A/N: Hey! I hope you guys didn't mind the month-long wait. I had to get this in as a project, and luckily all I have to do is finish the last couple of chapters. I'll be uploading nearly every day until I finish, so be prepared for that.
Chapter 21: Onsra, the Fifth Rose
"I can't believe it," Catelin wailed against Aceline's chest, "I finally find a boy that likes me and it turns out that he's a wanted man!"
"I'm sorry," the noirette murmured with a sigh.
"You knew, didn't you?" For a moment, the girl snapped at her in an outburst of rage. "You knew about this! You set me up!"
When she saw Aceline's face shift from comforting to saddened, she immediately realized her mistake. "Oh... oh, I-I'm sorry. I thought, y'know, since you're his sister..."
"I would never, ever betray you like that." Aceline shook her head firmly, cupping her cheek with one hand. "You're my best friend. I know that might not mean as much coming from me now that you found out about Todd... but..."
"I don't know if I can fully trust him again." Catelin shook her head, teary-eyed.
"I understand." Aceline breathed a humorless chuckle. "Honestly, I haven't looked at him the same way ever since his problems with Else, but..."
She bit her lip. "I had been keeping one thing from you, and I'm sorry. For the past year, I've been trying to hide Todd from the law. It's terribly illegal, and I'm sorry if it makes you see me differently."
"You have?" Green eyes wide, the blonde stared at her. "I guess that makes sense in context."
"Yeah. Ever since we left our home town." She smiled wryly. "I've had no ill will towards you. All I wanted was to keep my baby brother safe, but... I guess that was the wrong choice in the end."
"No, I-I understand that." Catelin nodded. "I'd want to keep my loved one away from prison too."
The two stayed quiet for a while. Aceline held the younger girl to her chest, clenching her eyes shut as if it would block out the pain.
"If you want the full extent of it, you should come with me to talk to him." She finally said.
The blonde thought for a few moments. Yeah, before today, she'd been looking forward to spending time with him, but... but after his arrest, she felt nothing but numb. She wanted nothing more than to sleep it away, to ignore the fact that it ever happened.
"... Yeah," she whispered, her voice hoarse.
"Do you want me to spend the night?"
"Please."
Aceline nodded, getting up from the couch.
The two of them made their way up to Catelin's room. Without any light aside from the lava lamp beside the computer, it felt too dark and lonely. Catelin flipped the covers back and the two of them shimmied between them, leaving plenty of space betwen them.
As long as it took them to fall asleep, the night passed by quicker than Catelin would've liked.
When the morning sun began to peek through the window, Aceline, who faced it, cracked her eyes open. She yawned quietly, trying to allow the blonde a few more moments of sleep.
She got out of bed, ducking behind the screen that Catelin had put up in one corner so that she could change.
As soon as she walked out, brushing her hair, she saw the girl sitting up, stretching.
"Morning," she mumbled, her voice rough with sleep. She cleared her throat, swinging her legs over the edge.
"Morning." Aceline nodded to her. "Would you like me to make coffee or something?"
"No, that's okay." Catelin shook her head, and the noirette had to stifle a laugh at the way her hair stuck up on the back of her head.
The two got ready quickly, and before they knew it, the clock read eleven AM. They stepped outside, grabbed a couple of apples, and ate them on the way to the police station.
When they got inside, the warmth greeted them before Copper did, fanning across their cold cheeks as if being caressed by a mother's hand.
"Good morning, miss mayor." Officer Copper nodded curtly to both of them. "What can I do for both of you?"
"I'd like to see Todd," Catelin replied quietly.
The dog seemed a bit hesitant, but when he glanced to Aceline, she slowly nodded her head.
He sighed. "Very well. Please leave your valuables here and follow me."
Catelin turned to her friend, taking off her watch and handing it to her. She followed the policeman to the back of the station.
It was darker in the holding cells. The moment the door opened, Todd rose his head to stare at Copper with a burning dislike.
"You have a visitor." Copper's voice was flat, as if he, too, despised him. When Todd stood up and came closer, his eyes widened when he saw Catelin walking in.
She stood still, eyes blank, trying to keep her emotions at bay.
When Copper quietly left the cells, the dam broke.
She glared at him, the tears springing to his eyes making him flinch backward.
"Why?" She asked. "Why did you do it?"
"Cate-"
"Tell me why." She snapped. "The truth this time, if you please."
"I-I didn't-" He stuttered, holding his face in his hands. "I-"
"Why?" When her voice rose in volume, he grabbed the bars.
"Calm down." He weakly ordered, sitting on the cold tile floor. "Please, calm down and I'll tell you."
"No, tell me regardless!" She fell to her knees, hiding her face as she began to sob quietly. "Why did you come here? Why would you choose such a peaceful place to cause trouble?"
He was silent for an uncomfortable amount of time, listening to her hiccup and cry.
Finally, when her glare broke and she could only stare helplessly into his eyes, he shook his head.
"Come closer, and I'll tell you." He said, defeated.
She nodded, crawling closer to the bars.
He shuffled with something behind himself and pulled out a yellow rose, handing it to her through the bars. "Here. I asked Copper to pick it for me this morning."
She just looked at it, the bitter memories of yesterday flooding back. She wanted to crush it, to snap it in half and yell at him some more, but instead she took it gingerly, setting it on the ground next to her leg.
"You want the truth?" He asked. "Fine, I'll tell you everything."
A/N: Expect the rest of the story over Spring Break! Thank you all for being so patient!