Chapter Twenty-One:Regardless of Feathers

"Whenever I'm alone with you. You make me feel like I am home again. Whenever I'm alone with you. You make me feel like I am whole again..."

-The Cure, Love Song

Love. Ai Shitemasu Yo. The Japanese for 'I love you'. Not to be confused with the general words uttered in English however. While there are other phrases that convey the same feeling in Japanese, this phrase is less commonly uttered outside of television dramas or romantic films. It conveys instead a feeling of not just love, which can be covered by alternate phrases but also a deep, endless romantic connection. It is a phrase that possesses such profound emotion that most Japanese admit to never having used it themselves and many speak as though they never expect or desire to use it. It is more fathomless than any English concept of the phrase. However, love is still something that, just like this phrase, strikes terror in those ill-prepared for it.

The Maiden –

I had to give this woman, she was persistent…even if she was a liar.

Sofia Falcone, again. She'd come to Oswald's office, something about her always seemed to leave him off put from his usual confidence. It was slight, but present, today was worse than usual, though that was less Sofia and more him. He had a lot of pain in his leg today, he'd never told me how it was injured, and even this morning in the car all he'd had to say about it was that the weather made the pain flair. I suppose I couldn't blame him for being tired or grumpy, I wasn't exactly a peach when I was feeling ill. It was a little bizarre how quickly I could return to our usual day after the torment the night before…was it good I was getting used to it or the opposite?

I didn't have a lot of time to consider my rusting moral compass. Sofia was setting something up. I knew it, just couldn't pick out her exact thoughts. She was harder to read than some of the others. I could see her emotions easier now than before, perhaps because I'd gotten some rest my powers were starting to get stronger again? Or maybe because I was getting better with them? Hard to say.

I'd been here originally to watch Mister Penn during their meeting, Oswald was a bit concerned that something could have come up with the bookkeeper. He did seem to be hiding something but I couldn't tell what, and without knowing more I wasn't going to throw him under the bus. Particularly not while Oswald was in pain like this. It would be asking for a lot. The girl though had shown up just to tell him more as to how to do his job. How to best bring the city into line. She always seemed to arrive just in time to make corrections then play the innocent.

I didn't like her. She was playing her hands close to her chest but I still saw her quiet confidence, the pleasure whenever Oswald looked uncomfortable at her touching his suit to fix it. She was trying to bait him with promises of getting the city totally under his wing. He walked away from her and I appreciated that, since I got the feeling she was used to men liking her. I didn't like her at all. Lunch, again? She'd already brought that up before…

I was a bit amused at the flicker of uncertainty that came across her face when he mentioned killing her was on his 'to do' list. Though not at the top. I was watching from behind a window again so she couldn't see me though I'd seen her look around a few times searchingly. I frowned when he told Mr. Penn to add a question mark to killing her. Not that I wanted him to kill people, but I didn't like that he seemed unnerved by her when he was so confident otherwise. What was it about her that set him so ill at ease?

Eventually he finished speaking with Penn and I came back out when he was alone, a hand on his chin thoughtfully. He'd put the ice back on his leg and I walked closer, glad he didn't hide it immediately as he had with the Falcone girl.

"She's lying to you, she's playing some sort of game." I pointed out.

"Yes. Everyone's always trying to play games in Gotham, I'm trying to figure out if I can use her to my advantage. Games or not, she makes a point." Oswald replied. Then smirked a bit when he looked at my expression. "Are you jealous?"

"Maybe a little." I admitted, moving closer and ignoring his momentary protest when I moved the ice. I started to look at his leg but he'd stopped me with a hand. "You don't have to hide things from me. If your leg is bothering you I can help."

It was the first time I'd seen it actively cause him pain, normally it made him limp but today was harsher than most. He'd said it was the cold coming in, but wouldn't that mean he'd be in pain for months?

"There are things you haven't shared with me." He pointed out, though he let my hand go and glanced away when I pulled up his pant leg and down his sock to look at the scar there. It was a very old wound, it had healed wrong very long ago. I was curious about what had happened, but I didn't ask, he was right that there was much I hadn't told him either. Even when I'd tried he'd seemed to just think me insane. It was hard to approach again…what my history was…

"True." I said, massaging his leg lightly. "There is a lot I'd like to tell you…but my story is a bit difficult to believe. I wouldn't know where to start."

"Somewhere is better than nowhere." He pointed out, still looking out the window over the city, seemingly distant.

"I'm a bit afraid." I replied honestly. "I worry that when I tell you you'll just think me crazy. That you'd want to send me away."

"If I didn't want you here, you wouldn't be here." Oswald replied, finally glancing back to me, as though surprised by my words. He was so hesitant to accept any care himself, he probably never even thought that I might have the same concerns and fears he often seemed to about being loved.

"I know…but…" I paused mid-explanation, staring at his leg. I was stupid. Why hadn't I thought about it sooner. He wanted me to try and heal Fries but I hadn't even thought about fixing his leg. If I could unmake cellular level deformities why couldn't I fix his leg as well?

"Kagome." My name knocked me out of my thoughts and I smiled at him. It was a great first step after all, trying on a smaller but still old wound, before switching to something like what had happened to Fries. I wasn't sure if I could do it, but wasn't it worth trying?

"Here." I started to take off his shoe, wanting a good look and he pulled away, staring at me like I was crazy. I shook my head and grabbed his leg again. "Stop that, let me see Oswald, maybe I can help."

At first, he stayed rigid, staring at me in surprise, then seeming to realize what I meant to try he let me take his shoe off and look at his foot and ankle. What had happened to him to bend it at such an angle? I took hold of his leg, staring at the damage and then doing what I could to imagine it being undone, to picture it fixing itself and then called on my powers. I wanted to help him, I didn't like seeing him so injured…I wanted to make him whole again.

The physical piece would probably be the easiest one to fix. The light curled around me a moment later and I ignored when he let out a cry of pain. I gripped tighter when he started to pull away, sometimes when I fixed wounds they hurt…and his leg was being bent back into its proper place after so many years…it wouldn't be as easy as the bullet had been. But it was working…

The Monster –

Sofia Falcone was a confusing woman, I'd have killed her already if I didn't mind risking Falcone returning to avenge the death of his only daughter. I wanted to avoid that option but Kagome wasn't wrong, the girl was clearly up to something. I needed to figure out how I could best make her a pawn instead of a piece of the opposite player's color. She fancied herself a queen, but I already had one of those. I offered Kagome a small smile when she approached, then looked away when she insisted on looking at my leg.

I'd never liked talking about it, and I liked her looking at it even less. She wanted a lot of my secrets for offering so few of her own. With Sofia obviously planning some sort of gambit to get close to me I was a bit paranoid as to my feelings for the girl. Was I being weak by letting her get so close? No, the weather always just made me grumpy…I wasn't going to give up Kagome no matter if I felt she made me look weak or not.

I was surprised when she said she was afraid I'd do just that if she told me more of her past, which by her estimation was quite fantastical. Still, I didn't think she would ever consider me letting her go. I had so few people willing to care about me in the first place I never thought she might house some of my own trepidations. What was her story? Was she still clinging to that absurd tale about time travel? I pushed a little more than usual, I did want to know whatever it was she was so concerned I'd judge her for, but she apparently wasn't ready as she began to take off my shoes.

What the hell was she doing?

I began to pull away but she gripped my leg, I tried not to wince too much at the pain. What had gotten into her? "Stop that, let me see Oswald, maybe I can help."

I stared at her, shocked but coming to understand what she meant. Healing was something she did, I'd watched her pull a bullet out of my chest the first night we met after all…but I hadn't really thought that she could fix my leg. It was such an old wound and I had accepted it sometime ago. Did she really think she could fix it? She seemed to believe it was worth trying, she'd finished taking off my shoe and sock, looking at my leg critically and in detail. I didn't like being laid bare, but at the same time I couldn't help but stare at her. She somehow always managed to leave me in awe.

The light curled around her as she focused, and I saw a flicker of the wings on her back. She was beautiful, so much that perhaps that's why I was so hesitant to believe her possible, that it wasn't some trap or trick. My admiration was short lived however as lava seemed to rush up my leg and I let out a small cry, panic starting to set in. What was that? This definitely hadn't happened last time she'd healed me.

Nope, nope…I'd take my leg being deformed. She needed to stop. I tried to pull back but her grip was solid, I barely budged. I heard a crack as my leg started to bend back into place and gripped the arms of my chair. On second thought, angel might have been too early a description…my fingernails dug in and I did what I could not to cry out again. If I drew the guards they would see her, what she was capable of. There were already too many rumors about it after the night at the mansion and some knew more than I wanted.

It hurt, the closest thing I could think of was Hugo's torture machine for the 'therapy' at the Aslyum. Somehow, this was not quite that bad, but close enough that it was very difficult not to scream. As it was I could feel the moisture on my face, the tightness of my throat and I pressed my eyes closed, trying to ignore further pops and cracks as my ankle continued to shift back to its original place. I'd have preferred to have been shot again, I hadn't really felt much pain when she'd fixed that.

Then the light faded, as did the pain. Though the memory was fresh enough that I didn't open my eyes. I couldn't feel the ache in my ankle, there was a small echo but I wasn't sure if that was what she'd just done or memory. I'd had pain there for so long I'd simply grown accustomed to it. It was a constant presence that was usually tolerable save for days like today. Now, that was just…gone. It tingled slightly and itched, the way my chest had when she'd healed me before. The way scars tended to while the skin was stitching itself back together naturally. I jumped a bit when a cloth touched my face and opened my eyes.

She'd pulled out my handkerchief to wipe my face with. I was certain I must look horrible but she was calm, collected…perfect as usual. She was tired compared to a moment ago, but these sorts of things had always seemed to drain her. She wiped off my face gently, and I had to take a deep breath, tempted to cry again. How was she such a marvel?

"Kagome…you could tell me you're an alien from space, and I'm not going to let you go." I stated seriously. I didn't know how to begin to thank her for helping me…just the pain alone being gone was shocking. If she said she was a time traveler…who was I to argue after all she'd done?

"I'll tell you, soon." She promised, and I didn't press. I had been patient so far, I could wait a while longer. "Can you stand up?"

I was a bit afraid to try and walk, but she was trying to help me to my feet, so I took her aid. The room seemed old and new, it was different because of the perspective. Without the need to lean slightly I stood a bit taller. My leg still had pins and needles, like I'd been sitting on it for a long time and the blood was just flowing back. I just stood for a moment, then looked down, moving my foot slowly, rotating it at the ankle. I expected pain at any time, as if it may snap back to the side, but it moved just as I wanted it to. It didn't hurt as it had when she was fixing it…not anymore…

The tile of the office was cold beneath my skin when I took a step forward. She was holding my hands, as if fearing that my healed injury couldn't hold my weight. I did wince and limp slightly, my muscles would still need time to adjust to the new way I'd walk…with my deformity I hadn't really moved like a normal person for a very long time. Then, if it was just building back the right muscle I could deal with that. I think it would have felt odder if there was no adjustment at all. I wrapped my arms around Kagome, pulling her close…just a bit taller than before though we were still close in height. I didn't know what else to do…I'd just wanted to hold her then, to show gratitude in some way and 'thank you' didn't begin to cover all the things she'd done for me.

"I love you…" I whispered instead. The words bubbled up before I could think about them, before I could consider what they meant or how I was going back on my promise to myself not to love anymore. I didn't care. All I knew, in that moment, is that I didn't want to let her go, to ever let her go. Consequences of it be damned. Then, she was limp against me and I had to catch her…she'd lost consciousness again. Had she even heard me?

End Chapter

I wanted this to end on a sweet note. I feel so bad for Oswald in general (even though I know he's a horrible person), I want the poor guy to get some love. So, I suppose fanfiction will have to do because I know how it goes in the comics…

-Aura

To my readers:

Only a few weeks left of school before the Christmas break. I'll be having to study a lot after this, which I should have been doing while writing it the past couple days. I really just wanted to write something fun though.

Kirahigurashi – I try not to push too much, sometimes it's just a nice break (like now)

ZeAwsumOtaku – Glad you liked it enough to binge through.