let him back in. She's very vulnerable at this point in time. But fear not! I have something very, very special planned further down the road for these two. I also hope that this will be the last of the...intense chapters for awhile. We'll see how this goes. Anyway, please review and leave comments, I love reading them! Till next time!