It had taken no more than ten minutes to get a blurry picture up on the ancient screen. Static would overtake the box every few minutes and the sound would change from whispers to screams in the blink of an eye, but it was good enough. In fact, it was as good as they could get.

Kori had taken control of the TV once she'd realised her friend wasn't in this world. Her mind seemed far too preoccupied. With that death God? She could only presume.

And, honestly, Kori was right. She couldn't stop her inner debate. Save the living or help the dead? It was a hard choice. Almost impossible.

Still, the changed girl couldn't deny that she was impressed with her friend. The girl had found a French channel. Rachel didn't even think she could get those. Not with a TV older than her.

"Ami, j'aime ce spectacle!" The green eyed girl yelled to her friend during one of the screaming moments. Waiting for the sound to fade away and hoping it was the TV not her hearing she answered.

"Kor, you were speaking in French."

"What? Oh, sorry my friend. I was saying I love that show." She answered pointing to the screen.

"How do you even know what's going on? They're speaking so fast and the sound and picture is crappy"

"Friend, I can understand this." She answered simply, not knowing what her friend was talking about. Why wouldn't she be able to understand this?

As she went to answer her bemused friend the door opened with slight force.

"I'm home"

"I'm in here" Rachel called back through smiling as she saw her mother enter the living room. Though it quickly vanished at seeing a swelling on the side of her face. "Mum? What happened?"

"Oh, don't worry dear, I just ran into your father on my way home. He was a little irate at me for not having enough money for him"

"Mum..." she trailed off, not wanting to cry around her friend.

"I'm alright, Kori I'm sorry you have to see this"

"Mrs Roth, it's alright, would you like me to get the frozen ice?"

"The freezer broke this morning. A damp cloth will more than suffice." Tilting her head softly at the alien English word she got the gist of the sentence and pushed herself from the couch.

"Alright Mrs Roth"

"Thank you Kori"

Rachel couldn't take her eyes from her face; she felt an immense well of guilt fill up inside her the longer she looked.

"Mum..." she tried again rubbing at her eyes before the tears escaped. She hated this, hated that they couldn't leave, hated that she could do nothing. It was just awful.

"Rachel, I promise, everything's fine, the swelling will go down in a couple of days" raising her hand she brushed at her daughter's face. "Trust me my little raven"

A soft sad smile graced Rachel's face at hearing her mother's pet name for her. It was rarely used now, but it still meant the world to her whenever she heard it. Mirroring her mother's gesture she brushed her hand over the elder's injury.

"I wish I could just make it go away"

As soon as the words left her lips a sharp pain ran through her cheek making her reel back.

"Rachel?!" Her mother gasped as she grabbed at her daughter who almost dropped to the floor in shock. "Rachel, what's wrong?" She asked panicked Kori running into the room wide eyed holding a soaked towel.

"Friend, what's the problem. Did you have the moment?" Kori asked, having heard countless girls reference this elusive thing.

"W-what? I-I don't know" she stuttered out, her face paining her as she tried to gain some footing on the scarce carpet.

"Rachel, are you alright?"

"I don't know mum, my face hurts" her eyes were blurred as she settled them on her mother's face. "Why does my face hurt?" Raising a tentative finger she brushed over the source of the pain feeling a small but steadily growing swelling under her fingertips.

"Rachel, what's that?" The elder asked as she caught sight of a gradually growing bruise spread across the corner of her mouth.

"What?" She questioned, forcing her eyes to focus on her mother's bruised face. Which, strangely didn't look quite as beaten up as before. "Mum, what happened to your face?"

"What do you mean?" Raising a suddenly very heavy arm she brushed across her mother's cheek, noticing the lack of new bruise.

"Your bruise is gone"

And without another word she blacked out into never ending darkness.

oooo

Light blinded the clouded amethyst eyes as they cracked open the smallest of fractions. Voices could be heard though it was as though they were speaking underwater. No actually words reached her, just sound. Pain laced through her face, running up the side of her cheek all the way to her temple. A feeling distinctly familiar with one of her father's punches.

As the light faded the world came back into life, very gradually colours distinguished themselves. But no shapes appeared yet. Just haze. A shadow dropped over her as her eyes continued to open, now opened just enough for a sliver of amethyst to be visible.

A soft hazel colour connected with her eyes, and she forced herself to focus on the colour which slowly took form into warm hazel eyes. Her mother's eyes?

"Mum?"

"Morning Rachel" she breathed, trying not to pull her daughter into a bone crushing hug. There was something wrong with her and squeezing her wouldn't help.

"Mum, what happened?" She asked, raising a heavy hand to her forehead trying to sooth the throbbing that rippled through her mind.

"You passed out, you've been gone for a while"

"A while? How long?"

"A little over a day"

"A day?!" She gasped as she shot up, her mind exploding at the sudden rush of blood and colours.

"Easy!" She grasped onto her arms, lowering her back onto the flat pillow of her bed.

"I've been out a day?"

"Yes friend, I come when you were sleeping. I spend all day here the night before now"

"Kori, I know you're worried but you don't have to be. I'm sure it was nothing."

"Are you sure friend Rachel? Your face swelled and your mother's lump went" confusion painted over the grey girl's face at that. How could that happen? She thought back to what happened and realisation struck her. She'd passed out after she's touched her mother's face. Did that mean...

"I healed you!"

"Rachel, quieten down. What're you talking about?" Her mother asked as she watched her daughter straighten as much as she could.

"This guy told us yesterday that I could heal, I healed you" Rachel insisted as she stared in amazement at her mother's face. Never had she believed he was telling the truth.

"Rachel, don't tell me this nonsense, no one can heal another just by touching them."

"Mrs Roth, my friend speaks truth. Mister Death told us she could do this" Kori cut in stepping close to her friend and beaming at her. "My friend is a freak" she stated cheerfully. As though it was an accomplishment.

"Kori? You're not just messing with me are you?" Mrs Roth asked as she looked over her daughter, slightly mystified. Before Rachel could answer her mother-

"Arella! Where the hell are you?!"

"We'll finish this later," kissing her daughter's cheek she straightened herself. Releasing a heavy sigh she plastered a small sad smile to her lips and left the room.

"Trigon, what's wrong?"

"Is that bitch of a daughter of mine up yet? If not I'll kick that lazy arse from that bloody bed."

"Trigon, don't shout" Arella answered in a soothing tone. Trying to calm her clearly drunk husband before he did something he wouldn't regret.

"Well? Is she?!"

"Yes she's awake, she's with Kori"

"Oh, that foreigner. Cos of her and that family of hers I lost my bloody job!"

"You lost your job for punching your boss, not Kori"

A sharp sound of fist hitting face reverberated through the house, followed by a soft thud of a light body on the floor.

"Don't you dare backtalk me you little tramp!"

The argument continued downstairs, mainly one sided as only one was fully conscious. But the sound of punches being thrown wasn't lost on the two above.

"Friend Rachel, I'm sorry. I apologize, my actions were not glorious. I am the fights starter."

"It's alright Kor, it'll stop in a minute. Don't worry it's not your fault." Bringing her friend into her arms Rachel rested her head on top of the fiery locks. "I hope that Jake comes round today. I'm going to have to learn how to heal without passing out."

Sighing dejected to herself she closed her amethyst eyes, trying to block out the sound of her father's ranting. She knew her mum would be in a state when she came to.

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