3 months later…

There wasn't any improvement in him. Not that improvement was expected; with Rose no longer being his constant source of companionship, he had seemed to give up on life. But this didn't mean that Rose didn't care about him any less, quite the contrary – her love for him was the reason why she was organising this personal vendetta against THIK. She clearly surpassed the others in her dedication to the mission, but it was the research that she was doing outside the assignment that was making the most progress. She had already developed a strong theory and had a method to back it up – a method that meant extreme risks for her, but if it was to bring down THIK she thought it was necessary.

Because if she is right, which she constantly is, than she knew who the mole in MI9 was.

And her answer was more worrying than the question.

MIHTD

She exchanged a few words with the MI9 guard minding Oscar's room in case an enemy attack were to take place, before letting him get back to his tea while it was still hot. He had looked surprised at seeing her come anywhere near that room, knowing of her vow that THIK would have to defeated before she would voluntarily enter. The confidence she projected wasn't there inside her though and right before stepping in the room she hesitated. Biting her lip, she decided that breaking her promise was the lesser of the two evils in this situation. Because she would be walking into the lion's den with a strong possibility of never coming out alive. And if she didn't than she would have to say goodbye to Oscar now.

So with a deep breath she took a step into his hospital room.

"Hi Oscar." She didn't know where this sense of nervousness was coming from, because before she was able to spend a month in here without moving and now it was just so hard to be here. The crippling fear that he may never recover was wounding the lady more than she would like to acknowledge. And it's not as if he could call her out on her absence.

He still hadn't awoken.

"I know I haven't been in here recently, and I am sorry. I hope you don't feel as though I have abandoned you, because I haven't… I could never do a thing like that to you." Taking a shaky breath she sat down in the seat next to his bed and took his hand in hers, rubbing circles on his hand. "Well, life is going good; I'm on the mission to take down THIK. Can you believe that they almost didn't let me in because they thought we were in a relationship? I mean seriously…" the shaky breath was followed by an even shakier laugh "as much as I want too, I can't tell you about how I feel. How much I wanted to answer yes."

She felt his presence in the room, she knew it was now that her plan needed to be put into action. Carrie and Frank would kill her, and she didn't even want to think about what Stark would do knowing she was risking her life without him approving it (because face it, Stark would never approve her going on that mission).

"Oscar, I'll be going soon. Carrie and I are meeting up with Stark for lunch at the restaurant across from our park. I was able to hack in the THIK computer base and get their blueprints. I set off an alarm but was able to copy it; however it's on my USB here and I need to hand it to Stark. I know you probably think it is dangerous saving it to my USB only, however there's a device behind my middle finger on my right hand, and if it is not in the presence of moving blood for even a fraction of a millisecond, all my top secret files will be sent to every secret service agency around the world within that moment. I got it installed after our night out 4 months ago; it made me realise how vulnerable I really am… especially without you. The mission is almost done, and so my coming here – it's prophetic of our victory. I know we will win and so there no more fear of seeing you with defeat looming in every shadow. It gonna be difficult meeting them there. It was always 'our place.' We would always grab some take away and have a picnic in the park opposite it…"

Rose drifted off, the memories flooding her mind; no longer was she in Oscar's room but she was back there- almost as if it was an outer-body experience, she could see her and Oscar lying on a picnic blanket watching the clouds drift by. She saw how relaxed they were together, how easily she slid into his side resting her head between the crook of his neck and shoulder. She could almost swear she felt the ghost of Oscar's hand wrap around her waist as he did it in her memory. He pulled her closer to him and laughed when she saw herself pointing eagerly at a cloud that took one shape or another. She saw that he soon got bored at watching the clouds –it had been a relatively cloud-free day- and soon started watching her. When she scrunched her face in confusion and innocent smile ghosted his lips as he soaked in her features, putting every single one of them to memory.

He could almost see the wheels turning inside her head as she struggled to think of what exactly the cloud reminded her of. And when she finally matched the cloud with the object, she saw her face light up and turn to Oscar. Rose saw herself tell him what it was and make a face at his teasing response.

She saw herself turn on her side facing him; she saw him mirror her movements. They started playfully bantering but that quickly dropped down into whispering, each getting wrapped up in their own world. Oscar's arm, which was loosely wrapped around Rose's waist, pulled her closer to fill the gap created by the shifting of their bodies. It was instinctive for both of them to want to be as close as humanly possible. They didn't notice or acknowledge their subconscious desire; Rose saw herself laughing at something Oscar said, slapping his chest playfully but she saw herself resting it there, right on top of his heart. They continued talking to each other for a while longer, when suddenly Rose saw herself sticking her tongue out at Oscar before turning slightly to watch the clouds. Rose physically felt the atmosphere thicken at that moment, she watched Oscar as she saw his eyes intensify towards her. He watched her like before, but it felt so much more different.

Rose so desperately wanted to know the thoughts that were passing through his mind at that time, and if she did ever find out she would never have been able to stop the blush that would have overtaken her features. She wouldn't have objected – goodness no. She would have embraced every thought and added a few suggestions. But she had no way of knowing: not then and not now.

Rose was shocked her past self didn't feel it immediately; it took a few seconds for her to look back at Oscar. The question that she started asking was lost on her tongue when she met his gaze. She saw herself look away flustered, but when she heard him whisper her name she couldn't help but look back up at him. And she hadn't the strength to look away once more; most of her strength was being used to not give into her desire. She wasn't the strongest person out there.

Rose saw them both leaning forward and she willed with all her might that they would get their fairy-tale moment; she could see his fingers reaching out and brushing a loose strand away from her face before tracing the shape of her jaw. Once reaching her chin, he tilted it up – not once breaking eye contact with her. Rose saw them move so hesitantly, so slowly that she wished she could go back in time and force her past self to kiss him because in the future she might not have a chance… But she couldn't, she was just forced to watch as their moment was ruined by a little kid running too close and snapping them out of their daze. She saw the smile that slid on Oscar's face as he said something teasingly to Rose; she watched them fall back into the safety net of friendship so easily! She hated herself; she knew what was happening and she hated it. They had packed up and were going their separate ways – him to work, her to Carrie. She looked as they gave each other a hug that lingered a lot longer than what it should have. She was thankful she was sitting down because as she saw him lean down and whisper something in her ear she was sure her knees would have given way and the shiver down her spine that was so repressed before was now free.

She knew that they agreed to meet here at the same time next week.

That time next week he was in a coma.

She bit her lip, longing for another chance so that she could give in to her temptation. She reached out, almost subconsciously, and grabbed Oscar's hand. Feeling his pulse beneath her fingers she physically felt herself calm down. She looked at him, reminding herself of the job she needed to complete. She let go of his fingers and jerked back as though she had been burnt.

The mole.

She was certain he had gone away, and that was when she pulled out the miniature device from her pocket. Tapping it a few times, she was able to determine that there were no bugs in Oscar's room or within a 5 metre radius. There were no holes in the walls – they were completely sealed off.

Her plan was perfect.

And with another half hour before needing to head off to the lunch, she knew she had to say goodbye.

"Well Oscar, the mole's gone now, probably to alert her about the meeting. I do believe that we will win but -" her voice caught in her throat. The enormity of the task that lay in front of her finally settled, but she had to overcome. She had to tell him. "-but I might not be there with you to celebrate." The tears were welling up in her eyes. The emotions she felt so strongly resurfaced and she only had a few moments left before it completely washed her away.

She got up from the seat and leaned over his unmoving body; the bandage wrapped around his head taming his wild curls more than all the hair gel in the world. But she loved his wild curls, she loved the way he smirked and had his hair frame is face just right.

She just loved him. And she needed to tell him whether he heard it or not.

"So, Oscar, I thought I should just say goodbye. And… and I love you. I love you so much it hurts Oscar. I love you so desperately that I'm not sure I would be able to handle the heartbreak of your rejection. I – Oh gosh Oscar." She bit her lip in frustration, the words wanted to pour forth, yet she didn't have the right ones to express her devotion to him. She doubted if she would ever be able to find them. The tears that were building up finally broke the barrier; a single tear fell from her eyes and landed on his.

But unlike Rapunzel, her Prince Charming didn't receive his eyesight.

But that didn't waiver her faith in fairy tales. Just the faith in her own.

"So yeah, even though I may never see you again, I just wanted to tell you I love you." The relief that she expected to feel never came; the burden weighing down her heart multiplied exponentially at the thought that she may never say it to him when he is awake. "It's so hard seeing you like this; it absolutely breaks my heart yet I never want to leave you. You can control me in ways I never thought possible. Had it been anyone else I would have been worried, but with you… well, I voluntarily relinquish all that power. So please don't ever forget me… please don't hate me for what I am doing…" her voice caught at the end of the sentence. She didn't realise that she had moved closer to him until she was sitting on his bed, her face less than a metre away from his own. "I'm doing it all for you. I love you." And then she leaned over and kissed him. It was a light brush of her lips against his, and she would have sworn he moved underneath her. She had hoped he would magically awaken when she withdrew and would look her in the eyes and confess that he heard everything that she said. That he felt the same as she.

She could envision him looking up at her, emerald eyes blazing and whispering the very same words back to her. She would then look at him in disbelief, losing all motor and movement abilities. And he would smirk that damn infuriating smirk of his and he would reach up and pull her head down.

And he would kiss her.

It would be soft, holding promises of a future, telling her they had all of eternity to do it. But it would also be insistent, conveying that it was going to be pretty damn impossible for him to ever leave her. She would then snap out of whatever stupid trance she fell into and she would respond. And after they travelled to the very edge of the universe she would pull back. And smile.

But her vision would never come into fruition.

Unlike Sleeping Beauty, he did not awaken with a kiss.

She wandered away slowly, pausing slightly at the door and looked back at his unmoving body despondently. There was something pulling her back to him; a small part of her willing to just cling to his side and never leave it until he awoke. But, there was a larger part of her that wanted Jade Dixon-Halliday to suffer for what she did to Oscar.

Rose wanted to see that woman dead.

And if her own life was taken in the process… well, that would be a small price to pay.

MIHTD

She met Stark and Carrie with high levels of anxiety coursing through her veins. She knew that she was not only endangering her life, but the lives of those most closest to her.

And that was infinitely worse.

They were already there, sitting at the table closest to their park. Rose bit her lip in sorrow, she didn't know whether it had been a coincidence or Carrie was purposely taunting her. As she sat down with them, Stark immediately flagged down a waiter. After ordering two milkshakes – strawberry, and a cappuccino Stark turned to Rose and asked the question that had been haunting both him and Carrie since the invitation was accepted. "So Rose, why did you call us here?"

"Must we always talk about business?" Rose was avoiding that question, needing to plan this luncheon perfectly. She looked down and played with the ring on her finger.

"Does it have anything to do with the ring on your wedding finger? Did you go and elope? Oscar will be disappointed when he wakes up."

That got Stark's attention.

"What?! Rose, you know that all relationships with any outsiders must be approved by the Head. And who is this man anyhow? Why haven't I met him? Do you want an annulment? It can be arranged..."

"Wow papa bear Stark is ready to decapitate the poor fellow." Carrie smirked as Stark sent her one of his trademarked glares. She looked at Rose who had paled considerably since that taunt.

"I'm…I'm not married. Nor am I planning to anytime soon. I- that is absurd. The fact it was on the wrong finger completely slipped my mind. Why would even suggest that?" Carrie ignored the sigh of relief that escaped Stark's lips. Rose was his little girl, she had known that from the very beginning. It took a while for that fact to stop stinging, for her to stop the bitter resentment directed at both of them. She had blamed it on her 'teenage' stage, her yearning for the respect that Rose had seemed to earn almost effortlessly, even Oscar seemed to have what was a semblance of it from Stark. While she was left with none.

But she had moved on as she aged; she did earn his begrudged respect through hard work, but there was always a small voice in the back of her mind envying the relationship he had with her two colleagues.

"The ring is simply to do with some new technology upgrades me and Stewart are working on." Grunting, she slipped off the ring and placed it on the table. "Happy now?"

"Aww, Rose. You don't need to lie to us, we all know you've been planning your wedding since high school." Since meeting Oscar was a silent addition in Carrie's mind.

"Am I the only one who finds this topic awkward to discuss?" Rose pouted at this, but both Stark and Carrie seemed to have – in a moment almost never to be repeated-unified to tease her mercilessly.

"Hey! I want to be a maid of honour at a wedding. My bucket list and all." Rose gave Carrie a pointed glare, and Carrie had the decency to look down sheepishly before continuing "and I want some nieces and nephews to spoil." Rose smiled at her friend, knowing from both her and Oscar that being an only child can be both a curse and a blessing.

"And I'm assuming that you want to walk down someone down the aisle and give them away."

Stark's heart stopped.

Sure Rose had only meant that in a teasing manner, she had her own father to do that, but still the thought… walking her down the aisle. Well, not her but anyone really. The experience. Yes, that was it; he just wanted the experience of walking her down the aisle. No! Anyone. Waking anyone down the aisle. He mentally berated himself. Stark, what the hell are you thinking. No emotional attachments. None. Rose sensed something was off when he just stopped. And stared. She was wondering if she had pushed the wrong buttons or reminded him of something from his past that no one really knew anything about.

"Stark?" She reached out touch his hand lightly, whether to comfort him or bring him back to reality she wasn't necessarily sure, but what she did know was that when he immediately recoiled his hands away from her, as if her touch burned, that wounded her a lot more than anyone would have realised. What he would have realised.

The look on her face when he did that was heart-wrenching.

"Sorry, I… sorry." He attempted a weak smile, but it quickly fell. Rose wanted to comfort him but the waiter had returned once more and the emotionless mask was brought back up. With Carrie, flirting once more Rose quickly reached over to grab her drink, and being successful, relief flooding her for another reason entirely.

"Sir, Stark. Don't be like this. What did I say wrong?"

He hated seeming weak in front people but Carrie was still flirting with the waiter who had brought them their beverages, and the only one who was watching him was Rose. And he felt that he could be himself around her.

"Nothing, it's just … I… I thought I was the older, slightly annoying brother?"

"You're Oscar's older, slightly annoying brother. You're… you're like my dad." He snorted at that statement.

"And what's Frank?" She should have seen it coming, Stark was a closed off individual, emotionally distant from everyone. Of course he wouldn't believe that she cared for him in the slightest.

"Frank and I well, we never had a tight relationship. But you… well, I see a lot of myself in you and…" she bit her lip and looked down frustrated. With everything complete and the possibility of not returning alive weighing heavily on her mind Rose had also resolved to show Stark how much he meant to her.

She could see through his tough façade. And she would prove it.

"Well, the way I saw it, it would be too dangerous to invite some of this country's greatest spies to a wedding full of civilians. It would be harder to ensure the safety of everyone involved if they were involved in the wedding…" Rose drifted off, hoping he would put the pieces she lay into place.

But he is Stark.

So he didn't.

"Rose what are you getting at?" His frustration was mounting at the cryptic clues and so he asked point-blank the purpose of her words. Sipping his cappuccino, he waited for an explanation.

"Well, I thought it was documented for some couples to hold two different ceremonies, one for family and other civilians and another for workmates. And so, if it is possible, would you possibly give me away then?"

Stark just stared blankly. For a while.

A long while.

"I mean…" Rose tried backpedalling fast "You don't need too – I don't mean to assume that you would want to- it's just that me and Oscar have been here since our childhood and well -" Rose's eyes widened "Not that me and Oscar have anything going on or any arrangements whatsoever, I was simply - "

He cut her off with a hug.

"Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! Rose, you don't even need to ask, I would be honoured, I mean I would love to - " Then he went uncharacteristically silent and emotionless once more. Rose looked around and saw Carrie sucking up her milkshake holding in the amusement felt at his reaction. Rose childishly stuck her tongue out at Carrie, before turning to Stark who was clearing his already clear throat, straightening his already straightened shirt and murmuring a quiet 'thanks'.

And then she saw the time.

"Damn it!" Both heads swiftly turned in her direction. "No, no, no. I need more time, damn it- I should have given myself more time."

"Rose…" started Carrie slowly, cautiously.

"No- we don't have time for questioning. Carrie," Rose rushed "I want you to have this letter, hide it now, and don't touch it until after… after this meeting is over." Said girl made no move to hide the letter, but instead motioned to read it. "Carrie! I am serious! Now!" Grumbling quietly to herself, Carrie slid the letter into her purse, before turning to Rose.

"Content?"

"Very, oh, tell Stewart to check his emails. Now… ah, crap. Think Rose, think." She started mumbling to herself. "Is there anything you've forgotten. Of course not – you're Rose." She threw two handkerchiefs at her friends – her family and bit her lip. "You may need those soon."

"What are you on about, it's not like you're going to die." But with a simple bite to the lip and the avoidance of eye contact, Rose was able to convince Carrie otherwise.

"I love you both, so much." Carrie could see tears forming in Rose's eyes. "Tell Oscar I love him too."

And then it was time.

Carrie could describe the very instant she knew Rose was going to be taken. Everything seemed to go in slow motion. Every sense seemed to be heightened to the nth degree. She could describe, with remarkable clarity, the intricate design on the brooch of the lady directly behind Rose, the shade of lipstick on the brooch-lady's companion. She could tell you the amount of coffee was in their cups and what their conversation was about.

She could describe the height and facial description of the three, bulky male THIK agents who seemed to appear from nowhere to the nearest millimetre and shade.

She could describe the awful hairstyle sported by their leader Jade.

She could describe the very density of the sleeping gas that engulfed them.

But she couldn't do a thing to stop them.

Carrie was panicked beyond what mere words could describe. But was more frightening than the fact that THIK found out about the luncheon that was only organised by Rose about two hours ago was the guilty look on Rose's face. Because it told Carrie everything she needed to know.

Rose knew about the attack.

"Rose?!" her voice was muffled by her handkerchief and the confusion that was flooding her system. "What on earth was the point of this meeting?" She got up, but the look on her friend's face told her to stay put. She could see the effects that the sleeping gas had on her best friend, the strength needed to simply stand was exhausting Rose tremendously.

But she wouldn't need that strength anymore.

Not when one of the agents swept Rose up in his arms. She didn't seem comfortable and she clearly didn't seem to be interested in helping herself. The resigned look on her face seemed to confirm that. Carrie was at a loss, unsure of what to do. Looking at her leader for guidance, Carrie was once again shocked into silence.

Stark… he was doing absolutely nothing. There was an anguished look he was so clearly displaying to the world, almost as if it were his life in the balance. As if it were his life that was flashing before his eyes.

Then, in an instant pink smoke surrounded Stark and Carrie; disappearing and taking Rose with it.

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And in that very instant her Sleeping Beauty awoke.

I know, I know. You waited 6 months and you got this. I would be pissed too - but you did get more than what you think you got... not a lot more, but still. Well, I did get writer's block and you would never believe it - the incident with the ring cured it (actually happened to me but it didn't go that far)

Well - I think there's only a few more chapters remaining. So I'm upset - imma read some more Rose/ Oscar stories - which I know exist... somewhere in the plethora of "Zan." *author pouts* why can't there be more Roscar!

Okay, okay - fine. I'll work on the next chapter. Send me some love - or Roscar stories. I'll be euphoric with either.